Graves’ Disease Diet Plan- 8 Foods to avoid

by Svetla Bankova

Most of the patients suffering with thyroid problems believe that eating the right food or avoiding the wrong one will cure them from hyperthyroidism or Graves’ Disease.

This is true and not really true. No matter what you eat the next 24 hours it will not cure your hyperthyroidism overnight. But maintaining a proper diet in a long-term plan will cut a lot of your symptoms, will help your immune system to fight the overactive thyroid and basically will improve in a natural way the performance of your thyroid.

Main principles and Recommendations:

– Any food that naturally inhibits the thyroid overproduction is good, especially if you are diagnosed with overactive thyroid/ hyperthyroidism.

-These foods are called goitrogens and cruciferous vegetables, and they can act as antithyroid drugs (like PTU and methimazole)

– There are 2 major substances that work directly on the thyroid function: isoflavones and  isothiocyanates and they actually appear to reduce thyroid function by blocking the thyroid peroxidase hormone

Cruciferous vegetables and goitrogenic fruits:

• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Kohlrabi
• Mustard greens
• Rutabaga
• Turnips
• Millet
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Mizuna
• Garden cress
• Water cress
• Daikon
• Wasabi
• Bok choy
• Komatsuna
• Rapini
• Soybean and soy products, including tofu
• Peanuts
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• African Cassava
• Babassu

What foods should be avoided in your Graves Disease diet plan:

– Foods to be generally avoided: all foods with high iodine content- like sea food of any kind, kelp, nuts- especially walnuts and chestnuts.

– Drinks: avoid drinks containing caffeine, or stimulants, also sodas of any kind (because of the aspartame in them)

– Alcohol- avoid hard alcohol, glass of wine is considered acceptable, as long as it doesn’t cause palpitations

– Avoid MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), or so called (Chinese Restaurant Syndrome). This product is usually included in corn oil, hydrolyzed oat flour, yeast extract, malt extract, broth, stock, bouillon, flavorings, spices, etc.

– Avoid spicy foods

– Avoid aspartame- usually included in no- calorie or low calorie processed foods, diet products.

– Eat green leafy vegetables from Brassica family, and not only.

– Avoid processing goitrogenous and cruciferous vegetables, or cooking them, as they’ll loose their goitrogenic properties.

– Consume Aloe Vera Gel, and use other aloe products.

Herbs that can help hyperthyroidism:

– Lemon Balm tea

– Chamomile tea

– Valerian Roots tea

– Passiflora (passion flower)

– Lavender

Any calming herb is good.

Vitamins and Supplements:

– Vitamin B complex (all Vitamins in B group); Vitamin C- for the immune system; Vitamin A and Vitamin E

– Supplements: Selenium, Flax seed oil, L- Carnitine

Avoid supplements and multi- vitamins that contain iodine. Check the labels!

If you want more information about diet, including recipes for food, please, check my book “Ultimate Diet Secrets for Grave’s Disease and Hyperthyroidism” or click on the title below: