Can patients with hypothyroidism eat kelp?

Patients with hypothyroidism can certainly eat kelp, but it does not mean that the more they eat, the better. Although kelp is rich in iodine, it is not a method to treat hypothyroidism. They can eat more seafood and follow the doctor's dietary advice.

1. Patients with hypothyroidism can eat kelp , but don't eat too much. In life, many people believe that they should eat more kelp, mainly because kelp is rich in iodine. They think that eating more is good for recovery from illness. In fact, this is wrong.

2. Although kelp contains iodine and the raw materials for synthesizing thyroid hormones, patients with hypothyroidism have hypofunctional thyroid cells that have a much lower ability to absorb iodine. Therefore, if they eat too much, they cannot absorb it effectively.

3. For patients with hypothyroidism , due to their low thyroid function, their ability to absorb iodine in food will be reduced. Therefore, patients with hypothyroidism can eat some kelp and other foods appropriately, but not in excess.

4. Iodine is an important raw material for the synthesis of thyroid hormones , and seafood is rich in iodine. When suffering from hypothyroidism, the intake of seafood still needs to be treated according to syndrome differentiation. For hypothyroidism caused by surgery such as thyroid nodules, you can eat more seafood and supplement the raw materials necessary for synthesizing thyroid hormones.

5. In principle, there is no need to abstain from seafood for hypothyroidism caused by Hashimoto's thyroiditis . Seafood can be eaten, but excessive intake is not recommended, because excessive iodine intake will increase thyroid autoantibodies (TPOAb, TGAb), thereby aggravating thyroiditis.