Numerous conditions and diseases that affect the thyroid cause hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Due to this, the body produces insufficient or excessive amounts of thyroid hormones. Nutrition plays a vital role in managing the condition.
For example, nuts are a treat to the taste buds. Also, they are full of nutrients. Therefore, almost all types of nuts benefit the body in some way. Also, according to research, benefits of nut consumption includes lower risk of CHD, sudden cardiac deaths and diabetes.
Nutritional factors significantly impact the thyroid gland’s functions. However, various other processes may cause disorders like auto-immune disease, immunological tolerance etc.
Almonds are a treasure trove of nutrients. The ideal comestible fora healthy thyroid gland is almonds. Also, they are an excellent source of nutrients, fibre, and protein.
Selenium, a mineral suitable for the thyroid, is present in almonds. Additionally, it has a lot of magnesium, which aids in the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Almonds for Thyroid – Why You Should Eat Them?
Appropriate growth and development depend on thyroid hormones. Due to deviations from the normal physiology of the gland, nutritional factors get closely associated with thyroid dysfunction.
Read more: Thyroid Symptoms and Cure – A Lifestyle Guide
Nutritional deficiency is one of the most prevalent causes of hypothyroidism in children and adults worldwide.
Selenium and Thyroid
According to studies, selenium is necessary for the thyroid’s antioxidant activity. In addition, it aids the metabolism of thyroid hormones. Therefore, selenium insufficiency reduces the activity of selenoproteins.
Especially iodothyronine deiodinases, which are responsible for converting T4 to T3. Which in turn reduces the production of thyroid hormones.
The thyroid gland, which contains most of the selenoproteins, is known for having a high tissue concentration of selenium (0.2-2 g/g). As a result, it makes the organ with the greatest selenium content per gram of tissue.
Selenium gets integrated into selenoproteins. As a result, it develops potent antioxidant activity. Therefore, it can help with the antioxidant defence in the thyroid. It does so by eliminating oxygen free radicals produced during synthesising thyroid hormones.
Magnesium and Thyroid
Studies suggest magnesium is required to change the inactive thyroid hormone (T4) into the active thyroid hormone (T3). Without this conversion, the more potent thyroid hormone does not deliver to cells.
Therefore, our thyroid cannot function properly when magnesium levels are low. Also, studies have shown low magnesium levels are associated with an increased risk of hypothyroidism.
Low magnesium levels are frequent in people with autoimmune thyroid disease. Inflammation is one of the defining characteristics of an autoimmune condition. Hashimoto’s disease patients experience thyroid gland inflammation, which can ultimately result in thyroid failure.
The HealthifyMe Note
“Are almonds bad for the thyroid?” The answer is no! It is highly beneficial for controlling thyroid dysfunction. Almonds are excellent sources of selenium and magnesium, which helps support healthy thyroid function.
According to USDA, 100 grams of almonds contain 258mg of magnesium and 4.1 µg selenium. It also contains significant amounts of dietary fibre (12.5 g per 100 g), protein (21.2 g per 100 g), and other essential nutrients.
Is Almond Milk Good for Thyroid Issues?
Almond milk is vegan. It is one of the top substitutes for regular cow milk. Most of us frequently drink cow milk or cook with cow milk. However, it is vital to note that in some instances, we must limit or stop consuming for several reasons. It includes milk allergy and lactose intolerance.
Read more: Almond Milk – Health Benefits, Precautions & Ways to Use
Due to the issues it causes with the digestive system, people with underactive thyroid must maintain a diet free of cow milk. Cow milk also contains synthetic hormones that adversely influence thyroid gland activities and lactose, which can impair the immune system.
Almond milk contains vitamins and minerals vital for enhancing thyroid gland function. For instance, it offers vitamin D, which elevates the mood of those with hypothyroidism. In addition, B vitamins, which are crucial for metabolism and thyroid hormone production, are also present.
Almonds are also a great source of iron, which is crucial for management in anaemia in patients with hypothyroidism. Additionally, they are abundant in selenium.
Read more: Thyroid Diet Chart – Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid
Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of selenium in controlling thyroid disease. Finally, it is a mineral that supports the thyroid gland by lowering thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies and the signs and symptoms of the disease.
The HealthifyMe Note
One of the best substitutes for regular cow milk is almond milk. People with underactive thyroid glands need to avoid cow milk from their diet. Because cow milk also contains lactose, which can weaken the immune system, synthetic hormones in milk can negatively affect thyroid gland activity. Almond milk is a good source of vital nutrients like vitamins and minerals that support thyroid gland health.
Managing Thyroid like a Pro
HealthifyMe, Asia’s top platform for health and fitness, offers the best supervision and guidance from knowledgeable highly qualified nutritionists to help you improve your health considerably.
HealthifyPro considers all aspects of your health, with coaches providing the best advice for managing your condition and living a healthy life.
This approach uses real-time data inputs, metabolic panel testing, and personalised coaching discussions to help reverse many lifestyle diseases through gradual changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Conclusion
A healthy, well-balanced diet is the cornerstone for treating all diseases and controlling thyroid levels. It enables you to live a healthy life. Investigations support that diet can significantly help in managing thyroid conditions.
In addition, simple lifestyle changes like mindful eating, portion control, reduced processed foods and excess sugar can greatly influence thyroid health.
Almonds can help people overcome thyroid conditions. However, they must follow a healthy, balanced thyroid-friendly diet. The quality of your life is also greatly influenced by what you consume.
You cannot choose the best diet using a one-size-fits-all strategy. Keeping a watchful check on your health is crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Is almond milk good for the thyroid?
A. Almond milk can boost general health.Drinking cow’s milk may worsen your already dysfunctional endocrine systemAlmond milk does not contribute to hormone dysregulation ad, it does not contain hormones (it originates from a plant, not an animal).
Q. How do almonds affect the thyroid?
A. Almonds are good for healthy thyroid functioning. Selenium, a mineral suitable for the thyroid, is present in almonds. Additionally, it is rich in magnesium which aids in thyroid function. . However, one must also note that almonds are a goitrogenic food. Therefore, it can expand the thyroid when ingested in excessive amounts which decreases the thyroid gland’s ability to absorb iodine.
Q. How many almonds per day?
Although almonds are very good, they are high in calories. In order to safely incorporate almonds into your diet, you must balance your overall caloric intake. The safe daily intake recommendation is 8-10 almonds.
The Supporting Sources
1. Ventura M, Melo M, Carrilho F. Selenium and Thyroid Disease: From Pathophysiology to Treatment. Int J Endocrinol. 2017;2017:1297658. Doi: 10.1155/2017/1297658. Epub 2017 Jan 31. PMID: 28255299; PMCID: PMC5307254. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5307254/
2. Ros E. Health benefits of nut consumption. Nutrients. 2010 Jul;2(7):652-682. doi: 10.3390/nu2070652. Epub 2010 Jun 24. PMID: 22254047; PMCID: PMC3257681. Health Benefits of Nut Consumption – PMC (nih.gov)
3. Kolanu BR, Vadakedath S, Boddula V, Kandi V. Activities of Serum Magnesium and Thyroid Hormones in Pre-, Peri-, and Post-menopausal Women. Cureus. 2020 Jan 3;12(1):e6554. doi: 10.7759/cureus.6554. PMID: 32042527; PMCID: PMC6996468. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6996468/#:~:text=These%20findings%20emphasize%20that%20Mg,of%20thyroid%20hormone%20T3.
4. Babiker A, Alawi A, Al Atawi M, Al Alwan I. The role of micronutrients in thyroid dysfunction. Sudan J Paediatr. 2020;20(1):13-19. doi: 10.24911/SJP.106-1587138942. PMID: 32528196; PMCID: PMC7282437. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7282437/
5. Tan Kar Soon, Poh Wei Ting. Thyroid disease and diet control. Journal of nutritional disorder and therapy. 2018:8(1): 2161-0509. DOI: 10.4172/2161-0509.1000224. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324156951_Thyroid_Diseases_and_Diet_Control
6. Wang K, Wei H, Zhang W, Li Z, Ding L, Yu T, Tan L, Liu Y, Liu T, Wang H, Fan Y, Zhang P, Shan Z, Zhu M. Severely low serum magnesium is associated with increased risks of positive anti-thyroglobulin antibody and hypothyroidism: A cross-sectional study. Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 2;8(1):9904. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-28362-5. PMID: 29967483; PMCID: PMC6028657. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6028657/
