Avoid These 6 Foods That May Affect Thyroid Health, According to Experts

Cruciferous Vegetables (The “Goitrogen” Factor)

• The Science: These healthy vegetables contain compounds called goitrogens, which can interfere with the thyroid’s ability to absorb iodine (the building block of thyroid hormones).
• The Good News: You do not need to give up these veggies! The goitrogens are highly heat-sensitive.
• The Fix: Cook them! Since you love comforting, roasted vegetables and slow-cooked meals, you are already doing this right. Steaming, roasting, or slow-cooking your broccoli and cabbage completely neutralizes the goitrogenic compounds, making them perfectly safe and incredibly healthy for your thyroid. Just avoid eating them raw in massive quantities (like drinking daily raw kale smoothies).

2. Soy Products

• The Science: Soy contains isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen. Studies show that high amounts of soy can inhibit an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase (TPO), which your thyroid desperately needs to produce hormones.