Toxic Chemicals In Food That are Toxic to Your Thyroid. Natural Thyroid Treatment. Dr Richard Hagmeyer.
When purchasing foods and household products, you should be aware of some of the ingredients which are commonly included in these products can alter and affect your thyroid.
These days there are many different chemicals included in most of the foods, household cleaners, and cosmetics we purchase and many of these can be toxic to your thyroid health. These chemicals may have a direct effect on your thyroid gland, or indirectly they will affect the adrenal glands, immune system, and other areas of the body which can impact thyroid health in the long run.
This is why you should be careful when purchasing foods and household products. Many meats for example contain xenoestrogens pronounced Zeno-estrogens, which are artificial hormones given to livestock to increase their size. Eating foods which contain these xenoestrogens can have a hormone-like effect on the body, and can even contribute to the condition known as estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance can be a major problem in that it will cause disruption to Thyroid hormones specifically low Free T3 and Free T4 levels.
There are ingredients in other foods which you should try to avoid. Another common food which can affect thyroid function is unfermented soy. Usually it’s obvious which foods contain soy, although sometimes you need to be familiar with the ingredients in order to realize it contains soy.
For example, when you purchase soy milk or soy yogurt, it’s obvious that these products contain soy. On the other hand, many foods contain soy-based ingredients, but you would never know this unless if you were familiar with some of them.
Here are some of the examples of some of the common names in which soy goes by:
- Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Soy lecithin
- Isolated soy protein
- Tofu Other Ingredients You Want To Avoid When you Have A Thyroid Problem.
High fructose corn syrup. Many people realize they should avoid, or at least minimize their consumption of this, as high fructose corn syrup will spike up your blood sugar levels, leading to many different health issues if you consume large quantities of it.
Aspartame. Most people are familiar with this artificial sweetener which is used as a sugar substitute. There have been questions about its safety for years, and I personally avoid the consumption of this ingredient, and recommend that others do the same.
Artificial colors/sweeteners BHT. These preservatives are in many foods and are used to protect fats from oxidation.
Nitrates and nitrites. These are frequently used as a preservative in certain meats…especially deli meats. So the next time you grab a turkey sandwich at your favorite fast food sandwich store, keep in mind that the meat probably contains xenoestrogens and nitrites. And the bread which surrounds the meat of course contains Gluten, bread dough conditioners and other ingredients that can lead to nutritional deficiencies and inflammation within the immune system.
Household chemicals and personal care products that can create problems for Thyroid Suffers.
Sodium Lauryl and Laureth Sulfate. Used in many soaps and shampoos, but have been shown to cause irritation of the skin and eyes, can lead to allergic reactions, and is potentially carcinogenic (a cancer causing agent).
Propylene Glycol. This product is not only used in many shampoos, hair conditioners, and body lotions, but also in anti-freeze and brake fluid, and according to the Material Safety Data Sheets it is “implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities, and can cause dry skin and surface damage”.
Diazolidinyl Urea. A chemical which releases formaldehyde, which as you probably know, can be very toxic to your health.
Plus, many of the household products also contain xenohormones, which as I mentioned earlier, can affect your thyroid health, your adrenal health, etc.
Once again, these are just a handful of ingredients which are commonly found in many of the household products people buy. There of course are other ingredients that can be toxic to your thyroid gland, as well as your overall health. And this is one of the primary reasons why you should try to eat mostly whole foods, buying organic whenever possible, and minimize the consumption of processed foods.
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