Food Considerations

From the book Thyroid Power: 10 Steps to Total Health

Things to Avoid
- caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and sugar / impair conversion of T3 from T4
- large quantities of walnuts, almonds, sorghum, peanuts, pine nuts, millet, and cassava (tapioca) / contain goitrogens
- high intake of (esp uncooked) brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, turnips, mustard greens, spinach, and rutabaga / contain goitrogens
- soy products / estrogenic and goitrogens
- flouridated water and toothpaste
- iodine from fast food, canned food, prepackaged food ****
- aspartame

**** Iodine controversy: According to this book, "...most people believe that (iodine) is good for thyroid function. Iodine is indeed a major constituent of thyroid hormone. In fact, worldwide, the enormous problem of low thyroid is basically one of iodine deficiency, though this is hardly the case in the United States. ... "

"Iodine is a double-edged sword for throid sufferers. More than adequate amounts (i.e. anything more than the standard 150 micrograms in a multivitamin mineral combination), may further irritate and inflame an already ailing thyroid gland. ..."

"How does excess iodine harm the thyroid system? A high amount of iodine in the body becomes concentrated in the thyroid gland, in the hormone precursor protein called thyroglobulin. A high amount of iodinated thryglobulin triggers the autoimmune response. ...

"In fact, some scientists suggest that part of the reason for the present epidemic of low thyroid in the United States may be the high amount of iodine in many people's diets. Not surprisingly, we may have gone too far in attempting to eliminate goiters in small regions by adding iodine to the entire country's salt."

They recommend avoiding iodized table salt, fast food, canned food, prepackaged foods. I already do most of that and we love our Redmond's Real Salt, but I am confused by which way is the right way to go on this. Angstrom's Iodine is supposed to be good for hypothyroid, and I have taken it in the past. I will research it some more and decide whether to try small doses and see how I feel.