Thyroid gland is a miniature gland, shaped like a butterfly situated underneath your Adam’s apple.
Thyroid disease mainly does the work of producing hormones to aid metabolic and energy level of the body. They produce certain chemicals, which are vital for the growth of the body. It actually works as a thermostat, an overactive thyroid overheats the body, and an under active thyroid doesn’t produce enough heat.
There are major 3 types of
thyroid disorder under active thyroid, overactive thyroid and thyroid nodules. Enlarged thyroid or thyroid nodules are most common thyroid problem. It starts with a swelling or lumpy mass; it may be in solid state or filled with liquid. Most of these lumps are harmless, but some may be cancerous. Therefore it is better to consult a physician if have it.
Some of the symptoms of an enlarged
thyroid are as follows:
- Hyperthyroidism indications like insomnia, severe weight loss, slight tremors, anxiety, etc.
- Hypothyroidism indications like gaining of excess weight, tiredness, and melancholic feelings.
- The symptoms may dangle between the hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism condition.
- Difficulty in swallowing of food or even liquids associated with pain and tenderness in the neck area.
- Some people even develop a harsh and rough voice quality.
- And some individuals have no symptoms, which may indicate the enlarged condition of the thyroid.
- Only around 5% of the nodules are cancerous in nature, others are very much curable with medications and proper diet.
After the discovery of an
enlarged thyroid, it is advisable that you may consult a doctor for blood test to assess the hormone level. The results are mostly normal as thyroid nodules may or may not produce thyroid hormone. An enlarged thyroid can also develop in patients already suffering from
thyroid disorder.
Thyroid Diet
For most thyroid patients, treatment doesn’t affect necessary weight loss or weight gain. A proper thyroid diet may help you to understand various factors for weight loss and gain.
- Herbal products and supplements may help you get back your figure.
- Foods containing iodine like fish, iodized salts, shellfish may be moderately constituted in your daily meal. But recent reports have also suggested that incidence of thyroiditis has increased due to high iodine intake.
- Protein is necessary for increasing the metabolic rate. Foods such as meat, poultry, egg whites, legumes, fish and beef are helpful in controlling active thyroid disorder.
- Fibrous products such as lentils, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, leafy greens, oats, flax seeds and almonds help to slow down the digestion process and keep the insulin production in check.
- Vitamins and minerals are helpful in maintain the T3 levels in a thyroid disorder, therefore the inclusion of Zinc and selenium in your thyroid diet is a good idea.
A thyroid diet rich in proteins and low in carbohydrates and glycemic foods is recommended for
thyroid patients who experience weight loss. Food items like beets, corn, peas, potatoes, carrots, oranges, pineapple, grapes, papaya, white bread, baked products, sugar, white rice and semolina pasta are high glycemic foods, and therefore the intake of such foods should be limited.
