Flax and Hypothyroid

[chinadoll]

Re: Flax and Hypothyroid

Good thread. I had no idea. I am really bummed though because the flax oil wasn't giving me fish breath and I preferred it to the other Omega 3 oils.

[Alexa]

Re: Flax and Hypothyroid

I just saw what looked like a great flax bun recipe and thought I'd come and check out thyroid and flax issues! I've already been here and forgot all about it!

I'm thinking flax still doesn't sound great for me.

[ConanTheLibrarian]

Re: Flax and Hypothyroid

I've heard about flax seed oil being a goitrogen.

quote:
"Flaxseed is a cyanogenic goitrogen, which means it contains a substance that converts to thiocyanate in the body. Thiocyanate effectively blocks iodine concentration by the thyroid gland and thus causes thyroid dysfunction. Flax is also a rich source of lignan, a phytochemical which converts after digestion into a phytoestrogen-like substance. Phytoestrogens are known to suppress thyroid function."
Thyroid Information - Page 15 - HealthBoards Message Boards

I don't think flaxseed is common except in dietary supplements.

However, other polyunsaturated oils have anti-thyroid elements associated with them as well and I do what I can to avoid them for the sake of my thyroid.

quote:
"Unsaturated oils block thyroid hormone secretion, its movement in the circulatory system, and the response of tissues to the hormone."
Unsaturated Vegetable Oils: Toxic

The quote and article linked above is from a Biological researcher who demonizes the polyunsaturated vegetable fats as anti-thyroid, while praising coconut (saturated) and olive oils (monosaturated). A counter point to his complete elimination of polyunsaturated fats can be found written by another researcher here. A Reply to Ray Peat on Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency

Anyway, I do accept that the addition of polyunsaturated oils (bottled flax seed oil, soybean oil, canola oil, fish oil) is bad. I am particularly annoyed with what I feel is a scam with the fish oil buzz (even if it is good for you in it's natural state from fish, it's probably rancid in pill or bottle form, thus being ineffective or harmful)

Polyunsaturated oil will be present in whole foods, where I think it is balanced by other fats and anti-oxidants to properly metabolize them, but I'm doing everything I can to avoid them in processed foods where they are abnormally concentrated. For example, I see soy oil as a major ingredient in things like processed cheese, spaghetti sauce, salad dressing and soup. I think I read somewhere that 20% of our calories come from soybeans and I'm not sure what % of that is from the oil. It's as hard to avoid as high-fructose corn syrup.