The thyroid gland is one of the regulating engines of the body. This butterfly-shaped gland, located just above your collarbone, regularly sends thyroid hormone into the bloodstream and affects everything from heart rate to skin texture. Too much hormone can make it seem as if you are jumping out of your skin; too little can leave you feeling sluggish.
This hormone also helps control the metabolic rate of the body - that is, the rate at which the body burns energy. So if the thyroid isn't functioning normally, a lot can go wrong. There are two main abnormalities, with generally opposite symptoms:
Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid): With too little hormone, you may experience fatigue, weight gain, memory and hair loss, depression, difficulty sleeping and swallowing, mood swings, enlarged thyroid gland (also known as goiter), dry skin, intolerance to cold, and/or high cholesterol levels.
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid, including Graves' disease): with too much hormone, you may experience irritability, nervousness, muscle weakness, tremors, irregular menstrual periods, weight loss, sleep disturbances, goiter, vision problems, palpitations, heat intolerance, and/or impaired fertility.
Women are at much higher risk than men for thyroid disorders. Hypothyroidism is more common than hyperthyroidism, especially among older women.
Many of the symptoms of underactive thyroid are nonspecific and develop very gradually, so it is easy to overlook them or attribute them to some other cause.
Thyroid disease is caused by iodine deficiency, which was common a century ago but is no longer a significant problem as iodine is now widely dispersed in our food supply. A small minority may develop goiter because they over consume vegetables belonging to the cabbage family and other foods that contain the anti-thyroid substance -- Goitrogen. Goitrogens are found in such foods as cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and kohlrabi
Hyperthyroidism and diet:
The diet for hyperthyroidism should consist of high calories, proteins, vitamins and minerals. The diet should consist of eggs, meat, poultry and cereal and pulse combination. Minerals and vitamins like A, B complex, C, calcium and phosphorous should be increased to twice the daily requirements.
Foods rich in these vitamins and minerals are yellow fruits like papaya, mango, milk and milk products, green leafy vegetables, sprouted pulses and fish. A person suffering from hyperthyroidism should limit smoking, alcohol, chocolate and high-caffeine beverages such as tea, coffee and cola.
Hypothyroidism and diet:
The diet should be high in fibre and low in calorie. It should also contain adequate proteins, fat, minerals and vitamins. The fat allowance should not exceed more than 30 gm per day. Salt intake should be kept at a minimum and limited to 1-2 tsp per day. Avoid salted confectioneries, chips and pickles.
Remember, diet in thyroid disorders has only a supplementary role and it cannot substitute medication.
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