A food that is increasingly used in the diet of Romanians should be consumed with caution if we know that we have problems related to the thyroid gland. An endocrinologist explains what to watch out for.
Soy preparations, because this food is popular in Asia, have also been adopted in the West due to some suggested health benefits, notes endocrinologist Ruxandra Dobrescu on her Facebook page, where she shares information and useful health tips with her patients.
Soybeans have become popular for proteins that contain essential amino acids for protein synthesis in muscles and other tissues, representing a good alternative to animal-based diets. “For this reason they are used a lot in vegetarian diets and fasting periods,” shows the doctor.
Isoflavones, which are a type of phytoestrogens, or “plant estrogens”, can produce some estrogenic or anti-estrogenic effects in the body, depending on the receptors they bind to.
What are the potential benefits
“Bthe possible benefits related to soy consumption (still not confirmed for sure!) refer to the improvement of neurovegetative symptoms related to menopause (hot flashes, sweating), protection against osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and breast cancer”, esaid the doctor. However, excessive consumption is not without risks, Dr. Dobrescu pointing out that phytoestrogens can act as endocrine disruptors, disrupting the activity of our endocrine system. “For example, excess consumption can lead to growth of breast tissue (ie, gynecomastia) in boys,” notes the doctor.
Soy should be consumed with even greater caution by people diagnosed with thyroid gland conditions. Doctor Ruxandra Dobrescu specifies that in conditions of iodine deficiency, soy isoflavones inhibit thyroid-peroxidase, an important enzyme for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Soy preparations may also decrease the absorption of thyroid hormones from Euthyrox, the treatment used by people with thyroid gland conditions.
“So if we take Euthirox we must not consume soy for at least 4 hours after taking the treatment”, draws the doctor’s attention, concluding that soy is good consumed in moderation and if we take care to have enough iodine in the diet, and if we follow a treatment with Euthyrox, we must wait four hours between the administration of the treatment and the consumption of soy.
Nut consumption and the effect on the thyroid
In a video, the doctor addresses other myths related to the consumption of various foods for patients with thyroid conditions.
The concern of many patients is that walnuts contain too much iodine, which is problematic for patients with autoimmune thyroiditis. The doctor reassures the patients by explaining that one cannot get excess iodine by eating walnuts for the simple reason that iodine is found in green walnuts, and to reach a large amount would require “industrial” consumption of green walnut jam, for example.
Therefore, nut kernel consumption is safe, but nuts, otherwise a very valuable food, should be consumed in moderation. “The only observation is that it seems that if we eat nuts quickly after swallowing the levothyroxine tablet, which is Euthyrox, which people with hypothyroidism use, those nuts, probably because of the fiber in them, seem to slow down the absorption of Euthyrox. I mean, it’s good not to eat nuts for breakfast, or at least a couple of hours between swallowing the Euthyrox tablet and eating nuts. Otherwise, nuts are a very healthy food and contain a lot of good things, so it’s good not to exclude them from the diet”the doctor specified.
And about cruciferous foods – cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collards – there are myths. Traditionally these foods were considered to be “bulky”, that is, vegetables that over time can lead to an increase in the size of the thyroid. In fact, these vegetables appear to contain thiocyanates, substances that prevent iodine from being taken up in the blood. By preventing the capture of iodine, they make the iodine that the body has not readily available to the thyroid for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, explains Dr. Dobrescu. The problem arises especially in the excessive consumption of such vegetables and in conditions where there is a significant iodine deficiency.
“As long as we have a correct ratio of iodine in our diet, i.e. as long as we eat in a balanced way and as long as we use iodized salt, which is very important in our country, as well as in many countries around the world for the correction of iodine deficiency, cruciferous vegetables are not such an important problem these days. To further reduce the risk of this interference, it is even better to eat these vegetables cooked, because cooking inactivates the enzyme that prevents the uptake of iodine by the thyroid“, explained Dr. Dobrescu.
As for the gluten-free diet, which is increasingly popular, especially among people who find out they have autoimmune thyroiditis, a few things should also be clarified.
Only about 10% of people with autoimmune thyroiditis may have celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten.
“These people need a gluten-free diet because the gluten in cereals exacerbates the autoimmune phenomena in the digestive tract and it has been proven that the gluten-free diet is very important both to counteract the effects, that is, the malabsorption that occurs with the consumption of gluten, (…) and it can also apparently decrease the level of anti-thyroid antibodies in people with autoimmune thyroiditis associated with celiac disease. So it is logical and rational that when we find out that we have autoimmune thyroiditis, we somehow have autoimmune eyes be open and open-minded to the possibility that this autoimmune thyroiditis is also associated with other autoimmune diseases, including celiac disease. If we have doubts or if we have indications that it could also be gluten intolerance, then we test, we check the specific antibodies for celiac disease and if they are positive, so if it seems that we are really talking about gluten intolerance, then yes, the gluten-free diet is important.” reinforced Dr. Dobrescu.
