Top 6 Foods You May Not Be Eating That Can Help Autoimmunity

Are you still struggling with autoimmune thyroid disease symptoms, despite taking your thyroid medication? Ultimately, it can seem like when you finally get two steps ahead, you take three steps back.

Thankfully, your health doesn’t have to feel like a rollercoaster. In fact, foods can heal the fatigue and many other symptoms of autoimmunity as well as the immune issues themselves.

I wanted to take a moment and cover a few powerful foods that you may be missing out on.

What is Autoimmune Thyroid Disease?

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune thyroid disease, causes the immune system to attack the thyroid gland.

Thyroid disease usually develops from Hashimoto’s. In fact, more than 97 percent of patients with hypothyroidism also have Hashimoto’s.

With no discrimination in who develops this autoimmune disease, both males, females, and kids are at risk. Approximately 25 percent of adults are living with Hashimoto’s.

Usually a TPO antibodies blood test rules out Hashimoto’s and in some cases thyroid antibodies aren’t present but the patient will still have the disease, which leads to more testing to make a diagnosis.

What You Eat Could Be Harming Your Thyroid

Certain types of foods can impact your thyroid function.

Although allergies are serious, food sensitivities should be equally kept in consideration. For example, some people may not be full-blown allergic to gluten but they could have a sensitivity.

By continuing to consume gluten, despite the sensitivity, inflammation could develop in the body, causing further issues with the thyroid.

Several types of food are best to avoid as the majority of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis patients react to them.

The following are some notable trigger foods:

• Foods high in iodine
• Foods high in fluoride
• Gluten
• Fermented soy
• Dairy
• Eggs

The Power of An Autoimmune Diet

The best diet for Hashimoto’s disease is the thyroiditis diet that includes food sources that can strengthen the function of the thyroid.

The following are foods that are recommended:

1. Shiitake Mushrooms

With the benefit of fighting inflammation and autoimmune gastritis, shiitake mushrooms are an essential source of food.

Additionally, shiitake mushrooms promote a healthier immune function. This could improve Hashimoto’s thyroiditis by reducing chronic infections and improving th1/th2. These ratios that are the core abnormalities found in autoimmunity.

When purchasing shiitake mushrooms, it’s ideal to buy it in a dried source. With its long shelf life and low cost, these mushrooms are an efficient option.

The recommended dosage is ½ ounce 2-3 times each week.

2. Brazil Nuts

All in all, Brazil nuts have an optimal source of selenium. The thyroid gland is the organ that has the highest content of selenium. However, several thyroid patients are deficient in selenium levels, which can impact thyroid levels.

Take this into consideration, because consuming just 1-2 brazil nuts per day can provide your body with the selenium it needs.

3. Oysters

Zinc is a critical source of nutrients that the thyroid needs to function correctly.

Without the appropriate amount of zinc in the body, thyroid deficiency and hair loss can occur. Oysters offer a nutritional source of zinc as they consist of over 50 mg per serving.

With the bioavailability in oysters, the body can benefit from the absorption of these nutrients.

Proper servings per week should be kept at approximately 1-2 servings of 2-4 ounces. The oysters should be canned without cottonseed oil.

One of the best kinds of canned oysters is naturally smoked oysters in pure olive oil by the brand Crown Prince.

4. Beets

Beatine, an amino acid, is an important nutrient that provides essential benefits. Including, fighting heart disease and promoting optimal protein synthesis within the body.

An additional benefit of consuming beets is that they support methylation, which is critical to the overall body as it regulates hormones and provides detoxification.

MTHFR abnormalities are common in nearly 100 percent of autoimmune thyroid disease patients. The appropriate dosage of beets is 1/2 cup in a cooked or juiced form and servings should be 2/3 times per week.

5. Lentils

Arsenic is found in some foods, soil and contaminated water.

Additionally, you can be exposed to arsenic just by breathing air. The amount of arsenic that people consume each day is approximately 50 micrograms.

Because arsenic is a toxic element, excess consumption can wreak havoc on the thyroid gland. The good news is lentils act as a detoxification agent against arsenic.  Suggested dosing is ½ cup of lentils, 2-3 times per week. 

6. Fennel

Fennel is an efficient source of vitamin C, potassium, and fiber.

Taking advantage of these powerful nutrients is easy with several options of consuming fennel, such as fennel root, fennel seeds, and fennel tea.

According to research, fennel can improve T3 and T4 levels. The suggested dosing of fennel to achieve these benefits is 3-4 times per week.

P.S. Whenever you are ready, here is how I can help you now:

1. Download and use my Favorite Recipes Cookbook Here
2. Check out my podcast Medical Myths, Legends, and Fairytales Here

Dr. Alan Glen Christianson (Dr. C) is a Naturopathic Endocrinologist and the author of The NY Times bestselling Adrenal Reset Diet and The Metabolism Reset Diet.

Dr. C’s gift for figuring out what really works has helped hundreds of thousands of people reverse thyroid disease, lose weight, diabetes, and regain energy. Learn more about the surprising story that started his quest.