Expert Advice

Acella Pharmaceuticals is partnering with Nicole German Morgan, RDN, LD, CLT, to bring greater awareness to the importance of thyroid care and education. This post is sponsored by Acella Pharmaceuticals.

Disclaimer: The information provided is for educational purposes only and does not substitute professional medical advice. Consult a medical professional or healthcare provider before beginning any exercise, fitness, diet, or nutrition routine. Acella Pharmaceuticals does not endorse, promote, or sponsor any products or brands mentioned in this article. The views expressed here are those of the author.

When planning a diet or what to eat, we often focus on foods to avoid. Some people may choose to avoid gluten or dairy, for example. However, for hypothyroidism, focusing on foods that nourish the body and provide a wide variety of nutritional value is also important. So, which foods are the most nutrient-rich?

Nutrient-Rich Foods

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes make the top of the list for a carbohydrate choice as they are a carbohydrate digested more slowly. This means that sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index and do not raise blood glucose as quickly or as high as some other sources of carbohydrates.¹ They also contain prebiotics to help the body grow healthy gut bacteria and are rich in vitamin A.²

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are unique for their natural vitamin D content. Vitamin D is important for the health of the immune system and autoimmunity.³ In addition, mushrooms contain high levels of antioxidants to support a healthy inflammatory response in the body.⁴

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are an excellent food as they are rich in many vitamins and minerals. The seeds contain zinc and selenium, are rich in magnesium and iron, are an excellent source of vitamin E, and are a good source of thiamine (vitamin B1).⁵ For those who may have difficulty digesting seeds, you can opt for sprouted pumpkin seeds, which are easier to digest.

Salmon & Sardines

If you haven’t tried sardines in a while, there are many new and creative ways to eat this nutrientpacked fish. Sardines are full of omega-3 fatty acids that can help support a healthy inflammatory response.⁶ Salmon is another healthy fatty fish option, but sardines are inexpensive, easy, and provide an alternative. In addition to healthy fats, sardines are an excellent source of calcium, which is helpful if you are consuming less dairy in your diet.⁶ An added bonus is that sardines are exposed to less mercury than other types of fish and are an excellent source of selenium.^6,7

Balance and Variety

These are just a few examples of nutrient-rich foods. A key for hypothyroidism is to strive for balance across all food groups and macronutrients. Above, we have discussed protein, fiber, and fat sources, a carbohydrate source, and more so that you can see that a wide variety of whole foods offer nutritional value.

Identifying Nutrient Deficiencies

If you cannot eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, supplementation may be an option. But how do you check for a nutrient deficiency? Unfortunately, only a few vitamin and mineral levels can be tested in the blood, such as vitamin D, folate, B12, selenium, and iron (or ferritin). Other markers, such as magnesium, are not as reliable for testing in the blood. Your doctor can test a few of these nutrients, and then you can work with a registered dietitian to determine if you have nutrient deficiencies in your diet. Alternatively, apps and online food calculators can show you the amounts of every vitamin and mineral you eat daily. Two apps that I recommend to my clients are MyFitnessPal and Cronometer. Once you are able to determine gaps in your diet, you can add nourishing foods back into your diet to create a well-rounded eating plan.

MyFitnessPal^TM is a registered trademark of My Fitness Pal, Inc.
Cronometer^TM is a registered trademark of Cronometer Software, Inc.

REFERENCES: 1. Dutta, Srijita. Sweet Potatoes for Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review. Pharmacophore. 2015;6. https:// citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=349dc895e53f5d77d7351780128d2e63301b071f. 2. Farhangi MA, Keshavarz SA, Eshraghian M, Ostadrahimi A, Saboor-Yaraghi AA. The Effect of Vitamin A Supplementation on Thyroid Function in Premenopausal Women. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2012;31(4):268-274. doi:10.1080/07315724.2012.10720431. 3. Ao T, Kikuta J, Ishii M. The Effects of Vitamin D on Immune System and Inflammatory Diseases. Biomolecules. 2021;11(11):1624. doi:10.3390/biom11111624. 4. Cheung LM, Cheung PCK, Ooi VEC. Antioxidant activity and total phenolics of edible mushroom extracts. Food Chemistry. 2003;81(2):249-255. doi:10.1016/S0308-8146(02)00419-3. 5. Syed QA, Akram M, Shukat R. Nutritional and Therapeutic Importance of the Pumpkin Seeds. Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research. 2019;21:3586. doi:10.26717/BJSTR.2019.21.003586. 6. Santos HO, May TL, Bueno AA. Eating more sardines instead of fish oil supplementation: Beyond omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, a matrix of nutrients with cardiovascular benefits. Front Nutr. 2023;10. doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1107475. 7. FoodData Central. Accessed March 18, 2024. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175139/nutrients

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