What Foods Support the Thyroid?

Is there an optimal diet for the thyroid?

First, foods that may harm thyroid function are the same ones that otherwise promote inflammation, disrupt blood sugar balance, or create stress in the body:

✖️ Hydrogenated and trans fats

✖️ Sugary or highly refined foods

✖️ Seafood high in environmental toxins (like PCBs)

Depending on the person, sensitivities to gluten or other specific foods may also trigger immune responses and inflammation that damage the thyroid.

On the other hand, foods that support thyroid function either deliver essential nutrients or combat oxidative stress and inflammation:

✔️ Omega-3 essential fatty acids 🐟

✔️ Meats, nuts, and seeds high in trace minerals 🥩🌰

✔️ Plant foods for antioxidant phytonutrients 🥦🥕

Plus—studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet may specifically benefit thyroid function.

This is a big topic and needs to be individualized to the person!

Be sure to tap follow 🙌 so you don’t miss my upcoming posts, where I’ll address goitrogenic foods and more specific nutrients for thyroid health.

Reference

Bellastella G, Scappaticcio L, Caiazzo F, et al. Mediterranean Diet and Thyroid: An Interesting Alliance. Nutrients. 2022;14(19):4130. Published 2022 Oct 4. [link]

Foods to Combat Inflammation?

Ever heard of the “Anti-Inflammatory Diet”??

So many of the most common health issues we face today have been linked with the same thing:

🔥 Chronic inflammation.

So how do we fight it?

One way is with food 🥬🫒🍋🥑

🛑 Some foods have been shown to worsen inflammation:

Sugar

Refined carbohydrates

Fried foods

Trans fats (like margarine)

🟢 While some have been shown to combat it:

Fish (rich in omega-3s)

Nuts & seeds

Green leafy vegetables

Colorful berries

Want more natural and holistic ways to support your health?

Make sure to follow along for more posts like this one! 💙

📱 Schedule an appointment with Dr. Cantrell for one-on-one advice!

How to Move Past Food Sensitivities 💥

If you deal with food sensitivities ➡️READ THIS 👇👇

Just because you react to a food now does not mean you will never be able to eat that food again.

You read that 🧐 right.

Some people are able to optimize their gut & immune health and then happily eat foods that used to trigger them—without a problem 🥳

To be clear: I am talking about food sensitivities and NOT true food allergies here. You can see my recent posts that describe the difference.

Here are some ways to support your digestion & immune system to help calm reactivity:

✔️ Eat an “anti-inflammatory” diet, meaning whole foods that are rich in antioxidants

✔️ Support the gut microbiome with probiotic-rich foods

✔️ Chew your foods thoroughly and eat mindfully

This is only a tiny glimpse of all the things we can do to support people with food sensitivities because the solution is highly ✨individual✨

Curious about working on a root-cause approach to your health?

Schedule an initial visit and we can discuss food sensitivity protocols 💚