Diet in thyroid diseases  Thyroid hormones he...

Diet in thyroid diseases  Thyroid hormones help control a number of bodily functions, including growth, cell repair, and metabolism. As a result, people with hypothyroidism can experience symptoms like fatigue, hair loss, weight gain, cold intolerance, mood changes, and constipation, among many other symptoms. Medication is the first line of treatment for hypothyroidism, but following a healthy diet and lifestyle can help improve thyroid function and symptoms, too The Mediterranean Diet, for example, is a style of eating that doesn’t force you to cut out any food groups, count calories, or eat excessive amounts of certain types of foods (like fats or proteins). It simply emphasizes lean protein over red meat, whole grains over simple carbohydrates, lots and lots of fresh produce, and plenty of those plant-based fats Wattenbarger referred to earlier, like nuts, seeds, and olive oil.  The DASH diet, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, is similar: low in sodium and saturated fat, the diet focuses on everyday foods rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium to keep blood pressure levels naturally lower and improve cardiovascular function. These two diets allow you to make overall healthy choices throughout the day without too much restriction, something that is key to making lasting nutrition changes for your health. “Restrictive diets are very hard to stick to long term, and anything involving the endocrine system is a long-term, lifelong complication. What’s the worst hypothyroidism diet? Avoiding restrictive diets means no matter how tempting a new dietary fad may be—with claims that you can drop 40 or 50 pounds in a handful of months!—they usually aren’t the best choice if you have hypothyroidism, especially if they involve restricting entire food groups. On top of being hard to maintain in the long run, they could have acute health effects, as well. “I often recommend avoiding diets that cut out whole food groups, such as keto or vegan diets, because this can make it more difficult to get crucial nutrients, ” says Morey. We see a lot of people who read on the internet that keto or the Atkins diet will cure hypo, but that’s not the case.You might lose weight with a fad diet and reduce your medication needs, but that’s not a longevity route—you need something you can adopt permanently and that your whole family can do.  Foods for hypothyroidism 1. Nuts and legumes Nuts and legumes are high in selenium, which can affect the activation of thyroid hormones.  2. Eggs Eggs contain both selenium and iodine, both of which can improve overall thyroid function.  3. Tuna and sardines Just below Brazil nuts on the list of foods naturally high in selenium are tuna and sardines, which contain 167% and 82%, respectively of the nutrient’s DV.. 4. Oysters Zinc is also an important nutrient in managing thyroid conditions, Zinc helps the body produce thyroid hormones [and while] zinc deficiencies are rare, people with hypothyroidism may still want to eat foods rich in zinc, like oysters and other shellfish. 5. Chicken In line with the Mediterranean style of eating, recommends opting for lean protein meat sources like chicken over beef and pork—and this has the added benefit of giving you a good dose of zinc, too, as three ounces of dark meat chicken. Diet plan .Diet which is low in fat with a good balance of fruits, vegetables, dairy, whole grains and lean protein are good. You can also reduce the amount of carbohydrate in your diet but completely avoiding carbohydrate is not recommended. Reducing the amount of salt intake is also helpful, ideally less than 2.3 grams per day. Rock salt (Saindhava  Lavana) is a better replacement to table salt, as rock salt is rich in minerals. Supportive Nutrient as per ayurveda 1. Prefer balanced and wholesome diet, inclusions They contain goitrogenic compounds that interfere with levels of thyroid hormone in the body and also worsen the symptoms in hypothyroidism. 2.Essential oils and fatty acids - These are important for health of thyroid gland. Fish oils are good sources of omega 3 fatty acids. They promote production of thyroid hormones. They are immunity enhancers and also anti-inflammatory in nature. 3.Natural fats available in the below - mentioned help in maintaining hormonal balance Flaxseeds, Walnuts, Avocado Nuts, Fish. 4.Try to use sesame oil for cooking. As per Ayurveda, Sesame oil helps to burn fat quickly while nourishing the muscle tissues. If you live in a very hot place, then coconut oil can be used for cooking, as it is Increase protein intake. 5.Diet rich in proteins improves the reduced production of thyroid hormones by regulating the thyroid functions. Nuts, green vegetables, legumes, eggs and meat are rich in protein and help in combating hypothyroidism symptoms. 6.Include natural iodine - Reduced activity of thyroid might be due to low iodine in the diet or greater than required iodine. Have more of seafood, seaweeds, milk, egg, shrimp, cheese Avoid artificial iodine supplementation. 7.Probiotics They are gut friendly bacteria that help in improving metabolism and better digestion Improper digestion and low levels of good bacteria in the stomach may reduce thyroid hormone production. Have more of buttermilk, yogurt, fermented vegetable pickles, kefir, buttermilk, idli. 8.Apple cider vinegar - It is useful to reduce body weight, improve fat carbohydrate metabolism and to balance alkaline-acid balance in the body. It also helps in balancing cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure. 1 teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar and honey mixed in warm water will help in improving thyroid activity and control symptoms of hypothyroidism when consumed. 9.Regular exercise - Getting regular physical activity is important for everyone, but it can contribute to a positive cycle of healthy behaviors in people with hypothyroid.When people start eating healthier and doing more activity, people start losing weight, and as a side effect of [being more active and losing weight], they tend to eat better. In general, people with hypothyroidism should aim to get 150 to 300 minutes of physical activity each week or 30 min each day. . 10.Balanced estrogen levels in women .Raised estrogen levels can cause hypothyroidism in women. Birth control pills, dairy products and consumption of large amount of meat may imbalance estrogen levels and deplete thyroid hormone production. These foods shall be avoided to maintain balance of thyroid hormones in the body. 11.Selenium - plays an important role in thyroid hormone metabolism. Examples of selenium containing foods are - Eggs, Legumes, Tuna, Turkey Selenium supply in the body is reduced in Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Selenium supplements have shown to balance thyroxine (T4) levels. 12.Sugar free diet - Sugar and processed foods can increase inflammation in the body which eventually slows down the conversion of T4 into T3. This can make your symptoms and thyroid disease worsen. It is wise to have a sugar free diet. 13.Vitamin B - The body's vitamin B-12 levels may be affected by low thyroid hormones. Supplementing the same may help in repairing the damage caused by hypothyroidism to an extent. Vitamin B12 is helpful in warding off the tiredness related to thyroid disease. Vitamin B1 may also be affected by hypothyroidism. The below mentioned foods add vitamins to your diet when regularly consumed Peas, Beans, Sesame seeds, Cheese, Milk , Eggs, Asparagus 14.Gluten free diet - According to National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, many people with thyroid disease also have celiac disease. In celiac disease gluten triggers an immune response in the small intestines. Currently research doesn't support a gluten free diet for treatment of thyroid disease. Once wheat and other gluten rich foods are removed from the diet, people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis start feeling better.  15.Fruits - All other fruits apart from those avoidable shall be used. These include berries, bananas, tomatoes, oranges etc.  Take medication The only proven effective treatment for hypothyroidism is medication. Most people with hypothyroid will be prescribed a medication like Synthroid (levothyroxine) to improve their thyroid function Foods alone won't cure hypothyroidism. A combination of right nutrients and medication can help to restore thyroid function and minimize your symptoms. Foods to avoid 1.Goitrogens These are compounds - which may interfere with normal function of thyroid gland. Common foods which contain goitrogens are Vegetables - cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach etc  Fruits and starchy plants - sweet potatoes, cassava, strawberries, peaches etc  Nuts and seeds - millet, pine nuts, peanuts etc Soy foods - tofu, tempeh etc Millets Highly processed foods - cookies, cakes, hot dogs etc 2.Cruciferous vegetables - These vegetables include cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts. They are high in vitamins and fiber. These vegetables should not be consumed in excess. 3.Alcohol Liver breaks down the - drugs like thyroid hormone to remove them from the body. Excessive alcohol damages your liver. This them from the body. Excessive alcohol damages your liver. This damaged liver could lead to too much levothyroxine in your system.  4.Caffeine and sugars / carbohydrates - Intake of coffee and high caloric starchy foods should be avoided. Starchy foods reduce metabolism and increase adverse effects of hypothyroidism. On the other hand, consumption of fiber rich foods and nuts help in reducing the symptoms and also to improve health. 5.Food should not be preserved, processed or canned. Try to eat freshly made meals with natural ingredients, served hot. 6.Avoid hydrogenated oils, vegetable oils, artificial colors and flavors or white flour.  Important Yoga postures for Hypothyroidism Sarvangasana – Shoulder stand Viparita Karani Asana - Inverted Pose Janu Sirsasana - Seated Head to Knee pose Matsyasana - Fish pose ▪Halasana - plough pose Marjariasana - cat-cow  Surya Namaskara - Sun Inverted Pose   Pranayama - Kapalabhati, Ujjayi Pranayama, Bhastrika, Nadi Shodhana Pranayama Vasti Chikitsa - Vasti enema with oil or milk/decoction prepared with vata alleviating herbs should be administered in chronic and stubborn cases or in presence of symptoms of multiple system involvement. This is because enema is the best treatment for morbid vata. Udwarthana herbal powder massage will enable to remove obstruction in the channels, to kindle digestive and tissue fire, to remove excessive fat which has accumulated in the body and destroy morbid kapha. Herbs, Research studies 1. Kanchanara - Animal experiments (in rats) have shown that Bauhinia variegate Linn i.e. Kanchanara when administered has enhanced the thyroid functions. Bark extract of its variant i.e. Bauhinia purpurea Linn increased serum T3 and T4 in rats. 2. Ashwagandha - Withania somnifera has shown to lower - cortisol and balance thyroid hormones. The adaptogens in Withania somnifera works well with hormones of endocrine system which bring balance of the levels of thyroid hormones. It also increases thyroid hormones. It is also used in autoimmune thyroid conditions because it is a potent immunomodulator herb. It has a stimulatory effect on thyroid gland. 3. Shigru( Moringa oleifera )  Its - extracts have shown maximum percentage increase in hormone concentration of T3 and T4. 4. Varuna (Crataeva nurvula)   It has anti-tumor property and can be readily administered in thyroid swellings and goiter. 5. Guggulu - Commiphora mukul - shown to raise the levels of T3 and T4. 6. Brahmi - Bacopa monnieri - stimulates thyroid activity by increasing the amount of T4. Its extract increases T3 and T4. 7. Apamarga - Achyranthes aspera - its leaf extract increases T3 and T4 levels. 8. Nirgundi - Vitex negundo - its roots ground with water is used as nasal drops in the treatment of thyroid swelling  9. Aragvadha - Cassia fistula - Its root bark is ground with rice water and used for nasal drops and also for application on swollen lymph glands around the neck and also thyroid swelling. Its extract has shown to increase T3, T4 and to decrease TSH and cholesterol levels in the body. 10. Jalakumbhi - Pistia startiotes Linn Its ash is used with urine of cow in goiter.