12 mar 2025

Vegan Medications for Hypothyroidism

Vegan Medications for Hypothyroidism

Urinary iodine concentrations in Boston-area vegans were about one-half those observed in less strict vegetarians 8. Transient neonatal hypothyroidism has been attributed to a maternal vegan diet 9. A vegan, or “strict vegetarian,” diet abstains from all animal meat and dairy products. It is densely plant-based, focused on whole fruits and vegetables. Research suggests that a vegan diet has a variety of health benefits, including weight loss, improved kidney function, 11-19%lower risk of cancer, and a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases.

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They don’t think there’s any reason for me to need any further treatment following the surgery. I already take thyroid hormones so my body is already used to them. Plant-based sources rich in zinc include legumes, nuts, whole grains, seeds, tofu, tempeh, and fortified breakfast cereals.

I thought that for sure I needed to increase my dosage again, however when I had my blood tests in September, my TSH was at .04 and my antiboides were at .9. My doctor felt that the reason for my fatigue was because I was too hyper or amped up from being HYPERthyroid, that I wore myself out and got fatigued. I gained weight because my increased energy increased my appetite causing me to eat more but since I was tired, I was exercising less. I was VERY skeptical of this explanation but I let him lower my dosage back to 112mcg. I was either debilitatingly fatigued or plagued with heart-racing anxiety.

Feeding Our Health

Subjects with lower iron stores had a higher ratio of T3/T4, indicating an impairment in thyroid metabolism that can lead to hypothyroidism. To better understand how a vegan or vegetarian diet affects Hashimoto’s, I’ve examined the available research, conducted my own research, and observed the results from working with my own clients over the years. This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Westin Childs and is for educational and information purposes only.

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• Additionally, spending time in the sun allows your body to produce vitamin D naturally.
• It blames the rise in chronic diseases, obesity, and allergies on the agricultural revolution, which added grains and processed foods into our diet.
• If you are following a vegan diet (or any diet, for that matter), it’s important that you continually check in with yourself.
• Because B12 is primarily found in animal foods, individuals following vegetarian or vegan diets are at a high risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency.

Maca powder is a hormone balancer and seeing as I have 2 hormone disorders (PCOS and Hashimoto’s), all take all the balance I can get. I’ve notfound a lot of conclusive research regarding these- this is just something I’ve found that works for me. As a reminder, please comment on our FDA Citizen Petition, requesting clear labeling of animal-derived ingredients in medications. This blog will contain information pertaining mostly to hypothyroidism but will include some aspects of hyperthyroidism for comparison. Hashimoto’s relationship with iodine, specifically, can be confusing and somewhat contentious. Research suggests that too much iodine may be a trigger for Hashimoto’s disease.

• The RDA for calcium is set at 1,000 mg per day for most adults and increases to 1,200 mg per day for adults over the age of 50 (9).
• You would have to eat an incredibly huge amount of these goitrogens to cause goiter.
• I met with the endocrinologist and she noted that my TSH (a hormone sent from the pituitary gland to the thyroid to stimluate thryoid hormones) level was a little on the high side but still within normal range.
• Again, I believe that eliminating foods such as eggs and dairy will provide positive results for many people with Hashimoto’s on a vegan diet and could contribute to the improvement that they feel.
• The contents of this website and our other publications, including The Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice.

She said that with the number of cancerous lymph nodes she removed, synthroid breasts I should absolutely do the therapy to reduce any chances of the cancer returning via a lymph node. I spoke with my general practitioner who agreed with my surgeon and sent me to another endocrinologist for a second opinion. He agreed that it was important to get me back to where I felt normal.

I’m not perfect by any means but this plan seems to be working. My endocrinologist called me a day or two later to tell me that my blood tests looked fantastic and that my ultrasound was clear. I was so happy to hear the news that I didn’t bother to question whether it was correct or confirm with my surgeon that this was the case. In September, I returned to my surgeon to have her look at a small bump in my incision wound. While I was there, I spoke with her about my endocrinologist’s decision to not do the RAI and she was pretty unhappy.

What are the risks of a vegan diet for hypothyroidism?

The incidence is increased in women, with increasing age and is less common in Blacks. While hypothyroidism may cause obesity, obesity may result in raised thyrotropin-stimulating hormone levels, partly due to a proinflammatory milieu and other endocrine derangements 11. Vegetarians tend to have lower body mass index (BMI) than nonvegetarians 12,13 and in some studies, lower levels of inflammatory markers 14. Experimental data indicate that vegetarian diets may be useful in treatment of autoimmune disease as rheumatoid arthritis 15.

More on Health

For many, taking a supplement is the best way to meet their vitamin D needs. Vitamin D3, produced by the skin in sunlight, is often supplemented by those in higher latitudes, with darker skin, or who are frequently indoors. It’s essential to strike a balance, and consulting with a healthcare professional or nutritionist can provide personalised guidance based on individual vegan dietary needs. While cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and Brussels sprouts contain goitrogens, cooking them and consuming them in moderation can be part of a thyroid-friendly vegan diet. An overdose of Synthroid could cause chest pain, pounding heartbeat, tremors, shortness of breath, leg cramps, confusion, vomiting, diarrhea or seizures.

Should You Take A Statin If You Have Hypothyroidism?

These toxins behave as endocrine disrupting chemicals that affect the proper functioning of the thyroid hormones, by interfering with various pathways of its production and transport. Plant-based dietary sources of iodine include fortified plant-based milks, iodised salt or seaweed. I normally advise having nori sheets, which are easily available and each sheet roughly contains 35-40mcg of iodine. While larger studies would be needed to confirm this, I feel adding a variety of colourful wholefood plants, including fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices will certainly be beneficial for thyroid health. If you’re a former vegan, vegetarian, or are thinking about adding more meat into your diet, I hope this will be helpful too!