Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid gland, which is manifested by the excessive production of iodine-containing hormones. Blood oversaturation with tri- and tetraiodothyronine leads to an acceleration of metabolism, weight loss and thyrogenic diabetes. The diet for hyperthyroidism is aimed at replenishing the supply of nutrients – proteins, lipids, carbohydrates. A balanced diet reduces the risk of progression of hyperthyroidism – depletion of the body, osteoporosis, protein- energy deficiency. 

What is a diet for thyrotoxicosis

With an excess of thyroid hormones in the blood, the metabolism is accelerated, which leads to an excessive expenditure of energy resources. Therefore, nutrition with thyrotoxicosis of the thyroid gland should compensate for the lack of bioactive substances in the body:

• vitamins;
• proteins;
• minerals;
• microelements;
• fat;
• carbohydrates.

As part of the diet, the calorie content of the usual daily diet is increased by 30-35%.

With hyperthyroidism, limit foods that excite the nervous and cardiovascular systems. This reduces the risk of mental disorders and cardiopathologies – atrial flutter, tachycardia, insomnia, feelings of anxiety.

General dietary advice

A therapeutic diet for thyrotoxicosis of the thyroid gland prevents the depletion of the body, disruptions in the work of vital systems. To prevent vitamin-mineral and energy deficiency, the calorie content of the diet is increased to 3700 kcal. The daily requirement for proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in hyperthyroidism is determined taking into account:

• the rate of weight loss;
• the concentration of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in the blood.

The daily calorie requirement differs between women and men. Therefore, with hyperthyroidism, the diet should be made with the participation of a nutritionist or endocrinologist.

Calculation of BZHU in the framework of a therapeutic diet:

• Lipids. 1 gram of fat corresponds to 9 kcal. To normalize lipid metabolism, up to 25% of fat from all daily calories is consumed.
• Proteins. 1 gram of protein equals 4 kcal. In hyperthyroidism, the optimal amount of protein is 1.2-1.5 g per 1 kg of body weight. More than 55% of the norm falls on proteins of animal origin.
• Carbohydrates. In terms of energy value, carbohydrates do not differ from proteins. With an accelerated metabolism against a background of hyperthyroidism, they should account for more than 50% of daily calories.

Obese people are more susceptible to diseases of the cardiovascular system. To lose weight and normalize weight with hyperthyroidism, the doctor draws up a diet with calories up to 3100-3300 kcal. Upon reaching normal body weight, the calorie content of the diet is increased to 3500-3700 kcal.

Diet principles for hyperthyroidism:

• Heat treatment. With hyperthyroidism, all types of heat treatment are allowed . But for patients with loose (loose) stools, more cooked vegetables and dietary meats are introduced into the diet.
• Salt restriction. Patients with high blood pressure should reduce table salt to 3 g / day. In the case of severe edema of the extremities, all canned vegetables and marinades are excluded from the diet.
• Diet. With hyperthyroidism, they eat fractionally 5-6 times a day every 1.5-2 hours. It is recommended to drink plenty of fluids between meals.
• Elimination of iodine. To reduce the activity of the thyroid gland, iodine-containing foods are removed from the diet . With a decrease in the concentration of iodine in the body, the production of T3 and T4 decreases, which leads to the normalization of metabolism. 

With hyperthyroidism, glycogen and lipid stores are quickly depleted, so a person quickly loses weight. Due to the acceleration of metabolism, the body temperature rises, sweating increases. Many vitamins and trace elements are involved in the breakdown of nutrients, so their reserves are quickly depleted.

To avoid cachexia (extreme malnutrition) in hyperthyroidism, a variety of foods with a high content of bioactive substances are included in the diet.

Frequent meals can help satisfy intense hunger, but do not overload the digestive system.

In some cases, even with a diet, it is not possible to meet the daily requirement for calcium. To avoid osteoporosis and bone fracture with hyperthyroidism, vitamin and mineral complexes are taken in parallel. The daily requirement for calcium is 1000-1200 mg.

Do’s and Don’ts for Hyperthyroidism: Food Tables

With hyperthyroidism, the diet includes foods with a high content of proteins, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Due to the risk of osteoporosis, dairy products must be added to the menu. They contain calcium salts that strengthen bones.

In case of problems with stool, fresh baked goods are removed from the diet – white bread, yeast dough. The basis of the diet for those suffering from hyperthyroidism is:

• dairy products;
• vegetables;
• dietary meat;
• fresh fruits;
• cereals.

If hyperthyroidism is not accompanied by diarrhea, be sure to eat vegetable oils, vegetables with fiber. To avoid bloating and dyspepsia, legumes are removed from the diet.

For hyperthyroidism, it is recommended to boil raw meat. During heat treatment, more than 70% of extractive substances are removed from it, which have an exciting effect on the central nervous system.

Allowed and prohibited foods for hyperthyroidism

Product groups	Allowed	Forbidden
fruits, berries, dried fruits	apples, grapes, bananas, kiwi, kiwi, plums, gooseberries, pears, grapefruit, strawberries, tangerines, melon, lime, watermelon, raspberries, pomegranate, raisins	cranberry, currant, persimmon
vegetables, herbs	zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, cucumbers, white cabbage and cauliflower, eggplant	garlic, asparagus, rhubarb, canned cucumbers and tomatoes, horseradish, onions, beets, radish
bakery products	rye bread, drying, bagels	yeast and puff pastry, fresh wheat bread
dairy	acidophilus, kefir, cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, hard cheese, yogurt	salted cottage cheese, feta cheese
cereals, porridge	rice, corn, buckwheat, oatmeal, millet, lentils, bulgur	barley and pearl barley porridge
seafood, fish	pike, red caviar, catfish, bream, river perch	shrimp, canned fish, squid, sardine, crayfish, lobster, crab sticks
meat products	turkey, veal, chicken, rabbit	pork, duck, goose, bacon, smoked meats
sweets	oatmeal cookies, fruit jam, marmalade,	dark chocolate, pastry cream
other products	honey, sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream sauce	black pepper, broth, mustard, mayonnaise, hot spices, curry sauce, ketchup
the drinks	milk tea, apricot juice, rosehip decoction, jelly, fruit juice, compote, carrot juice, mineral water	black tea, koumiss, alcohol, kvass, strong coffee

Patients with hyperthyroidism often complain of indigestion and dyspepsia – nausea, heartburn, bloating, belching. To prevent fermentation in the digestive tract, sauerkraut, white bread and baked goods are excluded from the diet.

To reduce the severity of endocrine disorders in hyperthyroidism, goitrogenic products are introduced into the diet . They inhibit the synthesis of iodine-containing hormones, block the flow of iodine into the thyroid gland.

To stabilize hormonal levels, the diet includes:

• Brussels sprouts;
• rutabagas;
• tofu;
• peaches;
• peanut;
• millet;
• flax seeds;
• corn;
• spinach;
• pine nuts;
• strawberries.

With the regular use of goitrogenic products, the concentration of T4 in the body decreases, which facilitates the course of hyperthyroidism.

Sample menu for a week

In order for the diet for hyperthyroidism to be varied, the diet includes the maximum number of healthy and allowed foods. People with hyperthyroidism are allowed to eat up to 0.3 kg of baked goods and no more than 30 g of granulated sugar every day. As part of the diet, meals with meat or fish should be eaten twice a day.

During the treatment of hyperthyroidism, alcoholic beverages are completely excluded from the diet, since they have a stimulating effect on metabolism. Subject to the conditions of the diet, the performance of vital organs does not decrease.

Approximate menu for a week with hyperthyroidism

Days of the week	1 breakfast	2 breakfast	Dinner	Afternoon snack	Dinner
Monday	oatmeal, pancakes with carrots, tea with cream	2 boiled eggs, vegetables, juice	cream soup with cauliflower, meat dumplings, vinaigrette, fruit juice	100 g raisins, drinking yoghurt	vegetable stew, boiled chicken, tea with honey
Tuesday	rice porridge, soft-boiled egg, oatmeal cookies, milk tea	cheesecakes with sour cream sauce, herbal decoction	soup with noodles and meatballs, stuffed peppers, vinaigrette, carrot juice	fruit pudding, kefir	noodle soup, casserole with pike and vegetables, fruit platter, jelly
Wednesday	semolina porridge, toast with cheese, soft-boiled egg, herbal tea	low-fat cottage cheese with sour cream and honey, compote	lean borscht, beef goulash, porridge with butter, fruit juice	curd casserole, kefir	chicken in sour cream sauce, vegetable sauté, tomato salad, jelly
Thursday	egg rolls with herbs, toast with jam, compote	carrot and curd casserole, weak coffee	okroshka, boiled beef, pancakes with potatoes and carrots, tea	cheesecake with cottage cheese	cabbage , pilaf with meat, weak tea
Friday	pampushki cheesecakes, carrot juice	cottage cheese with honey or jam, herbal tea	soup with chicken and mushrooms, vinaigrette, toast with jam, coffee with cream	croutons with jam, drinking yogurt	kharcho with chicken and brown rice, baked pumpkin, vegetable juice
Saturday	semolina pudding, boiled egg, drinking yogurt	hot cheese sandwich, jelly	cream soup with potatoes, baked pink salmon with carrots, rosehip broth	curd-banana cocktail, apple	potato rolls with mushrooms, stuffed peppers, peach juice
Sunday	oatmeal pancakes, buckwheat porridge, kefir	lavash rolls with cottage cheese	noodle soup, lean lazy meat dumplings, cream tea	oatmeal cookies, tea	cheese soup with veal, carrot cutlets with semolina, juice

A therapeutic diet should be followed until the level of iodine-containing hormones in the body stabilizes. To prevent hypovitaminosis and mineral deficiency against the background of hyperthyroidism, they prefer protein dishes, cereals for breakfast, and baked vegetables with fish for dinner.

Healthy recipes

The diet for hyperthyroidism of the thyroid gland almost does not differ from the usual diet, therefore it is well tolerated. When nutrient deficiencies are replenished, muscle weakness disappears. To diversify the diet for hyperthyroidism, include nutritious meals from allowed foods.

Recipes for healthy foods and drinks for hyperthyroidism:

• Soup with vegetables. In an enamel saucepan, bring 3 liters of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut 3 potatoes and 2 squash into cubes. ½ part of cauliflower and Brussels sprouts is divided into inflorescences. Throw prepared vegetables into boiling water. In a frying pan, stew chopped carrots and a bunch of celery, add 1 bell pepper and 2 tomatoes, cut into strips. The stewed vegetables are added to a saucepan and boiled for 2-3 minutes.
• Cheese omelette. Cut 2 small tomatoes into slices. 50 g of hard cheese is chopped on a grater. Beat 3 eggs in a bowl, add a little salt, grated cheese and 20 ml of milk. Tomatoes are sautéed in a preheated frying pan, pour the egg-cheese mixture on top. Simmer under the lid for 10 minutes. Decorate the dish with herbs.
• Dried fruits compote. 200 g of prunes are washed in running water. Dissolve 100 g of granulated sugar in ½ l of water. Bring the syrup to a boil and throw dried fruit into it. Boil for 20 minutes and cool.

Hyperthyroidism sufferers complain of extreme fatigue immediately upon awakening. According to the terms of the diet, for a quick recovery of strength, breakfasts are made from products with easily digestible carbohydrates – muesli, fruit salad, compote. As for drinks, they prefer vegetable juices, herbal teas and tea with milk.

Hyperthyroidism is an endocrine disease characterized by an acceleration of metabolism. The effectiveness of treatment depends on the regularity of taking thyreostatic drugs and adherence to the diet. When the recommendations of the endocrinologist and nutritionist are followed, it is possible to restore working capacity and avoid complications.