Among diseases to which the thyroid gland is exposed, there is such a disease as hypothyroidism, characterized by an insufficient level of synthesis of thyroid hormones. At the same time, the disease is considered rather insidious, because at the first stages it does not have a pronounced symptomatology, and the course of the disease can occur for a long time. Violation of the normal production of hormones can lead to the development of a large number of consequences, including a disturbance in the work of the nervous system, swelling of soft tissues, a decrease in libido, and a sharp increase in weight. Therefore, an important role plays a diet for hypothyroidism of the thyroid gland for weight loss, which will help to avoid complications.
Diet for hypothyroidism – the basic rules
Adding weight in the disease occurs due to a violation of the normal production of enzymes responsible for the digestive tract, there is also a gradual hypoxia of tissues and a decrease in energy consumed. In this case, an effective method of treatment is the adherence to a special diet, which must meet several requirements.
First of all, it is necessary to normalize the power regimes. It is recommended to take a small amount of food at a time, but the number of receptions during the day should be increased to 5-6 times. This will help the body with a low content of enzymes to completely break down incoming nutrients and assimilate all nutrients and vitamins.
The next principle of the right diet for hypothyroidism is the observance of culinary processing. This implies the exclusion from the menu of fried or baked food, which must be replaced by products cooked steamed or cooked. It is also desirable to pre-grind the food in order to reduce the load on the digestive tract. The exclusion of fried foods is due to the presence in it of fat decay products formed during frying, which can lead to disturbance of metabolic processes and load blood vessels.
Another point of the diet is the temperature of the food consumed. When hypothyroidism is not recommended to eat hot food, but should eat a warm meal, at a temperature of 15 to 60 degrees. Unnecessarily hot or excessively cold food also irritatively affects the digestive tract and leads to an additional waste of energy for digestion, which for the weakened organism is an additional load.
Also it is necessary to observe drinking regimens and nutrition with the thyroid gland. In hypothyroidism recommended to drink during the day is not more than half a liter of liquid, as the disease is accompanied by swelling of the soft tissue, and excess fluid will result in an increase in their number and severity. Salt intake should be limited to 6 grams throughout the day, as salt can also have an irritating effect on the digestive tract. A small amount of it will not lead to fluid retention and will reduce puffiness. It is advisable to introduce iodized salt in the menu, since this element takes an active part in the thyroid gland and is required for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. It should be noted that iodized salt loses its properties during heat treatment, which is why it should be added already to ready meals.
An important rule of all diets or therapeutic nutrition, which becomes even more important in hypothyroidism, is the elimination of alcohol from the menu, since ethyl alcohol not only irritatively affects the digestive tract, but also leads to a slowing of metabolic processes.
When hypothyroidism is desirable to eat fish, seafood, vegetables and fruits
No less important for hypothyroidism is the intake of vitamins, especially ascorbic acid, which helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels, which helps to prevent swelling and atherosclerosis. Also, vitamins can increase the rate of metabolism, which slows down due to an insufficient amount of thyroid hormones. Some vitamins take part in the functioning of the gland itself. It is advisable to enrich your menu with a diet of vegetable fiber, which is not only rich in nutrients, but also contributes to the normalization of intestinal motility.
The number of permitted products with a diet aimed at eliminating excess weight caused by hypothyroidism includes foods that are rich in vegetable or animal protein, which is necessary for the normal course of metabolic processes in the body, the production of hormones and is involved in the formation of new cells. It is advisable to choose foods that are rich in tyrosine.
Also among the products that must necessarily be present on the table, are foods with a high content of iodine, an element directly involved in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. It is necessary to increase the intake of vitamin B, involved in the production of the corresponding hormones of the thyroid gland, and vitamin C, which strengthens the blood vessels. It is also desirable to eat foods that contain linoleic acid and lipotropic substances that help get rid of “bad” cholesterol.
The list of products useful for the thyroid gland in the case of hypothyroidism can have the following appearance:
- bread from flour is not higher, but first or second grade, preferably slightly dried;
- Low-fat meat (beef, veal), chicken breast meat;
- boiled varieties of sausages, because they contain less fat than in smoked. You can also eat horse sausage;
- marine fish species. They contain a large amount of phosphorus, unsaturated fatty acids and iodine;
- cheeses of neutral varieties, which should not be sharp, not salty and not greasy, especially for women;
- omelettes, prepared mainly from protein, since it is recommended to limit the nutrition with yolk every day;
- Any fruit and vegetables, except for cruciferous people, which include cabbage;
- vegetables can be eaten in the form of salads, for refueling which is best to use a small amount of vegetable oil;
- porridge;
- seafood once a week;
- tea or coffee, which must be weak, also fruit, berry or vegetable juices are perfect as a liquid.
Among products that are strictly forbidden in hypothyroidism, soy is in the first place, as it contains isoflavones that act depressingly on the thyroid gland and lead to a reduction in its activity. Also, fatty foods should be excluded from the menu, since animal fats interfere with normal absorption of nutrients and can cause the development of atherosclerosis.
The correct diet for hypothyroidism involves the exclusion from the diet of fatty, salty, fried foods
Cruciferous or cabbage is also not recommended for thyroid disease, because they contain isothiocyanates, which negatively affect the normal functioning of the gland. Quickly digestible carbohydrates should also be excluded from the menu, because they are able to disrupt the normal functioning of the digestive tract due to the speed of their digestion and lead to an increase in the level of cholesterol in the blood.
The list of products that it is desirable to exclude from your menu with hypothyroidism is as follows:
- bread, pastries and other products containing flour of the highest quality;
- fatty meat (pork, lamb);
- fish caviar;
- all kinds of fish products, such as preserves, canned food or fish in smoked form;
- fatty sausage varieties;
- fat, margarine, cooking fats;
- all representatives of the family of leguminous and cruciferous;
- mushrooms in any form;
- jam or honey should be restricted;
- strong coffee or tea, various soft fizzy drinks, such as cola or Pepsi;
- pasta.
Diet in hypothyroidism – to observe or not
Compliance with the diet in this disease will not lead to its complete elimination, but it will significantly reduce the number of symptoms, among which are particularly curable such as increased irritability, a feeling of drowsiness, swelling of soft tissues. Also, adherence to dietary nutrition will reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and can have a positive effect on improving the appearance of the skin. Proper nutrition every day in case of an ailment will allow to control body weight and keep it in norm, will have a beneficial effect on the work of the intestine and will avoid frequent constipation.
Non-adherence to dietary nutrition, in turn, can cause complications, among which the most terrible in adulthood is the development of myxedema coma, a condition leading to death. Ignoring the correct nutrition in childhood can provoke the development of a violation in mental activity, which in the future leads to cretinism or oligophrenia.
Compliance with the diet does not mean an unquestioning refusal from the usual food, but requires following certain rules, while maintaining a diverse and, most importantly, healthy diet every day, helping to reduce the risk of consequences of an unpleasant ailment of women and men.
