What is a Goitrogen & Are They Dangerous?

Goitrogens are natural compounds found in certain foods that can interfere with your natural thyroid hormone production. This can lead to an enlargement of your thyroid gland, which is known as a goiter. The suffix "-gen", means "that which produces". So goitrogens are substances that can produce goiters.

What Do Goitrogens Do?

The body’s metabolism and everyday functions are controlled largely by your thyroid. When your thyroid is healthy, goitrogens don’t do that much harm. But when your thyroid health is already compromised, that is another story.

Goitrogens can reduce the thyroid’s ability to produce thyroid hormones that your body uses to function normally by:

• Blocking iodine absorption into your thyroid
• Interfering with a key enzyme that builds thyroid hormones
• Reduce the amount of regulatory hormone that controls how much hormone your thyroid should make
  

When your thyroid health is already compromised, consuming goitrogens can cause difficulty controlling certain functions in your body, including:

• Body temperature
• Heart rate
• The calcium levels in your blood
• Protein production
• Absorption and utilization of fats and carbohydrates that you eat
  

If you have an autoimmune condition such as Hashimoto's Disease, a goiter, or hypothyroidism, limiting your intake of goitrogens may be beneficial. Even if you are careful, it is highly unlikely that you will avoid them completely. The unfortunate thing is that many of the foods that contain goitrogens, are normally considered good for you.

There are three main types of goitrogens:1.Goitrins2.Thiocyanates3.FlavanoidsThese compounds are found in a variety of foods. The first two are released from the food when you mechanically break them down, such as chewing them.

What Foods Contain Goitrogens?

• Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cauliflower, spinach, kale and horseradish
• Fruits, such as peaches, pears and strawberries
• Starchy vegetables and plants, such as sweet potato, cassava, bamboo shoots, millet and linseed
• Soy products, including tofu, tempeh, edamame and soy milk. Soy should be avoided, since it is almost all GMO and soy acts as an estrogen mimicker. The exception to this is fermented, organic soy, such as natto.

Should You Avoid These Foods?Not necessarily, if you have a healthy functioning thyroid, then you don’t need to avoid goitrogen containing foods. But if you do have trouble with your thyroid or have symptoms outlined above, then it would be a good idea to reduce your intake of these foods.

Good Goitrogen Avoiding Strategies:

• Eat a variety of foods: Not only will this help you reduce your exposure, you’ll also get a variety of nutrients boosting your overall health!
• Heat and eat your vegetables: A mix of healthy raw foods and cooked foods make for a good balance. When you roast, steam or sauté your veggies instead of eating them raw, the enzyme myrosinase gets broken down, which helps to reduce the goitrogenic load of the food.
• Blanch your greens: it’s best to lightly blanch your greens first, to help break down the goitrogen compounds. If you are adding them to a smoothie, you can chill them or freeze them after you blanch them.
• Consume foods rich in iodine and selenium: These nutrients are excellent for thyroid health and can help counter the effects of goitrogens. High iodine containing foods are kelp, seaweed and nori. Selenium can be found in brazil nuts, fish, meat, sunflower seeds, Portobello mushrooms and whole grain pasta.
  

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