10 Foods to Eat for Optimal Thyroid Health

If you take an interest in endangered species, you are likely to know that bamboo shoots are the favorite food of pandas. The idea that they contain unique medicinal qualities that benefit humans is far less well known. Substances found in bamboo shoots perform an excellent job clearing out bacteria from the liver. Accumulations of bacteria prevent both liver and thyroid gland from functioning effectively. While pandas happily chew on bamboo shoots, you should boil them first, put them in a blender and take a few teaspoons full of this liquid a couple of times each day.

Some might have the idea that natural remedies need to be as unpleasant tasting as fish oil to be effective, but nothing is further from the truth. Many readers will be delighted to hear how their favorite cup of coffee contributes to thyroid health. This drink prompts the body to produce more enzymes. These chemicals help the thyroid gland break down the hormones it needs to release into your bloodstream. Besides putting you in the right mood to deal with the day's challenges, your cup of coffee also enables the thyroid gland to work effectively. What could be better?

In addition to coffee, 's famous nuts can also promote good thyroid health. The nuts contain good qualities of a substance called selenium besides being rich in protein and calcium content. Selenium assists the thyroid gland in creating the hormones a healthy body requires. You have much to gain by cutting out processed snacks from your diet. When you feel the need to snack, open that packet of Brazil nuts. You benefit from their enjoyable taste while at the same time boosting your thyroid.

Parents worry about whether their children are eating enough fruit. Science supports this belief that eating fruit brings many benefits. Thyroid health is one of the areas where they have found that eating enough fruit makes a real difference. Fruit provides good sugar content for the liver. It improves the liver's ability to work in harmony with the thyroid gland to activate the thyroid hormones a healthy body requires. At the same time regularly including fruit in your meal plans reduces the risks of developing type 2 diabetes.

As you walk along the beach, you could be stepping on a valuable source of nourishment. The seaweed you tread underfoot has health-giving properties that help improve the working of the thyroid and other organs. Not so long ago people gave no thought to these plants, but their value has come under increasing scrutiny over the past few decades. Seaweed is especially rich in iodine. In fact, too much of it can be harmful, but if you use it in the moderate amount natural care experts recommend it improves thyroid functioning.

You do not need to live on an island to appreciate the value of this most versatile of fruits. Accumulations of polyunsaturated fats interfere with the natural thyroid hormone distribution channels. Coconut oil breaks up these concentrations of fat. It, therefore, performs a wonderful job of unblocking the channels that carry the thyroid hormone around the body. You also have many other good reasons for taking that dose of coconut oil, for example, to keep your skin well moisturized.

An overactive thyroid gland is just as unhealthy for the body as an underactive gland. Just as some people need to eat foods that increase thyroid activity, others might need foods that counteract the effects of too much thyroid activity. Spinach is a great choice to add to salads. It helps the body to replace the iron that those with overactive thyroids are sure to lack. The absence of sufficient iron eventually causes that person to become anemic. It is far better to make those changes in eating habits that help prevent this situation from developing.

Many health-conscious people make a point of avoiding tap water. They have special filters installed on their taps or drink water from filtered jars. They do this to avoid the impurities found in some tap water suppliers. There are also thyroid health concerns for tap water drinkers. Some countries add chlorine or fluoride to the water supplies. These chemicals interfere with the supply of iodine to the thyroid. It is important for general health to drink sufficient amounts of water, but try to make sure it does not come straight from the tap.

You do not have to be on a diet to appreciate the advantages of including low-fat yogurt in your meal plans. All you need is a single cup of this yogurt per day to get almost half of the iodine supply a healthy thyroid requires. Dieticians recommend taking the yogurt along with strawberries and nuts; the former provides an additional iodine boost and the latter beneficial fats.

Walnuts are one of the healthiest foods around. They are particularly rich in the omega-3 fatty acids that help prevent inflammations and aid thyroid functioning. They also provide very tasty snacks. This should give you sufficient motivation to stop buying processed snacks and satisfy your snacking desire with this much more beneficial alternative.