Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions โ written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Goitrogen
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Goitrogens are substances that suppress the function of the thyroid gland by interfering with iodine uptake which can, as a result, cause an enlargement of the thyroid.
Goitrogenic drugs
Goitrogenic drugs
Chemicals that have been shown to have goitrogenic effects include:
- Sulfadimethoxine, propylthiouracil, potassium perchlorate, and iopanoic acid.[1]
- Thiocyanate overload in Central Africa, especially if also in conjunction with selenium deficiency.[2] Reliance on cassava as a carbohydrate provides a source of thiocyanate in some areas.[3]
Goitrogenic foods
Goitrogenic foods
Certain foods have been identified as goitrogenic. These foods include:
- Soybeans (and soybean products such as tofu)
- Pine nuts
- Peanuts
- Millet
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Bamboo shoots
- Radishes
- Horseradish
- Vegetables in the genus Brassica
- Bok choy
- Broccoli
- Broccolini (Asparations)
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Chinese cabbage
- Choy sum
- Collard greens
- Kai-lan (Chinese broccoli)
- Kale
- Kohlrabi
- Mizuna
- Mustard greens
- Rapeseed (yu choy)
- Rapini
- Rutabagas
- Tatsoi
- Turnips
Foods stimulating thyroid tissue
Foods stimulating thyroid tissue
Some foods and drinks have an opposite effect on the thyroid gland–that is, they stimulate thyroid function rather than suppressing it; examples being avocado, coconut,[4] and saturated fat.[5]. Indeed some studies on rats suggest that excess caffeine in conjunction with a lack of iodine may promote the formation of thyroid cancers. [6]Despite being generally a stimulant, caffeine, (examples: coffee, tea, cola, chocolate) acts on thyroid function as a suppressant.
Footnotes
Footnotes
- โ Takizawa T, Imai T, Ueda M, Onodera H, Hirose M (2006). “Comparison of enhancing effects of different goitrogen treatments in combination with beta-estradiol-3-benzoate for establishing a rat two-stage thyroid carcinogenesis model to detect modifying effects of estrogenic compounds”. Cancer Sci. 97 (1): 25โ31. doi:10.1111/j.1349-7006.2005.00132.x. PMIDย 16367917.
- โ Vanderpas J (2006). “Nutritional epidemiology and thyroid hormone metabolism”. Annu. Rev. Nutr. 26: 293โ322. doi:10.1146/annurev.nutr.26.010506.103810. PMIDย 16704348.
- โ Akindahunsi AA, Grissom FE, Adewusi SR, Afolabi OA, Torimiro SE, Oke OL (1998). “Parameters of thyroid function in the endemic goitre of Akungba and Oke-Agbe villages of Akoko area of southwestern Nigeria”. African journal of medicine and medical sciences. 27 (3โ4): 239โ42. PMIDย 10497657.
- โ Siddhanti SR, King MW, Tove SB (1990). “Influence of dietary fat on factors in serum that regulate thyroid cell metabolism” (PDF). J. Nutr. 120 (11): 1297โ304. PMIDย 2172489.
Thyroid hyperplasia has been demonstrated in mice:
*“Toxicology and carcinogenesis studies of coconut oil acid diethanolamine condensate (CAS No. 68603-42-9) in F344/N rats and B6C3F1 mice (dermal studies)”. National Toxicology Program technical report series. 479: 5โ226. 2001. PMIDย 12571684. - โ Denice Moffat. “Bad Foods for Thyroid”. Retrieved 2007-10-12.
- โ Son HY, Nishikawa A, Kanki K; et al. (2003). “Synergistic interaction between excess caffeine and deficient iodine on the promotion of thyroid carcinogenesis in rats pretreated with N-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)nitrosamine”. Cancer Sci. 94 (4): 334โ7. PMIDย 12824900.