If you’ve been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, you may be perplexed with the information around your diet. While we will go on and list the 10 foods to avoid with hyperthyroidism, it’s important to understand that dietary changes are just one part of managing your condition.

With hyperthyroidism, your body produces too much of the thyroid hormones, which can lead to difficult symptoms. Learn more about hyperthyroidism as well as its symptoms and treatments.

Your doctor may advise anti-thyroid medication, or even having your thyroid gland removed, depending on the cause of your hyperthyroidism. This is the reason you may be confused when it comes to diet and hyperthyroidism – you may go from needing to know which 10 foods to avoid with hyperthyroidism to actually needing to know what to eat and what to avoid with hypothyroidism, as a result of treatment.

In addition, some people with hyperthyroidism may be advised to follow a low-iodine diet in advance of any hyperthyroidism treatment.

However, if you have hyperthyroidism and want to know which foods to avoid, read on.

10 foods to avoid with hypothyroidism

1.Iodine rich foods

Everyone with hyperthyroidism needs to be aware of their need to reduce the amount of iodine in their diet. This is because iodine increases the function of the thyroid gland, potentially worsening your symptoms.

Most people are very unaware of the foods in their diet which contain iodine. You may need to do more to learn about iodized foods. The primary origin of iodine in the diet is iodized salt. This may be the table salt you use as a condiment. However, iodized salt occurs naturally in many different types of food.

Seafood and seafood additives need to be avoided, such as fish, prawns, lobster, seaweed, sushi, crab, kelp, agar-agar, algae, nori and alginate.

There are other iodine rich foods such as milk and dairy, such as cheese and egg yolks.

It’s worth being aware that some supplements, vitamin tablets and medications also include iodine. Common medicines containing iodine include amiodarone and some cough syrup.

2.Egg yolks

We’ve listed egg yolks on their own because egg whites are low in iodine so can be a good food for those with hyperthyroidism. However, egg yolks are a different story and can be high in iodine, so they shouldn’t be eaten regularly if you have hyperthyroidism.

3.Caffeine

Symptoms of hyperthyroidism include palpitations or a racing heart, as well as the sense of anxiety characterized by hypervigilance, nervousness and irritability. As such, it is very sensible to avoid stimulants which can exacerbate these symptoms. Caffeine is one such stimulant.

Choose decaffeinated options, but be aware these may still contain some caffeine. Non-caffeinated choices are best.

4.Lactose

Lactose, found in dairy milk products, can be problematic for some people with hyperthyroidism. It doesn’t affect everyone, but there is some evidence to show that hyperthyroidism is correlated with lactose intolerance. This may leave you feeling bloated, fatigued and unwell. Products high in lactose include cow’s cheese, milk, yoghurt and ice cream.

When substituting these products, take care not to overly increase your soy intake. There is still ongoing debate about soy and hyperthyroidism, but there is some evidence that shows it can interfere with the absorption of thyroid medication. Soy products should be consumed four hours after medication. You can still eat soy, just be aware of timing. As such, we haven’t listed soy as one of the 10 foods to avoid with hyperthyroidism, but you should be aware of its effect.

5.Gluten products

Gluten is another one where it depends on your personal reaction. However, it appears that there is a relationship between hyperthyroidism and celiac disease. Celiac disease causes increased intestinal permeability and this can cause many problems, including inflammation of the thyroid gland. As such, for many with hyperthyroidism, it can be important to avoid gluten. Gluten exists in a range of products containing wheat, malt, rye, barley and brewer’s yeast.

If you are able to tolerate gluten in your diet, it can still be sensible to opt for wholegrains rather than highly-processed or enriched flour products. These wholegrain foods enable you to better regulate blood sugar and hormone levels.

6.Added sugar

You don’t need to avoid sugar altogether with hyperthyroidism, but you may find it is very helpful to reduce or eliminate your consumption of added sugar. These highly-processed sugars, such as high fructose corn syrup and cane sugar lead to a spike in your blood sugar levels without any nutritional benefits.

For those with hyperthyroidism, avoiding a spike in your blood sugar is important because these spikes can exacerbate the symptoms of anxiety and heart palpitations.

7.Read meat

There is some evidence to suggest that reducing your intake of red meat can lower your symptoms, when you have hypothyroidism. This is because red meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Not only can this lead to heart disease and type II diabetes, it can also increase your inflammatory response. With hyperthyroidism, you want to try and reduce your inflammatory response where possible. Choose other healthier sources of lean protein.

8.Hydrogenated vegetable oil

Hydrogenated vegetable oil is problematic for those with hyperthyroidism as it can exacerbate symptoms, due to its ability to lower good cholesterol.

Hydrogenated vegetable oil is found in many highly-processed foods such as spreads, baked goods, chips etc. It can be beneficial to opt for a natural minimally processed diet with whole foods.

9.Alcohol

There is a lot of debate about alcohol consumption and thyroid disease. In fact, consuming a small amount of alcohol has proven to be protective against hypothyroidism. However, when it comes to hyperthyroidism, some believe that it can increase your risk of developing hyperthyroidism.

However, while the debate makes it inconclusive, we do know that alcohol can worsen your symptoms with hyperthyroidism. It can increase palpitations and anxiety, for example. It can also negatively impact your sleep and disrupt your energy levels.

It is therefore prudent to avoid alcohol if you wish, or limit the amount you drink.

10.Allergens

Graves’ Disease, a common form of hyperthyroidism, is an autoimmune disorder. It appears that people with autoimmune diseases are more likely to have allergies and intolerances. It’s therefore worth taking some time to see if any common allergens or intolerances apply to you as they could be worsening your symptoms and quality of life. You can undertake an elimination diet or undergo allergen testing. Common allergies and intolerances include gluten and lactose.

Learn more about hyperthyroidism and the medications you might take in addition to the 10 foods to avoid with hypothyroidism.

At International Pharmacy, we provide information that is well-researched. However, this should not be substituted for medical advice. For personal support with hyperthyroidism or any other condition, please contact your health physician.