In healthy people, eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables has been touted as a key way to keep diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes at bay. Fruits and veggies are also celebrated as key components for healthy weight loss and management. But in people who have thyroid disease, too many of certain fruits and vegetables may have a negative effect.

These foods are known as goitrogens, a word derived from the term goiter. Goitrogens stimulate the formation of goiters. These foods block the effects of an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase, which is needed for the production of thyroid hormone.

Types of Goitrogens

Many cruciferous vegetables are goitrogens. These include broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, turnips, and rutabagas. But other foods such as spinach, strawberries, radishes, peaches, millet, soy products, corn, sweet potatoes, carrots, peanuts, and walnuts are also considered goitrogens.

Limit Goitrogens

People who don't have thyroid disease can enjoy these foods without much concern, but in people with thyroid problems, these goitrogens are potentially problematic, especially if eaten in excess.

To suggest that you give up these healthy foods, however, seems counterintuitive to good health, considering all the nutrients that these foods contain. A better option is to eat these foods in moderation and at a relatively constant amount from one day to the next. You should also make sure to get your TSH tested regularly. Also, these foods are less harmful to people who have adequate iodine intake, making them less detrimental to people living in the United States.