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Is Quinoa Good for Thyroid?
Is Quinoa Good for Thyroid?
Posted Date : 2021-01-19
Inside:Is Quinoa good food to eat for hypothyroidism?Benefits of Quinoa for good thyroid health.Eating Quinoa for Hashimoto’s
Is Quinoa Good for Thyroid Health?
Yes. Quinoa is one of the better grain choices for hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. It is naturally gluten-free, has a low glycemic index of 53, and is high in fiber, protein, and thyroid-supporting minerals like zinc, magnesium, and iron — all of which help calm the inflammation that drives most thyroid disorders.
Food has a huge impact on thyroid health.Food not only gives us energy but it also provides several nutrients that our thyroid needs to work properly.
People who have thyroid issues need to be very meticulous about their food, because if they ingest food that supports their thyroid health then their symptoms can improve.
One of the most common thyroid conditions that we see now these days are Hypothyroidism or low thyroid, Hashimoto’s disease, and Graves disease.
In all of these thyroid disorders, it’s the underlying inflammation that causes malfunctioning of the thyroid gland.
Especially for autoimmune thyroid disease Hashimoto’s and Graves’s inflammation daily is destroying the thyroid gland.
So if we eat an antiinflammatory diet then we can certainly help our thyroid to recover faster.
One of the food that can positively impact thyroid health is Quinoa.
Quinoa and thyroid health are closely connected as quinoa has several nutrients that can help hypothyroidism.
Why is Quinoa Good for Hypothyroidism?
Quinoa is an ancient grain that originated in South America in the Andes area which covers countries Peru, Chile, Bolivia.From there quinoa spread to the whole world and because of its various health benefits, it is becoming part of mainstream food culture.
Below are the benefits of quinoa that makes it a good food for Hashimoto’s and Hypothyroidism.
1.Gluten-free Grain:There is a strong correlation between gluten and thyroid disorders.There have been studies that show that people with celiac disease have high chances of getting thyroid disorder.
There was also a study done to see if people who had Hashimoto’s thyroid condition will benefit from a gluten-free diet.And the results showed that females who followed a gluten-free diet had improvement in their thyroid antibodies.
So it does make sense to go for a gluten-free diet for thyroid patients.And in this respect quinoa works really well as it is a gluten-free grain.
2.Low Glycemic Index Food:Now there are other gluten-free grains like rice, oats, buckwheat.The most popular one is obviously rice and the problem with rice is that it is high glycemic index foods.
The Glycemic index is the scale that shows how a particular food affects your blood glucose levels.The higher the glycemic index the higher spike in blood glucose levels.A diet that has higher glycemic index foods, impacts your thyroid negatively.
In fact, there was a study that placed people’s low glycemic index diet and it showed improvement in their thyroid health.Quinoa among gluten-free grains has one of the lowest glycemic indexes of 53, so another reason to choose quinoa above other grains.
3.High Fiber Content:Quinoa has high fiber content in it, again more than other grains.What high fiber does it that doesn’t let insulin spike when you consume carbohydrates.Insulin in excess causes inflammation and inflammation is the root of thyroid disorder.
So by reducing this insulin spoke fiber helps to reduce inflammation in our body.Also, high fiber keeps your gut in healthy shape.
Again strong correlation is being seen in the healthy gut microbiome and thyroid health.So if your microbiome is poor then you have high chances of thyroid dysfunction.
4.High Protein Content:Quinoa has a high amount of protein content as compared to other grains.And the other benefit is that it has all 12 essential amino acids, so it is a good vegetarian source of complete protein.
You can get clean high-quality protein through consuming quinoa in your diet and that in turn helps to keep your thyroid in good shape.
5.High in minerals like iron, Magnesium, Vitamin B2, Manganese, Zinc.All these vitamins and minerals support thyroid gland health directly or indirectly.Especially minerals like zinc, magnesium iron support thyroid health directly by helping with thyroid hormone production.
6.Antioxidants in Quinoa.Quinoa also has some antioxidants like Quercetin and Kaempferol.Antioxidants are your natural defenses against free radicals that cause inflammation in your body.
So by reducing these free radicals in your body quinoa helps with reducing inflammation which in turn helps Hashimoto’s disease and other thyroid conditions.
7.Low Lectin levels:Now there has been some concern that lectin can be harmful in people with autoimmune diseases.So people have been following antiinflammatory diets under which people have to eliminate all grains, legumes, lentils with the concern of lectins in them.
But not all food in this category needs to be eliminated.One example is the food like Quinoa which is relatively low in lectins.
And you can do things to even lower the content of this lectins.Various ways are by overnight soaking, sprouting, and also boiling.
Summary
So, if you were wondering about this question that is I have Hashimoto’s can I eat quinoa?The answer is ‘yes’, you can eat quinoa.
It is filled with many nutritional benefits and can be your goto grain to help your thyroid.It is not only gluten-free, but also low glycemic index food, and high protein with high fiber.
So you can consider this almost as a complete food in itself.If you are concerned about lectins in your food, then you will be happy to know that quinoa is one of the lower lectin level food.And you can further reduce the levels of lectin by soaking it, sprouting it and boiling it.
Suffering from a chronic disease like thyroid, gut problem, weight issues, autoimmune issues, etc... is not easy. Dr. Gupta is a certified Functional Medicine Physician and his personalized plans have helped thousands of people to reclaim their health back.
Yes. Quinoa is gluten-free and relatively low in lectins, which makes it one of the safer grains for Hashimoto’s. Soaking, sprouting, or boiling it before cooking lowers its lectin content even further.
Is quinoa anti-inflammatory for the thyroid?
Yes, indirectly. Quinoa itself is not a medicinal anti-inflammatory food, but its low glycemic index and high fiber content prevent the insulin spikes that drive inflammation — and inflammation is the underlying driver of most thyroid and autoimmune thyroid conditions.
How much quinoa should a thyroid patient eat?
A half-cup to one cup of cooked quinoa a few times a week, as part of a varied diet, is a reasonable starting point for most thyroid patients. There is no single research-backed daily amount, so it is worth adjusting based on how your blood sugar and digestion respond.
Dr. Anshul Gupta MD is Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician, with advanced certification in Functional Medicine, Peptide therapy and also Fellowship trained in Integrative Medicine.
Dr. Anshul Gupta MD is Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician, with advanced certification in Functional Medicine, Peptide therapy and also Fellowship trained in Integrative Medicine.
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