The Hypothyroidism

Nutrition Plan
byDR. JOCKERS
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The Hypothyroidism Nutrition Plan
The epidemic of thyroid disorders is something that has really caught my eye over the last
few years. As my team and I encounter more and more patients that have been diagnosed
with these conditions, I feel compelled to get more helpful information about this out to the
public.

Something that blew me away was that, according to the American Thyroid Association, at
least12% and up to 30% of Americans will experience a thyroid disorder at some point in
their lifetime. Even more of an eye-opener was that possibly up to 60% of those cases will go
undetected (1).
I personally encounter hundreds of individuals with hypothyroidism every year, and I’ve seen
the debilitating effects that can occur due to a thyroid dysfunction. My goal is to provide
detailed information to help you follow a hypothyroidism nutrition plan.

So What is Hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a specific type of thyroid condition that is generally characterized by an
under-active thyroid gland or the inability to convert inactive thyroid hormone to active
thyroid hormone that is used by the cells of the body. The thyroid is a butterfly shaped gland
that sits just above the point where your clavicles meet (in your lower neck) and is one of the
primary organs responsible for regulating your metabolism.

Most of us think of our metabolism simply as how much fat we’re able to burn but actually it
can influence the function of every cell in our body and how those cells utilize the body’s
resources. So with this in mind, it’s easy to see how a sluggish thyroid can dramatically
hinder the overall function of the body.

Those who have this condition will typically experience symptoms like:
The HPT Axis
Similar to many hormone-producing glands in the body, the thyroid is regulated by a
biological signaling chain made up of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and of course the
thyroid gland. The mechanisms by which this axis operates can go into quite some detail but
for the purpose of this article it is important to know that they work in what’s called
a feedback loop. This loop is called the hypothalamus- pituitary – thyroid axis or the HPT
axis.

What this means is that the hypothalamus and pituitary glands are constantly monitoring the
body’s thyroid hormone levels (T3 & T4) and sending signals to the thyroid to either produce
more or less depending on current conditions. When this axis becomes faulty, thyroid
hormone levels can become either too high or too low, referred to as hyper- or
hypothyroidism respectively.
Causes of Hypothyroidism
As a functional medicine expert, I’ve learned that disease symptoms that we encounter can
be seemingly far removed from the root cause. In my experience, hypothyroidism can usually
be tied back to deeper dysfunctions in the body.

In other words, an underactive thyroid is not the problem, but is actually a symptom that has
occurred due to a problem that is more deeply rooted which has likely gone undetected for
some time. When I am working with someone who has thyroid issues, I typically investigate
5 primary causes first.
Auto-Immunity
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is the most prominent form of hypothyroidism diagnosed in the US
(2). This thyroid condition occurs as the result of the immune system creating antibodies that
target the cells in the thyroid gland that continually inflame and damage it. Over time this
leads to suboptimal thyroid function and all the consequences that follow.
This response is not unlike when our body tries to fight off a cold or flu, however when our
body attacks its own healthy tissues the immune system has become overactive and this is the
defining characteristic of auto-immunity. It is absolutely critical for any physician who is
treating someone with a thyroid disorder to test for thyroid antibodies.

Unfortunately, few mainstream medical doctors test for thyroid anti-bodies and so most do
not ever get the proper diagnosis. Here is a helpful article on healing autoimmunity
naturally.
Sluggish Liver & Estrogen Dominance
We often don’t give our liver enough credit for its many roles in the body. In terms of thyroid
health, the liver is actually partly responsible for the conversion of thyroid hormone T4 into
its more active form, T3. If the liver has been compromised, then proper conversion will not
take place and low T3 levels will likely be the result.
Proper liver function can be hindered by many things including:

 Exposure to environmental toxins (xenoestrogens, goitrogens, heavy metals, etc.)

 Lack of sufficient dietary nutrition (nutrients required for toxin conversion
and elimination)
 Chronic Infection (Hepatitis C)
 Low Glutathione

One of the more prominent hindrances to liver function that I see is estrogen dominance. This
usually occurs as a result of exposure to environmental estrogens that aren’t detoxified
properly. In addition, estrogen dominance can occur simply due to inadequate detoxification
of the body’s own endogenous estrogens. So avoiding these toxins AND supporting the liver
are both keys! Here is a helpful article on strategies to improve liver detoxification.
Low Stomach Acid
Healthy stomach acid levels are critical to the overall health of the gut. Low stomach acid
creates a vicious cycle of poor digestion, chronic gut
inflammation, microbial overgrowth, leaky gut, elevated stress hormones and lowered
nutrient absorption (3). Of particular significance is how things like leaky gut, stress
hormones and nutritional deficiencies all contribute to thyroid dysfunction in different ways:

 Leaky gut contributes to autoimmunity and therefore may increase chances of

thyroiditis (4)
 Cortisol (stress hormone) may inhibit the thyroid hormone pathway (5)
 Malnutrition likely decreases available chemical substrates for the thyroid to carry out
hormone conversion processes

Furthermore, HCL acts as a primary immune barrier to pathogens getting into the lower GI
tract. When HCL is low, pathogens can pass through, colonize in the small intestines, and
throw off normal bacteria balance (dysbiosis). Dysbiosis is a commonly tied factor to thyroid
conditions, especially those with auto-immune like characteristics (6). This article here goes
over how to correct low stomach acid levels naturally.
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Leaky gut is when the gap junctions between the cells in our intestinal wall become too wide
and end up letting large, undigested food molecules through. The immune system tags these
molecules as foreign invaders and creates antibodies to “fight them off”. This immune
response contributes to chronic inflammation and autoimmunity. Contributors to leaky gut
include food sensitivities, dysbiosis and exposure to toxins.

In addition, those with leaky gut likely also have damaged villi. Villi are tiny hair-like
structures on our intestinal lining that capture nutrients and absorb them into the blood
stream. When they become damaged, they also lose this ability and contribute to
malnutrition.
Adrenal Fatigue
Chronic stress, if not managed properly, has the potential to disrupt almost every process in
the body. This is very much the case with thyroid hormone conversion. There is evidence
suggesting that cortisol (our stress hormone) may inhibit 5’-deiodinase which plays a primary
role in converting thyroid hormone T4 to active T3.

Not only does adrenal stress interfere with T4-T3 conversion, but it has also been shown to
generally interfere with the hypothalamic-pituitary axis which is the regulatory pathway that
monitors the thyroid.

Finally, those with adrenal fatigue commonly have high levels of blood sugar imbalances,
oxidative stress, and therefore inflammation, all of which have shown to be intimately related
to proper thyroid function (7)
Hypothyroidism Nutrition Plan
Amidst the many stressors of our thyroid function, nutrition may be one of the most powerful
tools to aid in the healing process. We truly believe that food and food based products can
be used as medicine for our bodies health challenges.

In general, we want to follow a nutrition plan that is low in carbohydrates, high in healthy
fats, fiber, plant and herb based phytonutrients and clean protein sources. These are the best
foods to focus on including and building your daily diet around. This is the foundation of a
hypothyroidism nutrition plan.
Sea Vegetables:
Sea vegetables are a super-rich source of minerals and iodine. Iodine deficiency is a well-
studied causal factor in hypothyroidism and is absolutely necessary for the production of
thyroid hormone (8). The best forms of seaweed for dietary iodine are kelp, kombu, nori, and
wakame.

These are typically purchased in whole, dry form or are sometimes sold as seasoning blends
that help disguise the seaweed taste if you prefer. Kelp is the highest in iodine, but all the sea
vegetable types are rich sources of trace minerals including iodine, magnesium, selenium
and more. They are also a fantastic source of chlorophyll for overall bodily detoxification.

I love snacking on Sea Snax and using either the Bragg’s sea kelp delight or
the Herbamareherb seasonings on my food to get the benefits of sea vegetables in my
diet. This is a key food to use on the hypothyroidism nutrition plan.
Coconut Fats:
Adding coconut to your diet in the form of full-fat coconut milk, coconut butter, coconut oil
and coconut flakes is a very important part of this hypothyroidism nutrition plan. The healthy
fats in coconut help boost immunity, control inflammation, nourish the gut and even help
stabilize blood sugar.

All of these benefits combined, help to lower internal stress on the body and allow it to heal
properly. In addition, replacing unsaturated vegetable oils with healthy fats like coconut is
ideal because unhealthy fats contribute to inflammation and weaken the thyroid.

On our website, we use coconut fats in the vast majority of our recipes. You can also
use XCT oil, which is made from coconut for a faster stimulation of ketones. The other
benefit of XCT oil is that it does not taste like coconut.
Bone Broth:
There seems to be a common tie between gut function and thyroid function. Those with
inhibited digestion especially will find bone broth to be beneficial as it provides collagen
protein and a rich arsenal of nutrients like minerals and the amino acids proline and glycine
that are easily absorbed and healing to the gut lining.

The branching benefits of this include a boost to the immune system and aiding in the
removal of food sensitivities. This process will further help reduce inflammation and allow
the body to heal more effectively. This is a powerful food on the hypothyroidism nutrition
plan.

Butter/Ghee from Grass-fed Cows:

Butter from grass-fed cows is a densely packaged source of nutrition. It contains fat-soluble
vitamins A, D, and K2 along with healthy omega 3 fatty acids. On top of that, butter is a great
source of butyrate which is a short-chain fatty acid that has anti-inflammatory properties.

The benefit doesn’t stop there as grass-fed butter is also a healthy source of
selenium, magnesium, zinc and iodine; all of which play a role in thyroid health. If you have
a food sensitivity to dairy then ghee may be a suitable alternative.
Fermented Foods:
Tying back to the gut connection with thyroid, fermented foods are a powerful nutritional
strategy. Consuming probiotic foods like fermented veggies, fermented ginger, pickles,
sauerkraut, kimchi and beverages like coconut water kefir will help promote the flourishing
of a healthy bacterial environment in the gut.

This may help further by controlling inflammation, leaky gut and the associated auto-immune
reactions. It is a good idea to combine a small amount of fermented veggies with each meat
based meal in order to help with the overall digestion process. You can make this as simple
as adding a few spoonfulls of saurkraut or an organic pickle or 2 with your meal.
Avocado:
Avocados are an incredible source of nutrition including healthy fats, antioxidants, and more
(9). When combined with other nutrient rich foods, the fats help you extract more nutrition
form your meal. Additionally, avocados boost the health of your digestive tract as an
excellent source of dietary fiber.

The Journal of Nutrition published a study published in March 2005, which showed that
adding avocados to salad increased absorption of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and lutein 7.2,
15.3, and 5.1 times higher, respectively, than the average amount of these carotenoids
absorbed when avocado-free salad was eaten. (2)

Lemons & Limes:

Lemons and limes are a low-sugar fruit packed with vitamin C and citrus
bioflavonoids. Vitamin C and bioflavonoids are valuable nutrients in a hypothyroidism
nutrition plan because they help protect the thyroid from free radical damage.

Additionally, it has been shown that in order for the thyroid gland to draw in iodine there is a
biological pathway (called a symporter) that requires both Vitamin C and Vitamin B2 in
order to function properly. So in addition to maintaining healthy B2 and Iodine levels, taking
in adequate vitamin C on regular basis helps support the production of thyroid hormone T4.

A great way to get lemon or lime into your body is drinking a glass of water with 1/2 lemon
squeezed into it each day or squeeze fresh lemon on your meat and vegetables for dinner.

Apple Cider Vinegar:

Using apple cider vinegar (ACV) on a daily basis can help balance blood sugar, support
alkalinity in the body, and support a healthy gut. All of these will benefit hypothyroidism by
lowering inflammation and naturally reducing autoimmune reactions as a result.

ACV can be taken before meals, mixed in with salad dressings, or simply sprinkled over
foods in 1 TBSP doses. Be sure to find one that is raw, unpasteurized and contains the
“mother” which is the fermenting ash of the apple.

This would indicate that the vinegar is still alive and therefore it will support your health
more effectively. Also, be sure to avoid buying this in a plastic bottle and opt for glass
bottles to avoid environmental toxins. I like Bragg’s ACV, which is the best on the market.
Olives & Olive Oil:
Because one of the foundational principles of a hypothyroidism nutrition plan is
inflammation control, olives and olive oil will play an important role providing a
conveniently packaged combination of antioxidant compounds as well as healthy fats.

Phytonutrients in olives and olive oil have been shown to increase anti-oxidant activity,
down-regulate inflammation, and even fight off unwanted infections (10) I personally love to
use these Kalamata black olives here and Nappa Valley extra virgin olive oil here

Wild-Caught Fish:
Wild-caught fish like Alaskan salmon and sardines can supplement a hypothyroidism
nutrition plan by adding valuable omega 3 fatty acids along with powerful antioxidants
like astaxanthinin salmon and selenium in sardines.

This combination of nutrients helps to support a healthy hormone balance, control

inflammation, and heal damage in the gut. Selenium is also one of the most critical nutrients
for conversion of T4 into T3 and can even help to downregulate thyroid antibodies in those
with autoimmune related thyroid disorders (11).
Pasture-raised Animal Products:
If you haven’t made the transition from conventional animal products to those that are
produced organically in pastures, then this is a key step to make on your healing journey.
Conventional animal products are high in inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids and significantly
lower in nutrients as a result of their poor diet and living conditions.

Pasture-raised animal products contain healthy omega-3 fats, B-vitamins, and important
minerals like zinc and selenium that all contribute to a healthy inflammatory response and
antioxidant activity. You can find great pasture-raised animal products through US Wellness
Meats here

Cooked Cruciferous Veggies:

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts are super-dense
nutrition sources that help support anti-oxidant and detoxification systems in the body. I
emphasize that these foods should be cooked to release any goitrogens. This is an important
part of the hypothyroidism nutrition plan.

These are compounds that interfere with thyroid hormone production by blocking iodine
uptake into the thyroid gland. In cases of hypothyroidism, I recommend steaming these
vegetables thoroughly before consuming to remove most goitrogens.

In general, this is a great strategy for everyone as cruciferous veggies in their raw state can be
very can be very challenging on the digestive system. I would recommend adding in
cruciferous sprouts such as broccoli or kale sprouts in their raw form. These are very low in
goitrogens and contain tons of enzymes and bio-active anti-oxidants to support healthy
thyroid hormone function.
Sources For This Article Include:
1 http://www.thyroid.org/media-main/about-hypothyroidism/ hypothyroidism nutrition
plan

2 http://www.thyroid.org/hashimotos-thyroiditis/ hypothyroidism nutrition plan.

3 Jensen, R. T. (2006). Consequences of long-term proton pump blockade: Insights from

studies of patients with gastrinomas. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology.
PMID: 16433886

4 Fasano, A., Abreu, M., Agardh, D., Nilsson, A., Tuomi, T., Lindberg, B., … Mueller, C.
(2011). Zonulin and its regulation of intestinal barrier function: the biological door to
inflammation, autoimmunity, and cancer. Physiological Reviews, 91(1), 151–75.
PMID: 21248165 hypothyroidism nutrition
5 Harrell, C. S., Gillespie, C. F., & Neigh, G. N. (2015). Energetic stress: The reciprocal
relationship between energy availability and the stress response. Physiology and
Behavior, 166, 43–55. PMID: 26454211 hypothyroidism nutrition

6 Virili, C., & Centanni, M. (2015). Does microbiota composition affect thyroid
homeostasis? Endocrine, 49(3), 583–587. PMID: 25516464 hypothyroidism nutrition

7 Mancini, A., Di Segni, C., Raimondo, S., Olivieri, G., Silvestrini, A., Meucci, E., & Curr??,
D. (2016). Thyroid Hormones, Oxidative Stress, and Inflammation. Mediators of
Inflammation. PMID: 27051079

8 Chung, H. R. (2014). Iodine and thyroid function. Annals of Pediatric Endocrinology &
Metabolism, 19(1), 8–12. PMID: 24926457

9 Dreher, M. L., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Hass avocado composition and potential health
effects. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53(7), 738–50. PMID: 23638933

10 Servili, M., Sordini, B., Esposto, S., Urbani, S., Veneziani, G., Maio, I. Di, … Economico-
estimative, S. (2014). Biological Activities of Phenolic Compounds of Extra Virgin Olive
Oil. Antioxidants, 3, 1–23. PMID: 26784660

11 Lacka, K., & Szeliga, A. (2015). Significance of selenium in thyroid physiology and
pathology. Polski Merkuriusz Lekarski : Organ Polskiego Towarzystwa
Lekarskiego, 38(228), 348–53. PMID: 26098657

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Dr. Jockers
Dr. David Jockers is a doctor of natural medicine, functional nutritionist and corrective care
chiropractor. He currently owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia.
He has developed 6 revolutionary online programs with thousands of participants.

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Comments
11 comments

Comments
1. Mabel

February 28, 2017 at 11:23 am

Excellent article. Thank you for so much actionable information. I truly appreciate
your website.

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

March 2, 2017 at 7:17 am

Thank you Mabel!

Reply

2. Maryann Schneider

February 28, 2017 at 1:05 pm

Best article I read on the Thyroid. On other websites it was said don’t eat
cruciferous vegtables which I love but your site stated eat them cooked to get rid of
the goitrogens. Thank you for all the advise.

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers
 March 2, 2017 at 7:16 am
Thank you Maryann! Yes, steamed cruciferous veggies are a great part of a
hypothyroid nutrition plan. But avoid eating them raw because they have active
goitrogens and even more importantly they can be challenging on the digestive
system…which is typically compromised in individuals with thyroid problems.

Reply

3. Shannon

May 15, 2017 at 4:31 pm

What great info! Will really help me to plan a strategy to finally conquer my
autoimmune/thyroid issues

Thank You!

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

May 16, 2017 at 9:37 am

Great! I wish you luck on your journey Shannon!

Blessings!

Reply

4. Sara
 May 18, 2017 at 9:14 am

How can I save this article? It won’t allow me to pin it. Also what are your
thoughts on using hemp products?

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

May 19, 2017 at 10:32 pm

Hey Sara you could try bookmarking the article in your web browser! Also, hemp
can be okay for many people. The seeds can be hard to digest for some but
otherwise can be a good source of healthy fats and protein.

Reply

5. Violetta

July 6, 2017 at 9:09 am

Very good article! Thank you Dr. Jockers!

Here is some very yummy fermented veggie
snack. https://notquitefrenchcuisine.com/2015/07/05/csalamade-a-hungarian-sweet-and-
sour-summer-pickle/

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

July 7, 2017 at 11:04 am

 Thanks for sharing Violetta!

Reply

6. Sunnyside

July 6, 2017 at 9:18 am

Dr.Jockers, do you think that thyroid issue if left side where the thyroid supposed
to be, all the time swollen there,feels like hard bag there. And when I swallow the
food, it’s moves up & down too. Thanks!

Reply

7. Meghan

July 8, 2017 at 10:07 am

Can you take Thyroid Strong if you are on Armour Thyroid? Thanks!

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

July 10, 2017 at 9:52 am

Hey Meghan great question! You can definitely take both BUT you will want to
work with a doctor to monitor how your Thyroid is responding so that you can
adjust your dosages accordingly.
 Blessings!

Reply

8. Tonya

November 26, 2017 at 11:55 pm

Hi Dr. Jockers,
Do you treat patients with thyroid and hormone issues?? Thanks

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

November 27, 2017 at 8:00 am

Hey Tonya, I help people adopt lifestyles that help their bodies overcome these
issues! Feel free to email michael@drjockers.com with any more questions you may
have!

Reply

9. Melanie

December 26, 2017 at 4:31 pm

Thank you dr Jockers your articles are always straight to the point. Dealing with
thyroid issues is definitely not an easy journey with all the information out there.
You are definitely making a difference.
 Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

December 28, 2017 at 4:05 pm

Thanks for reading melanie!

Reply

10. Tonya

February 20, 2018 at 8:34 am

Does this diet help with overactive thyroid as well? I haven’t no treatment yet but
the doctors want to give me RAI and I perfer medication and a healthy lifestyle.
Do I have to just accept one option?

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

February 22, 2018 at 8:07 am

Hey Tonya,

I would not recommend iodine rich foods for individuals with hyperthyroidism.
Here is a helpful article: https://drjockers.com/hyperthyroidism/

Reply
11. Jeannette

February 24, 2018 at 6:12 pm

I was taking one cap of Thyro-Gold bovine thyroid 150mg. then I found your
Thyroid Strong. My Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner is fine with both. I
was taking one cap. of each on alternating days, then I discovered with muscle
testing that I needed 300 mg. of the thyroid glandular so I started taking one cap.
Thyro-Gold and one cap. Thyroid Strong together daily. Does that sound like an
OK protocol?

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

March 4, 2018 at 7:47 am

Yes you can do that. Shouldn’t be an issue. The nice thing about the Thyroid
strong is that it also has the iodine and selenium your thyroid needs.

Reply

12. pascual

February 26, 2018 at 4:35 am

Excellent article.

The function of thyroid It is essential for the proper functioning of the metabolism

Reply
1. Dr. Jockers

March 4, 2018 at 8:09 am

Yes for sure!!

Reply

13. Karen Reynolds

March 7, 2018 at 12:13 pm

Hi that’s video was wonderful.o listen to you a lot. Just got blood work back free t-
4 is 1.0 free t 3 20 and TSH is 4.20 also have been on a letter diet for almost a year
going very well but now I’m wondering of that messing with my thyroid? Also the
intermittent fasting I do every day would that slow the thyroid? I looked for your
autoimmune course did not see it/ or find it… thank you in advance for any
information u can give me

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

March 7, 2018 at 8:16 pm

Hey Karen, it is hard to tell without more information but this may be the course
you are talking about https://drjockers.com/autoimmune-elimination-program/

Reply

14. Mary
 May 9, 2019 at 8:01 pm

Hi all. I have been reading lately about food that can help healing hashimoto
thyroid problems and I got confused. The writers are medical professionals. Ones
said that broccoli, cauliflower, broussel , iodine is bad food for this disease and on
this article it shows the opposites.

Reply

1. Dr. Jockers

May 10, 2019 at 1:27 pm

Hey Mary, Eating large amounts of raw cruciferous vegetables can inhibit iodine
uptake. The amount you would need to consume would be over 3 lbs of raw
cruciferous vegetables for it to be a possible issue with iodine update and most
people don’t get anywhere close to this. If you want to eat a lot of cruciferous
veggies, just be sure to steam them to remove a lot of the goitrogenic substances
and make them easier to digest. These foods are otherwise nutrient dense and a
recommended source of micronutrients for individuals with hypothyroidism.

Reply

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