9 Foods to Avoid with Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism can be a tricky condition to manage, and what you eat can interfere with your treatment. Some nutrients heavily influence how well the thyroid gland works, and certain foods can inhibit your body’s ability to absorb the replacement hormones you may take as part of your thyroid treatment.

As with many health conditions, some factors of hypothyroidism are out of your control, including your family history and the environment around you. But diet also plays a prominent role. And since you’re the one in charge of your plate, you can decide which thyroid-friendly foods to choose.

Some items on this list to avoid may strike you as odd, like fiber and coffee, because for many other diets they’re considered ‘healthy’ or ‘safe’ picks. You can still enjoy these food groups, but moderating how much you have is a good idea when managing hypothyroidism.

But many of the others to watch out for already fall into the no-no category as part of a smart diet, so skipping them, or at least cutting way back, is definitely a no-brainer. These include fried fast-food meals, salty processed foods, sugary treats, such as pastry, cake, cookies, and ice cream, and excessive alcohol.

So while there’s no such thing as a “hypothyroidism diet” that will make you well, eating smart can help you feel better despite the condition. Here are nine foods to limit or avoid as you manage hypothyroidism.