I'm hypothyroid, and have been for three years. I've been vegan for that entire time. I didn't at all alter my diet because of my condition, other than to start waiting 4 hours after taking my Synthroid before consuming soy products (and iron supplements), due to some research suggesting that soy affects the absorption of thyroid meds into the blood. My doctor discussed my diet with me when I was diagnosed and didn't see any issues with being vegan and hypothyroid, and definitely didn't suggest that I start eating meat. I get my levels checked every 6 months and they've been normal for years, even though I consume large amounts of soy.
I heard the same thing about soy when I was in nursing school. I think cabbage and brussel sprouts do the same thing. One big problem that I see is that most vegan recipes call for sea salt instead of iodized salt. Make sure you are using iodized salt-a lot of people run into problems when the leave out the iodine in their diets- it's an essential nutrient. Most other foods have it, like seafood and seaweed and meats, so it's easy to miss this in a vegan diet, but making a simple change like changing your salt is cheap and easy. I'm not saying that this will cure yr problem because it wont, but it can cause a problem.
Yeah. I do not like using processed (i.e. idonized "table salt")... At the same time I'm not a frequent consumer of a lot of seaweed either... So I take a liquid iodine supplement that is derived from kelp seaweed. It's just four little drops from a dropper into a glass of water every couple of days. And it only cost 5 bucks for the bottle.
But yeah, be sure you get some RDA of iodine somehow, as iodine is the thyroid nutrient.
I have thyroid issues (not specifically hypothyroid, but it's weird and complicated, and from what I've determined, I pretty much am, haha), and the endocrinologist hasn't said anything to me about diet at all - other than the fact that I can't eat a half-hour to an hour after I take the medication :]
I'm hypothyroid and I take synthroid. It hasn't made me change anything about my diet so I don't think you have anything to worry about. And if for some reason he does tell you to eat something thats not vegan tell him you can't and ask for the next best option :D I've never had anyone say that though.
I'm hypothyroid and take synthroid. My endocrinologist as well as a new doctor I am going to (the reason for the new doctor is my endo didn't listen to me when I told him I have continued to have symptoms even though my thyroid levels are in the "normal" range after being medicated) knows that I'm vegan and hasn't said anything against it or hasn't told me to eat meat or fish or any animal products. I was worried about the soy-thyroid connection and asked my endo about it and he told me not to worry about it. I told my new doctor and he didn't say anything about it either.
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One big problem that I see is that most vegan recipes call for sea salt instead of iodized salt. Make sure you are using iodized salt-a lot of people run into problems when the leave out the iodine in their diets- it's an essential nutrient. Most other foods have it, like seafood and seaweed and meats, so it's easy to miss this in a vegan diet, but making a simple change like changing your salt is cheap and easy. I'm not saying that this will cure yr problem because it wont, but it can cause a problem.
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At the same time I'm not a frequent consumer of a lot of seaweed either...
So I take a liquid iodine supplement that is derived from kelp seaweed.
It's just four little drops from a dropper into a glass of water every couple of days. And it only cost 5 bucks for the bottle.
But yeah, be sure you get some RDA of iodine somehow, as iodine is the thyroid nutrient.
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I found this, though.
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