Thyroid Diet: Foods to Eat and Avoid in India
Expert-reviewed guide for Indian diets
Hypothyroidism — where the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormone — is the most common thyroid disorder in India, affecting an estimated 1 in 10 adults, with women particularly overrepresented. Most patients on levothyroxine (thyroxine tablet) are told very little about diet except perhaps "avoid soy" or "do not eat cauliflower." The dietary reality of hypothyroidism is more nuanced than these blanket rules, and following overly restrictive advice often leads patients to eliminate healthy foods unnecessarily while missing the genuinely important dietary factors.
The thyroid makes two hormones: T4 (thyroxine, the storage form) and T3 (triiodothyronine, the active form). The conversion of T4 to T3 happens primarily in the liver and gut and requires specific nutrients — selenium, zinc, and iron in particular. Many hypothyroid patients who are on medication but still feel tired, cold, and foggy despite "normal" TSH levels may actually have poor T4-to-T3 conversion, which dietary changes can support. This is why nutrition matters for thyroid function even when you are on medication.
Iodine is the most widely discussed thyroid nutrient, and for good reason — the thyroid gland uses iodine to make both T4 and T3. India has made significant progress on iodine deficiency through mandatory iodisation of salt, but a portion of hypothyroid cases in certain Indian states still have an iodine component. The solution, however, is not to take iodine supplements freely — excess iodine can actually trigger autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto's disease) in susceptible people. Using good quality iodised salt (like Tata Salt or Aashirvaad iodised salt) consistently is sufficient for most people.
The goitrogen story — the idea that cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli "harm" the thyroid — has been wildly overstated in Indian health conversations. Goitrogens are compounds in these vegetables that, in extremely large quantities eaten raw, can slightly interfere with iodine uptake. Cooking neutralises 70-90% of goitrogenic activity. A person eating normal amounts of cooked cabbage sabzi or gobi aloo is not harming their thyroid in any measurable way. Telling thyroid patients to avoid these vegetables deprives them of some of the most nutritious vegetables available.
Foods to Eat
Foods That Support Thyroid Function
Brazil Nuts (Two Per Day)
Brazil nuts are the single richest food source of selenium on earth — just two nuts provide your entire daily selenium requirement (55 mcg). Selenium is essential for the enzyme that converts T4 to the active T3 form (deiodinase enzyme), which means selenium deficiency directly impairs your body's ability to use the thyroid hormone you are producing. Brazil nuts are not commonly available in local kirana stores but are available in most supermarkets and online. The quantity is specific — two nuts daily is sufficient and beneficial, but consuming large amounts of Brazil nuts is actually harmful (selenium toxicity). Two nuts: every morning, no more.
Eggs — Whole Eggs Including Yolk
Whole eggs are genuinely important for hypothyroid patients: the yolk contains selenium, iodine, and tyrosine (an amino acid that is the structural building block of thyroid hormone), while the white contributes high-quality protein. An egg provides around 16 mcg of iodine and 14-20 mcg of selenium — not the full daily requirement, but a meaningful contribution. Many Indian women avoid egg yolks due to cholesterol concerns, but the science on dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular risk has shifted considerably — whole eggs are beneficial for most people. Two eggs daily for hypothyroid patients who eat non-vegetarian food is excellent practice.
Fish — Particularly Rohu, Hilsa, and Bangda
Fish provides iodine, selenium, omega-3 fatty acids, and high-quality protein — nearly a complete nutritional package for thyroid support. Rohu (rui in Bengal, rohu in North India) is affordable, widely available, and nutritious. Hilsa (ilish/pulasa) is rich in omega-3. Bangda (Indian mackerel) is one of the cheapest and most nutritious fish available on the Indian coast. Aim for two to three servings of fish per week. Fish from rivers and coastal waters provide natural iodine; if you are from a landlocked region without regular fish consumption, ensuring excellent iodised salt usage becomes more important.
Pumpkin Seeds and Til (Sesame Seeds)
Pumpkin seeds (kaddu ke beej) are an exceptional source of zinc — 100 grams provides around 7.5 mg of zinc, which is nearly half the daily requirement. Zinc is needed alongside selenium for T4-to-T3 conversion and for the pituitary to accurately signal the thyroid (via TSH). Til (sesame seeds) similarly provide zinc, along with iron and calcium. Roast pumpkin seeds lightly and eat a small handful as a snack. Add til to your salads, use til laddus (without too much sugar), or add a spoon of tahini (sesame paste) to your diet. Both are far better than reaching for a zinc supplement in most cases.
Dals and Whole Grains for Selenium
While Brazil nuts are the headline selenium source, regular dal and whole grain consumption provides background selenium that matters over time. Masoor dal, moong dal, and urad dal all contain selenium, as do oats and whole wheat. For vegetarians and vegans who cannot rely on eggs or fish, consistent consumption of varied dals becomes the primary selenium source. The soil selenium content in India is variable and generally lower than in Brazil nut-growing regions of South America, so dal-based selenium is less concentrated — which is why two Brazil nuts remain the most reliable strategy for vegetarians.
Iodised Salt — Use It Consistently
This sounds mundane but iodine adequacy is fundamental to thyroid function and iodised salt is the most reliable, affordable iodine source in India. The key issues: many Indian households now use rock salt (sendha namak) or Himalayan pink salt for cooking, neither of which contains iodine. Many also use non-iodised salt for cooking and only have iodised salt "for the table." Cook with iodised salt — one teaspoon of iodised salt daily provides the full 150 mcg iodine requirement. Tata Salt, Aashirvaad iodised salt, and most branded salts in India are reliably iodised. Sending a clear message: rock salt and pink salt are fashionable but iodine-deficient — not ideal for thyroid patients.
Turmeric and Anti-inflammatory Foods
Many cases of hypothyroidism in India are autoimmune in origin (Hashimoto's thyroiditis), where the immune system attacks thyroid tissue. Reducing the immune inflammatory burden through diet is therefore genuinely relevant. Turmeric (haldi) contains curcumin, which has potent anti-inflammatory and potentially immune-modulating effects. Use haldi generously in dal, sabzi, and milk. Ginger, garlic, and onion also have anti-inflammatory properties. This is not a cure for autoimmune thyroiditis, but chronic inflammation reduction through daily food choices can slow autoimmune progression.
Foods to Avoid
Foods That Interfere with Thyroid Function
Taking Thyroxine Tablet with Chai (Milk and Calcium)
This is the most common and most clinically significant dietary thyroid mistake in India. Calcium — from milk, dahi, or any calcium-containing food — binds to levothyroxine in the gut and reduces its absorption by 25-40%. The standard instruction is to take your thyroxine tablet on an empty stomach, 30-60 minutes before eating or drinking anything. In practice, most Indian patients take the tablet and immediately drink their morning chai with milk. This chronic partial malabsorption is why many patients need higher doses than they should — their TSH appears uncontrolled not because the dose is wrong but because the absorption is being impaired daily. Take your tablet, wait 45 minutes, then have chai.
Soy Products in Excess
Soy — soy milk, tofu, soy-based protein powders, soy supplements — contains isoflavones that can interfere with thyroid peroxidase activity (the enzyme that produces thyroid hormone) and also reduce levothyroxine absorption when taken at the same time. This does not mean soy is completely forbidden. Normal amounts of soy eaten in food (like the tofu in your sabzi, or occasional soy milk in your chai) are unlikely to cause meaningful problems. The concern is with soy protein supplements, soy milk consumed in large quantities daily, or soy consumed close to the time of thyroid medication. Leave at least four hours between levothyroxine and any significant soy consumption.
Raw Cruciferous Vegetables in Very Large Amounts
I want to be very clear about the nuance here: cooked cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale do NOT significantly harm thyroid function in people with adequate iodine intake. The goitrogenic effect is real but dose-dependent and largely neutralised by cooking. The concern applies only to eating very large amounts of raw cruciferous vegetables — like drinking 400 ml of raw kale or cabbage juice daily, or eating huge raw salads of shredded cabbage every day. Normal Indian cooking of these vegetables (gobi sabzi, cabbage subzi, cooked in dal) carries essentially no goitrogenic risk. Do not let overzealous health advice deprive you of these nutritious vegetables.
Coffee Close to Thyroid Medication
Coffee — particularly espresso and strong filter coffee — reduces levothyroxine absorption when consumed simultaneously or within an hour of the tablet. The mechanism involves tannins and possibly the acidity of coffee affecting intestinal absorption. If you are someone who takes your thyroxine tablet and immediately drinks filter kaapi or strong coffee, your medication absorption is being compromised every single day. The simple fix: take your tablet, wait at least 45-60 minutes, then have your coffee. This alone can improve TSH control without any dose change.
Practical Tips for the Indian Kitchen
Practical Tips for Thyroid Patients in the Indian Kitchen
- The morning medication ritual: Place your thyroxine tablet right next to your phone charger or toothbrush — somewhere you go first thing. Take it with a full glass of plain water before leaving the bedroom. Set a 45-minute timer before you go to the kitchen for chai or breakfast. This one structural habit change will improve your medication absorption more than any dietary change.
- Two Brazil nuts every morning: Buy them online (they are available on Amazon, BigBasket, and most health food websites). Put two Brazil nuts next to your medication. Eat them after the 45-minute wait. This provides your selenium in the most bioavailable form with zero effort once the habit is set. Keep a small airtight jar in the kitchen.
- Switch cooking salt back to iodised: If your household has switched to rock salt or pink salt for "health" reasons, reconsider if you have hypothyroidism. Use a reputed brand of iodised salt for all cooking. Rock salt can be kept for religious/ritual use (upvaas cooking) but should not be your primary cooking salt.
- Add eggs back if you have removed them: The widespread Indian habit of avoiding egg yolks is not serving hypothyroid patients. Whole eggs provide iodine, selenium, and tyrosine — three nutrients your thyroid specifically needs. Two whole eggs a day is excellent. Cook them any way you prefer — scrambled with vegetables, boiled, or as an omelette with onion and green chilli.
- For vegetarians: the dal-nut combination: If you cannot eat eggs or fish, your thyroid nutrition requires deliberate effort. Ensure two Brazil nuts daily, varied dals at every meal, pumpkin seeds or til regularly, and consistent iodised salt usage. Consider getting serum selenium and zinc tested annually — vegetarians in India frequently show suboptimal levels of both.
- Do not over-restrict your vegetables: Many thyroid patients in India are afraid to eat cauliflower, cabbage, or broccoli because of goitrogen myths. Cook these vegetables normally and eat them — they are among the most nutritious vegetables available and the thyroid concern is vastly overstated for people with adequate iodine intake. Variety and nutrition matter more than goitrogen avoidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My TSH is normal but I still feel tired and cold. Can diet help?
A: Yes, and this situation is more common than doctors often acknowledge. TSH being in the "normal" reference range does not mean your thyroid function is optimal for you — some people feel best at a TSH of 1-2 while the lab reference range goes up to 4.5 or 5. Additionally, if your T4 is adequate but T4-to-T3 conversion is poor (low free T3), you may have classic hypothyroid symptoms with a normal TSH. Selenium and zinc deficiency are the most common dietary causes of poor T4-T3 conversion. Adding two Brazil nuts daily, ensuring adequate zinc through pumpkin seeds and varied dals, and having iron levels checked (iron deficiency also impairs thyroid conversion) are all worth doing. Discuss free T3 testing with your doctor.
Q: Should I take iodine supplements for my thyroid?
A: Generally, no — not without testing and medical guidance. Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production, but excess iodine is just as problematic as deficiency. In people with autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto's), high-dose iodine supplementation can trigger or worsen thyroid inflammation. If your iodine levels from iodised salt and regular diet are adequate (which they will be if you use iodised salt consistently and eat a varied diet), additional supplementation provides no benefit. If a blood test shows true iodine deficiency, supplementation under medical guidance makes sense. Do not self-prescribe kelp supplements or high-dose iodine — the risk of triggering Hashimoto's is real.
Q: I have been told to completely avoid cabbage and cauliflower. Is this correct?
A: This advice is almost certainly overly cautious for your situation. The goitrogenic effect of cooked cruciferous vegetables on thyroid function is extremely small in people with adequate iodine intake (which most Indians have through iodised salt). Multiple nutrition authorities including the American Thyroid Association have stated that cruciferous vegetables do not need to be avoided in hypothyroid patients who have adequate iodine. The advice to completely avoid cauliflower (gobi) — one of the most commonly eaten vegetables in Indian cooking — means missing out on vitamin C, fibre, folate, and cancer-protective glucosinolates. Cook these vegetables normally and eat them.
Q: Can hypothyroidism cause weight gain, and will the right diet help me lose the weight?
A: Yes, hypothyroidism slows metabolism and contributes to weight gain, but the amount is often less than patients expect — typically 2-5 kg from the hypothyroidism itself. When thyroid levels are optimised with medication, some of this reverses. However, many hypothyroid patients have gained significant weight over years not just from the thyroid condition but from the fatigue that reduced activity and increased comfort eating. Dietary changes and exercise will help with weight management, but they work best once your medication is appropriately dosed and your TSH is in a good range. Address the thyroid first, then focus on active weight management.
Q: I am vegetarian and worried about getting enough nutrients for thyroid health. What should I focus on?
A: A vegetarian thyroid diet requires deliberate planning around selenium and iodine primarily, and zinc and iron secondarily. The non-negotiables: two Brazil nuts daily (the most critical), consistent iodised salt in all cooking, daily dals varied across the week (masoor, moong, chana, rajma), regular use of pumpkin seeds and til for zinc, and leafy greens for iron and folate. Get a blood test for selenium, zinc, ferritin (iron stores), and Vitamin B12 once a year — vegetarians, especially those with hypothyroidism, frequently show deficiencies in these nutrients. B12 is particularly important and must be supplemented if blood levels are below 300 pg/mL, as it is found almost exclusively in animal foods.
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