Many people live their lives without experiencing any problems with their thyroid or even knowing what the thyroid is. Some, however, are not so lucky and experience thyroid disorders at some point in their lives. Today, you will learn how to care for your thyroid.
The thyroid gland plays a very important part in the body as it helps regulate metabolism, body temperature, blood pressure, and so on. It plays such a critical part that developing a thyroid disorder could cause your body not to function properly again.
Various things could lead to thyroid disorder, including injury, disease, dietary deficiency, and so on. Some of the common thyroid disorders include goitre (swelling in the neck), thyroid cancer, thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism (too much thyroid hormone), hypothyroidism (too little thyroid hormone), and so on. The best way to diagnose a problem with your thyroid is by visiting the hospital.Â
In this post, we would be looking at ways to care for your thyroid.Â
Regularly Consume Iodine
Perhaps the first place to start is by making sure that you take in the daily recommended amount of iodine. This is not difficult to do as iodine is present in salt. You just have to make sure that what you eat has a bit of salt in it. This does not mean that you should purposely increase the salt you put in your food. This could backfire and lead to hyperthyroidism, which is characterised by too much activity in the thyroid.
Most of the things you eat every day contain iodine, like fish dairy, eggs, nuts, bread, and so on.Â
Eat Healthily
What you put in your mouth affects your thyroid health in a big way> That is why you have to ensure that you follow a healthy diet. Make sure that what you eat contains a lot of vitamins and minerals, like calcium, selenium, Vitamin B12 and D, and more. This means that you have to eat more fruits and vegetables. Also, you should avoid junk and other foods that do not add anything to your body.Â
Avoid Getting Toxins Into Your Body
Toxins that get into your body can affect your thyroid, resulting in thyroid cancer or other disorders. There are many ways toxins can get into your body. One of such ways is through smoking. Smoking cigarettes introduces a range of toxins into your body, such as tar, beryllium, benzene, arsenic, and so on. These toxins could affect your thyroid, resulting in problems. There are also toxins known as perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) which can be found in places like carpets, clothes, and even some type of cookware. These PFCs have been linked to a thyroid disease according to a 2019 study. Some other toxins like bisphenol-A, which are present in hard plastic and some canned foods, also lead to thyroid problems.Â
These toxins can come in many forms. That is why you should be sure of the things you put in your mouth and make sure that your hands are clean before putting them in your mouth.Â
Conclusion
Basically, taking care of your thyroid involves following a good diet and being conscious of what you put in your mouth so as not to take in something that could negatively affect your thyroid or other parts of your body.
Collins Nwokolo is a human physiologist, writer and health enthusiast. He loves writing helpful articles on health and fitness, which he enjoys sharing with everyone.
