Thyroid Health: 7 Thyroid-Friendly Foods

Thyroid is a small gland that plays a major role in almost all our body functions.It is responsible for producing hormones that nearly affects every process in our body. It influences our mood, weight, fertility, heart rate, metabolism, and bone health.

Why Should You Be Concerned About Your Thyroid Health?

Irregular thyroid function can cause various problems to our health. In the case of an under-active thyroid, the gland fails to produce the required amount of thyroid hormones. This can cause issues like weight gain, laziness, sensitivity to temperature and depression.

On the other hand, an overactive thyroid produces too much hormones causing problems like weight loss, palpitation, sweating, nervousness, and mood swings.

Research shows that certain foods can promote thyroid health. Here are 7 of them:

1.      Almonds

Almonds are an excellent source of selenium, iron, protein, vitamin B and zinc. All of these nutrients are essential for boosting thyroid health.

2.      Eggs

Other than iodine, eggs are also rich in a nutrient called selenium. Selenium is another nutrient that is beneficial for regulating the production of hormones in the thyroid. You should at least consume one or two whole eggs per day. While most people tend to avoid the yolk, research suggests that most of the nutrients are present in the yolk.

3.      Yogurt

Yogurt along with other dairy products is rich in vitamin D, calcium and iodine. Hashimoto’s disease is one of the most common causes of hypothyroidism. It is linked to deficiency of vitamin D, hence a bowl of yogurt can prevent this disease.

4.      Berries

Loaded with antioxidants, berries can help boost your immune system and help curb many thyroid problems. Be it strawberry, blueberry or raspberry, whatever suits your taste, add them to your diet. They protect your bodies against harmful free radicals.

5.      Nuts

Nuts are rich in selenium and can help boost your thyroid health. The nutrient protects the thyroid from inflammatory by-products of the hormones production.

Additional benefit: They reduce belly fat!

6.      Chicken and Beef

Animal protein is full of amino acids. One such acid, known as tyrosine, is the building block of the thyroid hormone. Hence it is highly beneficial for our health to consume meat. Other than that, zinc is another important nutrient that helps promote regular thyroid function and is found in meats.

7.      Fish

Aside from being rich in iodine, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are very beneficial due to their anti-inflammatory effect. Salmon is one of the most preferred fish for improving thyroid health!

If consumed in proper amounts, these foods can help you maintain your thyroid health.