There are few things in today’s world that get more heated discussions over a dinner table than politics, religion and food choices.
We become strong and uncompromising advocates for the things that have worked for us (or we think that did) and hearing another person’s point of view is often not welcome. In truth, most of us like to surround ourselves with people to agree with us and validate our opinions and not to question us.
When I tell people what I do, the first question, or rather statement 80% of them make is: “So, you must be a vegetarian”.
No, I am not a vegetarian.
I’m well aware this article will ruffle many feathers. Probably, especially so, if you are a vegetarian.
You joined my website for a reason; to seek answers and solutions as to how to heal your thyroid. If this is still your intent, I will ask you to stay open-minded and read it till the end. Because, really, if you continue doing what are you currently doing why would you expect a different result?
Let’s take a quick look on why people go off meat. They have some valid arguments, such as:
- Meat is full of saturated fats and is the key reason why we suffer from so many heart diseases and obesity today. My response: It’s true that many people lose weight getting off meat. They typically make many other dietary changes. The bigger issue here is the amount and quality of meat the person was consuming.The one filter I like to use when not sure if a certain food is “good” or “bad” is this: how did we live and eat “back then”, like 50, or 100 years ago? After all, we did not have an pandemic of autoimmune diseases, heart issues and obesity. So if we use this filter, let me ask you this question: our grand parents used to eat eggs and bacon for breakfast and had no heart or weight issues. How is that?Fat is a larger topic, you can refer to my earlier article (Why Low-Fat is Killing Your Thyroid) but you need to know that we need good amounts of fats, including saturated fats (yes, it’s not a typo) to function properly. See more on that below.
- Animal killing is cruel, especially in factory farms. My response: I totally agree that factory farming should cease to exist. When you watch a documentary like “Meet Your Meat”, you might lose your willingness to eat meat for days or forever. If you can’t get passed the slaughtering part, I respect that. One thing to consider here though is this: animals also kill other animals in order to live; it’s part of the cycle of life. Factory farming is without a doubt cruel, I therefore urge you to buy organic, grass-fed meat, their slaughtering practices are as humane as they can be.
Having considered these arguments for/against eating meat in general, let’s look at a more specific question:
Is Vegetarianism or Veganism Good for People with Thyroid Conditions?
This is what I see happening many times: people who become vegetarians and vegans experience great health and energy improvement as their overall diet improves. People who go on any new diet, for that matter, heighten their level of food awareness and become very conscious of what they put in their mouth and how the food makes them feel. Along with cutting down on meat, they often do the same with processed food, sugar and alcohol. If this is you, I encourage and praise you for any small diet and lifestyle change you make to get on a healing path.
We need to remember that every person is different. Just because a vegan/vegetarian diet worked for you, it does not mean it will work for Annie. If Annie is struggling with her thyroid, she would most likely not be well and recover on a diet without a good amount of animal protein.
In fact, I have to tell you that I had few [former] vegetarian clients who after years of feeling terrible caved in and started having moderate amounts of grass-fed, sustainably raised meat to see their healing path sky-rocket. You can read one such short story from Lucy (scroll down to Lucy Nurkse).
Here are a few reasons why people with thyroid conditions need meat.
Reason #1 Why People with Thyroid Conditions Need Meat: GLUTAMINE.
Glutamine is one of the 20 amino acids formed by the human body. Glutamine provides cells in the digestive tract with a vital source of energy that is required for regulating their production. Its role in re-building and strengthening the gut lining is critical.
Since most of thyroid conditions are autoimmune-related conditions and the immune system starts with the lymph nodes found in the digestive tract, it’s critical to start your healing by re-building the health of your gut. Most people with thyroid conditions also suffer from leaky gut.
If you have read my previous posts, listened to our Community Calls or followed my updates on Facebook, I talk relentlessly about the importance of the digestive tract in thyroid healing.
What is lesser known is that glutamine also plays a role in the health of the pancreas, liver, mouth and esophagus. All these organs have a big impact on the digestion and the metabolism of your hormones.
Take a look at the food where glutamine is found:
- barley – grain and gluten
- corn – grain
- cabbage – goiterous
- cottage cheese – dairy
- egg whites
- milk – dairy
- peanuts – highly allergenic
- pork
- poultry beef
- raw parsley
- raw spinach – goiterous
- soy – to be avoided
- yogurt – dairy
Here is the challenge: I see most people having digestive problems from grains like corn, dairy, eggs and peanuts (how you find out about your food intolerances, you can learn from the Elimination Diet Guide). This leaves raw spinach which we need to reduce in the raw form due to its goiterous properties. This leaves us with parley and meat like beef and poultry.
One of my favorite ways to get glutamine and collagen (which is the over-hyped substance added to your anti-aging cream – you need it internally more than externally to get the benefits) – is from a good beef bone broth made of grass-fed cow bones, feet and joining tissue – the more connective tissue the better.
Reason #2 Why People with Thyroid Conditions Need Meat: TYROSINE
Tyrosine is a precursor of neurotransmitters such as epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine.
Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers between your brain and vital organs like your stomach, heart, lungs, etc. They can therefore affect mood, sleep, concentration, weight, and can cause adverse symptoms when they are out of balance.
Many people joke that vegetarians are always depressed – maybe there is something to it.
So back to tyrosine – it is also the precursor amino acid for the thyroid gland hormone thyroxin, and a defect in this may result in hypothyroidism. Now, did you know that?
Reason #3 Why People with Thyroid Conditions Need Meat: SATURATED FATS
This is a big topic and if you think I am losing it, I recommend doing some more reading. What you need to know now is this: saturated fats are the base material for producing cholesterol which is the precursor for critical hormones, thyroid included.
Saturated fats are necessary for calcium to be incorporated into our bones, this is why low-fat or skim milk won’t work as a calcium source, unless you eat some saturated fat in your meal.
Saturated fats are needed to boost immune function, and to build a healthy nervous system and digestive tract.
Saturated fats are the base material out of which the body makes cholesterol, which is the precursor to such critical hormones as vitamin D, cortisol, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. There hormones work hand-in-hand with the thyroid and their deficiency will impact the thyroid as well.
Fats also are needed as carriers for the fat soluble vitamins (the antioxidant vitamins), like vitamin A, E, D, K, and a low fat diet can lead to deficiencies in these nutrients. As a domino effect – these deficiencies also cause a problem in converting the T4 hormone to T3 (the power horse in our body).
Breast milk is high in saturated fat for a reason – it is vital for the healthy development of the baby. How can it be that saturated fats are vital for a baby but are health-threatening for an adult?
Reason #4 Why People with Thyroid Conditions Need Meat: TRYPTOPHAN
Good dietary sources for this amino acid is cottage cheese, milk, meat, soy protein and peanuts. Again, do you see how meat is the only safe food here from this list?
This amino acid is required for the production of niacin (vitamin B3). It is used by the human body to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is important for normal nerve and brain function. Serotonin is important in sleep, stabilizing emotional moods, pain control, inflammation, intestinal peristalsis, etc.
Reason #5 Why People with Thyroid Conditions Need Meat: VITAMIN B12 and IRON
You probably know this part already: we get plenty of vitamin B12 and iron from meat. It’s hard to find plenty of them in grains and vegetables alone. What is key to remember is that both Vitamin 12 and iron (as well as many other vitamins and minerals) are key in converting the T4 thyroid hormone (whether in its natural form or synthetic like Synthroid) to the T3 hormone which is what your body needs to function properly.
A word of caution here: some meat-eaters (even the keen ones) can still suffer from low B12 and iron deficiency (!) and this is more to do with the low absorption of food due to the damage in the digestive tract. Addressing your food intolerances would be the first step in improving your gut’s ability to absorb the goodness of food you are giving it, meat or no meat.
All this might be rather confusing, especially when all the glossy magazines are telling you to go vegetarian for good health. The problem is: nobody heals from the advice of glossy magazines.
Here’s a Re-Cap of My Point of View on Eating Meat
We have eaten meat for centuries, and every culture and cuisine in the world incorporates elements of meat. I’ve travelled to 37 countries (I actually counted it today for the first time.) and have lived in six and have not come across any culture that does not eat some form of animal-based proteins or meat. This is apart from small religious groups like the Buddhist monks or the Indian sadhus (holy men), who I would not consider large communities.
Eat meat but in moderate quantities. Traditionally, we viewed meat as a treat, not staple food. Our staple food consisted of grains, vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruit. Meat was served in small quantities, at special occasions and often used as a remedy to boost the energy of a weak person. Things have changed along the way, for many meat became a status symbol, a politically-fueled food everyone should aspire to eat. And, I mean, seriously, who needs to eat a 10-oz (280g) steak?!
Get your meat from responsible sources – always grass-fed, organic, free- range meat is key. No compromises here. The hormones, antibiotics and growth hormones are no myth, they are real and avoiding them will be key in restoring and maintaining your health. This is not to mention that it is also the most ethical way to pick your meat from the perspective of treating the animal. If cost is an issue for you, there is a solution – look at getting your meat (and other food) from local farms. Not only will you support a hard-working and diligent local farmer but you will get local and reasonably-priced meat. To get started, you can go to Weston A. Price’s Foundation to find a local chapter: http://www.westonaprice.org/local-chapters/find-a-local-chapter or find a local CSA/farm on http://www.localharvest.org. Remember that a home-made grilled burger from grass-fed beef/bison (my favorite, recipe here) is a different food from a commercial burger (many only contain only 35% meat, rest are fillers like soy) that was fried in hydrogenated oils. Their nutritional profile is like day and night.
If you don’t like meat too much, re-frame your thinking to: “Let it be my medicine.” and focus on highly nutritionally packed parts like livers. This is one recipe that has turned liver haters to liver lovers.
Listen to your body. If your body tells you to eat meat, eat it. Many women around their period, crave meat for its iron. Don’t deprive yourself, it’s not a bad craving. Cravings are our body’s well of telling us that it needs something from us to be well. Don’t ignore these voices.
Cut back on the supplements. If you know me well, you know I truly dislike the supplement industry. It’s manipulative and profits driven – their job is to make profit not to make you healthy. The marketing claims boosted by skillful and articulate spokesmen and backed by medical professionals makes us feel like the biggest fool if we do not get this supplement NOW. The reality is: they are synthetic in nature and even if there is an element of natural compounds, they are often too condensed in nature for people with autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, remember that our body is designed to absorb REAL food, not synthetic supplements. You might retort by saying that today’s food is not as nutritious – which is true. My answer is simple: get organic food. Get clean food.
……….
Going vegetarian/vegan is no guarantee for health – many people I meet are vegans but their health leaves much to be desired. Very simply: there is often too much processed food, plenty too much sugar and high-starch carbohydrates from food like pasta, white bread, power bars and sugary morning cereals even in vegetarian and vegan diets.
What is most important is to clean up and fix your gut. (You can start by doing Cooking for Balance.) This will ensure that your digestive tract has full absorption capability.
Be well, eat clean and heal.
One of the weird realizations that my endo and I have figured out while dealing with Hashimoto’s, is that my body doesn’t seem to process animal meats very well. My kidney numbers start looking wonky, inflammation goes up, edema occurs. Game meats tend to be less troublesome, like bison or venison. I eat fish or seafood maybe twice a week (it’s like you need to keep a flowchart of what has heavy metals or other issues from the ocean, so you don’t end up doing more damage than good), and tolerate it fairly well. Just wish I could figure out the issue *behind* why most animal proteins and I don’t get along!
I solved all of my food intolerance mysteries with a simple Dietary Antigen Blood Test. It will break it all down for you…Food Allergies and Sensitivities in relations to IgE, IgG4, blocking potential, IgG and C3d. It will tell you exactly which foods to eliminate so you dont have to do a trial elimination diet! All of this other jibber jabber doesn’t give you definite answers, this test will! Turns out I am allergic to chicken, teas, avocado, cinnamon, coconut, Gluten, mushrooms and Candida…High sensitivities to beef, eggs, nuts, legumes, grains and some vegetables like yellow squash, cauliflower, brocolli, sweet and white potato…I know! What can I eat? Most seafood, Turkey, berries, melons, and some vegetables like celery, carrots and cucumbes… oh, and cacao! Now I just need to decide whether to keep the other night shades out considering a Hashimoto diet says to avoid all nightshades. However, according to my tests, tomatoes and peppers are not causes of MY inflammation, where as potatoes are.
Have you looked into digestive enzymes to help you process the protein? You may be deficient and not able to break them down which could contribute to your symptoms described.
Great article. I was eating the way I thought I was supposed to 20 yrs ago.. high carb (wheat), fish, low cholesterol and saturated fat. I was totally insane- irritable, restless. After awhile my thyroid started acting funny. I had hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I really never have been quite the same since. Turns out I probably could have reversed things partially if I ate differently. I ended up being over treated with thyroid hormone which exaggerated a heart issue I had since birth and partially led to open heart surgery at the age of 38. I’ve found I do best with a diet high in animal meats and saturated fats. I literally crave meat like some sort of carnivorous beast! Anyhow moral of the story is….what we think we know and what doctors and the government think they know was wrong for me and might be wrong for others too?
Brian, Your story is inspiring, thank you so much for sharing.
Great to see somebody that believes in keeping things in balance. I’ve had so many different diets in my life, and I attribute it to listening to my body and what it needed any particular time.
Like everything in life, the more I become set and rigid and a believe system about anything, the less healthy I am.
When my body needs to be vegan, I’m vegan. When my body needs to eat small amounts of meat, I eat them. But I always do it with intention, and I always bless it and thank God for it.
And I believe that really is the key to health-to be thankful, to listen, and to be adaptable. I think that’s what God would want us to do anyway: to be conscious of what we’re doing and to learn as we go along.
Thank you.
Andrew Nowacki.
Andrew, Thank you so much for reminding us about intentions and consciousness in choosing our food.
Amazing article. Thank you so much. Here is my story:
I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism during a hospital stay in 2011 (unrelated to thyroid). I was told I’d have to take this medication for the rest of my life. At that time in my life, I was underweight and would never touch meat. I was overall malnourished. In 2013 I started following my sister’s vegan eating habits (she is a very fit and healthy vegan). Gained a lot of weight but my blood work results were not the greatest. Levels were low. Shows that vegan diet is not for everyone (I ate the exact same foods and amounts as my sister)
In 2015 I started eating meat again, as it felt like my body was asking for it. I didn’t eat too much of it and skipped days at times. Ate a lot of veggies, fruits, beans, grains with the meat.
This year, in 2017, I was hospitalized again (unrelated to thyroid gland) and realized I had forgotten to take my levothyroxine for about 3 WEEKS. They did some blood work and told me my thyroid was FINE. To be safe, I did more blood work throughout the year, including very recently, and my Dr said my blood work results were remarkable.
I’d like to think I have cured myself by eating modest amounts of meat. I also incorporate a lot of coconut oil in my diet. Vegetarians miss out on the complete protein of meat and hard core meat eaters miss out on the variety of a vegetarian diet. It seems I have found the perfect balance.
If you are a suffering from a thyroid condition and you are on a vegan diet or considering going on one, I urge you to reconsider, speak to your doctor or to a naturopathic doctor (most of them recommend small amounts of meat). Also, watch for soy. It’s in so many of our foods.
MB, We appreciate you sharing your amazing health journey. Good luck on your continued good health and happiness!
Hi Madeleine, Thank you for sharing. Everyone’s story helps so many others.
I had life alerting cystic acne, super low iron levels, general inflammation (mostly lower back and knees), headaches, and probably 30% of my blood levels were not in the recommended zone. I had been eating an mostly organic animals, organic eggs and dairy. When I turned 28 I went vegan (I don’t eat wheat but I eat organic soy, peanuts, etc) and it was literally like a miracle cure for me! When anyone tries to tell people going vegan is unhealthy (seems to be the trendy thing to say) I cringe because of all the people who will never experience the health benefits of avoiding animal products. My thyroid ARE still on the low side, but the doctors are no longer insisting I start taking a hormone. All I know, is I will continue this life style for as long as possible, hopefully and probably the rest of my life (I’m 40 now).
Lora, It sounds like you have been able to listen to what your body needs. We are all bio individuals and you have found your sweet spot. That’s great.
Hi Lora, thank you for sharing. Very inspiring!
Back in September 2016 I didn’t the worst thing for me personally, I became vegetarian. I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism since I was 13 (I am now 23) and became vegetarian when I was 21 and I am still feeling the effects of being vegetarian for 6 months. It all came to a climax in. February 2017 when I went to the hospital because I was urinating constantly and couldn’t stop drinking water. I was told it was a urine infection and that I was also iron deficient. Then around march I was following up with my GP for more test to check for anything else. I was also told I have a vitamin B deficiency and folic acid deficiency. Most days from the time I went to the hospital and a little while before, after every meal I felt terrible. My face and neck would be bright red and burning hot. My stomach was so sore, I can only describe it as burning so much it felt like ice in my stomach. The fatigue was so great that I just wanted to cry all the time but I just didn’t know what to do to make it better, I would always try to go to sleep but my stomach pain would make going to sleep even worse than staying awake. Some nights I would go to the kitchen and get what ever I could find to eat and not stop untill I was full, some nights it would help other nights it would make it worse.
I ended up paying for a private doctor and getting an upper and lower GI. I was tested for celiac disease and crohns disease both came back negative but the upper GI showed damage to the lining of the stomach and start of the small intestine, which made the consultant think it was celiac disease.
I felt like this for many months and then a teacher of mine had been ill and said she was suffering from acid reflux and what she described was exactly what I was experiencing. It now been 4-3 months since I started adjusting my diet to fix this and I can say there are days when I feel great and days when I feel bad but the bad days aren’t half as bad as a normal day from before, and the bad days are usually because I ate something I shouldn’t have.
I now get b12 injections every 3 months and i am still on folic acid tablets and I use a medical grade acid reflux liquid.
Sorry for going on so much but I wanted to say what I was feeling and also thank people for writing articles like this, to try and show people that it might be healthy for some people but it might not be for you and you should listen to what your body is telling you. I now eat meat, I personally don’t want to for the facts given above concerning animal cruelty but I do the same as what any body can do and pay a little extra for peace of mind that the animals are treadted more humanly.
Unfortunately intestine damage can take a while to heal completely but if I stay away from the foods that aggravate my stomach and keep on top of my thyroid so that my deficiencys can improve and also help my digestion improve I can actually see light at the end of the tunnel.
Also my lower GI showed hemroids on my large intestine clearly I wasn’t able to cope with a vegetarian diet, my body just couldn’t get what it needed from vegetarian food sources.
Thanks for reading and I hope that you get or remain healthy.
Physiology 101 – Humans are herbivores: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ewTYhdawg
Meat causes inflammation and acidosis, both not supportive of immune health.
Currently on year 2 trying plant based diet – My Hashimoto’s is almost cured! On lowest dosage of hormone preparing to discontinue in 3 more months.
Eliminate ALL things unnatural to our bodies! Listen to your body. That indigestion and constipation is NOT natural. Our ancestors ate meat when they had to but were largely gatherers not hunters
[…] Why You Need Meat in Thyroid Nutrition and Healing […]
[…] Why You Need Meat in Thyroid Nutrition and Healing […]
Sorry (not really) but I have to call bullstuff on MOST of this article [the parts that I did read]. What’s hilariously sad is that we have ignorant (genuinely, not insultingly) people like you that tell other people things like if you eat grass fed, organic meat you’re [essentially] safe and the animals aren’t suffering. Complete lie. Yes, these animals are still suffering and being tortured, being fed a horrible, unnatural diet… all for the sake of satisfying people like you. Look, we weren’t created to eat/digest meat otherwise we’d be born w/ carnivore teeth specifically designed to rip flesh. If you think you can literally do that then try taking a bite out of your cat or dog. Also, our intestinal tracts are 10-12x longer than our body… just like an herbivore, while the carnivore intestinal tract is only 3-6x the length of their body. That right there “should” tell you that your digestive system isn’t meat-friendly, but then again we have some hard-headed Americans like amputee diabetics that still ravish on processed foods.
At the end of the day, it’s your prerogative to eat meat, or not. Just please stop purposely misleading people into buying your opinionated nonsense that you’re trying to peddle as facts. I have more respect for a meateater that says they eat it because they love it, than this crap.
Sándra Smith You poor baby….you’re so hungry you’re talking malnurished nonesense — You actually admit to not even reading the whole article because of your misinformed beliefs, and philosophical bias. But maybe it’s because you don’t have the strength to concentrate. I think it’s so sad that you’re starving and you don’t even realize it. You actually need to be angry just to stay warm! But not to worry, your body takes care of malnourishment in the best way it knows how, since you refuse to do what God intended, to eat some meat, your body digests it’s own flesh to compensate. So now, whether you like it or not, you are not just any carnivore, you’re an unwitting CANNIBAL! Ha ha ha ha…I think that’s IRONIC, don’t you? You’re arguments for veganism are as loose as your stool, and stink like your prolific flatulence. We don’t have the proper amount of cellulose enzymes to get all of the vital nutrition out of plants like herbavors do. So, unless of course you are unique in that you have a four chambered stomach and chew your cud, that means you are (an under nourished gas bomb that is) contributing to global warming just like your four footed herbavor friends. Hmmm… On second thought, you might chew your “cud,” since your LES is so weak from starvation that you have acid reflux. But maybe you won’t slowly starve to death like a third world waif after all, as we all know, vegetarians and vegans have a secret weakness that even they are powerless to resist, and will vehemently deny…they partake of the most mouthwatering STRIP of cured fatty amino acid known to mankind — BACON!!! And who can blame you — eh — them?? The smoky smell alone is so incredibly intoxicating…😋 Sandra, I eat meat
because I love it, and I hope one day you will come to your senses and still have the strength to get off your self-righteous high horse and eat a nice juicy grass-fed burger with a few slices of crisp salty fat back! Your starving body will definitely thank you, and other defectors will lovingly embrace you!😄💗
I solved all of my food intolerance mysteries with a simple Dietary Antigen Blood Test. It will break it all down for you…Food Allergies and Sensitivities in relations to IgE, IgG4, blocking potential, IgG and C3d. It will tell you exactly which foods to eliminate so you dont have to do a trial elimination diet! All of this other jibber jabber doesn’t give you definite answers, this test will! Turns out I am allergic to chicken, teas, avocado, cinnamon, coconut, Gluten, mushrooms and Candida…High sensitivities to beef, eggs, nuts, legumes, grains and some vegetables like yellow squash, cauliflower, brocolli, sweet and white potato…I know! What can I eat? Most seafood, Turkey, berries, melons, and some vegetables like celery, carrots and cucumbes… oh, and cacao! Now I just need to decide whether to keep the other night shades out considering a Hashimoto diet says to avoid all nightshades. However, according to my tests, tomatoes and peppers are not causes of MY inflammation, where as potatoes are.
It’s was a good idea for you to get the food allergy test. One thing I wonder about is if there is a link between blood type and food intolerance. Are you by any chance O+ blood type? I have read O blood types do well with meat
Please tell me if its possible to do bone broth of chicken or mutton meat?. I would really prefer to avoid beef? Would chicken livers be beneficial for hypothyroid?
Lmao you seem a bit triggered… “God intended” people to eat meat? Oh yeah, I forgot all about the slaughterhouse in the Garden of Eden….
Whatever god anybody may believe in, it only makes sense that he/she/it would want people to stop destroying the earth that was given to us… which is precisely what animal agriculture does, be it factory farming or your unbelievably unsustainable “grass-fed” methods.
Let’s go back to your mocking approach – maybe all that animal fat in your arteries is depriving your brain of blood.
I can hear you, and I feel you. I have hashimoto hypothyroidism these past 20 years. My husband is vegetarian, and 6 months ago I joined him. Its been a roller coaster, not a fun one, more like a roller coaster from hell. I have zero desire to eat meat. It was very easy for me to become vegetarian. I am a Therapeutic Counsellor and humanitarian. If I decide I’m doing something, I do it. End of story. About a month in problems started. My bloods were showing a major issue converting T3 and T4 without meat protein and such. So, I used supplements and eventually EVEN fish. I was NOT HAPPY. it felt like a weakness and I don’t like that. I really really DID NOT WANT TO GIVE IN. Eventually, I ended up in hospital. I gained almost two stones in weight despite eating healthy. I developed restless leg syndrome. I was constantly exhausted, constantly anxious and became depressed. This was not me. Further research, more blood work…trued EVERYTHING. One evening I thought I’d have an experiment to prove to myself that I DIDN’T NEED MEAT. The results were staggering. I was literally gagging eating some chicken at 3am, which was left over from my daughters recent visit home. I had a bit of a tummy ache but fell asleep anyway due to exhaustion. Next morning I felt fine. In fact, i felt fantastic. Ate small amounts of meat over the next two weeks and all of my symptoms dissapeared. My hashimotos was back under control. I was healthy again. I cried buckets of tears. I still feel guilty now, and I always will. That animals suffer and die, so that I may live is NOT an easy choice. But I DID make that choice, and I have to live with that. I chose to live because of my family and my Clients. Because of other humanitarian work I do. I don’t know why some people with my diagnosis can be vegetarian, and many like me can’t. All I do know is that we are ALL different. So please, less of the judgement. Its hard enough already. 😪
In my early 30’s my TSH was borderline high (I probably should have been given medication to treat this but my doctor didn’t recommend any meds). It was at a 4.7. This is when I was eating a paleo diet with plenty of meat. Fast forward five years later and my TSH is now normal at 2.1. This is two years after eating a totally plant based diet. So, I have been able to lower my TSH naturally with eating a plant based diet- that included whole wheat bread and raw kale salads. I know each person’s experience is unique but meat was not necessary in my experience to lower my TSH.
Thank you for this article! I’m a fairly healthy person, athlete, eat no sugar and have no food allergies. I went on a partial fast for religious reasons and stopped eating meat and dairy products for about 21 days. I ate some fish, beans rice, tofu, fruit vegetables, etc. After a couple days my tummy started to hurt, By the end of the fast I was feeling SO bad I thought I was dying! My metabolism was extremely high, I couldn’t keep up with it, no matter how many carbs I ate. I couldn’t relax properly and I was extremely weak. It was affecting my whole life, since I had no energy. The food I ate was not giving me the nutrients I needed. I was having symptoms of Hiperthyrodism. After my fast ended I re-entroduced meat and dairy and sure enough it took about the same time for my body to heal and I almost feel back to normal. While I DO believe veganism and vegetarianism works for some people, it might not work for others. This article really helped me confirm what I was experiencing. I might have an overactive thyroide, and I know that for me not eating meat is not a option. We get very passionate about the things we eat and sometimes it’s easy to feel that is the “right way”, but we really have to be careful to listen to our bodies and have appropriate medical care otherwise we can truly injure ourselves. I bless everyone in this thread that is a vegan or vegetarian, I’m sure that you are all wonderful, conscientious, amazing people. I think it’s also important that we realize that one diet does not fit everyone. Again, thank you for this wonderful article!!!
Fantastic article! I was just diagnosed with hyperthyroid and this information really fits with the way my body has been reacting to certain foods. This will help me craft a diet that works for me, as all these fad diets don’t take hormones or goitergensinto account much, and a lot of the conventional advice still is very anti-fat and pro-fruit, grain, and legume.
Okay, but this is for a particular thyroid condition- hypo. What about hyper caused by Graves disease. I need to eat the complete opposite of this article. If you could clarify that this is for Hypothyroid Nutrition and Healing, that would really clarify for Sage (above) who is hyper, and people like me who are sick of being lumped into the “hypo” group by the general “thyroid condition.”
I have been 90% plant based now for 6
months. I have had a low functioning thyroid for over 10 years (Dr’s have not been able to help me) and I must say i feel
110% better. I have given up red meat, poultry, pork, fish, eggs, milk. cheese. We eat ots of live foods, grains + small amount of good fats.
I take a thyroid blend multi, Vit D, complex B + iron.
I sleep better + have so much more energy + love that my actions now have a positive effect, lessening the unnecessary suffering of animals + the environment. Animal products aren’t the answer for a flourishing body. Just ask Nimai Delgado!
(And my husband who’s cholesterol has gone down from 7.9-5.1). Our Dr couldn’t believe it!!
I’ve was vegan for 4.5 years and have since in the past year developed hypothyroid issues, it’s not been confirmed hypo yet but its getting worse as time goes. I regret going vegan because everything listed here is what I ate and are agitators for the thyroid. I ate plenty cruciferous veg, no meat ofcourse or any animal products and a moderate amount of soy. I honestly believe this condition was caused by elevated stress levels but because of the veganism and agitators, it was easy for it to go out of wack. I would suggest you continue eating small amounts of meat to be safe. I will add meats to my diet now even though just the thought of it pisses me off, hopefully I will feel normal again.
I have been 90% plant based now for 6
months. I have had a low functioning thyroid for over 10 years (Dr’s have not been able to help me) and I must say i feel
110% better. I have given up red meat, poultry, pork, fish, eggs, milk. cheese. We eat lots of live foods, grains + small amount of good fats.
I take a thyroid blend multi, Vit D, complex B + iron.
I sleep better + have so much more energy + love that my actions now have a positive effect, lessening the unnecessary suffering of animals + the environment. Animal products aren’t the answer for a flourishing body. Just ask Nimai Delgado!
(And my husband who’s cholesterol has gone down from 7.9-5.1). Our Dr couldn’t believe it!!
Thank you soooooo much for this article! I have pretty much decided that my hypothyroidism and subsequent hormone imbalance has been caused by almost 2 decades of insufficient protein and excessive sugar. In the last few years I have started eating small amounts of animal protein, it’s amazing. I take bovine organ and glandular supplements. And I have a feeling that I will be able to recover without pharmaceuticals.
Everyone who has made horribly arrogant and condescending comments are sooo laughably wrong. And anyone who has been cured by becoming vegan clearly isn’t paying close enough to attention to what was their excess, what was eliminated, and what really caused their recovery.