Broccoli - How Much is Too Much?

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Broccoli - How Much is Too Much?

Postby DenverGuy » Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:31 am

We use a lot of broccoli, and I have read that there are studies that too much can lead to hypothyroidism? Is this something else to worry about?
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Re: Broccoli - How Much is Too Much?

Postby JCTB » Fri Feb 11, 2022 3:24 pm

I have had low thyroid function for 30 years so I try to read about food and thyroid function every so often. Just this morning I read these two posts on the subject that don't exactly answer your question but provide some useful background information.

https://www.thethyroiddietician.com/is- ... r-thyroid/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-con ... q-20058554

A dietitian I consult with occasionally assured me a year ago that I would have to eat big heaps of cruciferous vegetables every day in order for a detrimental effect to become measurable. I assured her that I could easily fall into a routine of eating big heaps of them every day, so should I try not to? She told me to eat what I want and let her know if I notice abnormal hair loss, unusually dry skin, onset of depression or lethargy...or if my thyroid blood tests take a marked turn for the worse.

So far, so good, but clearly it's a sensible question to ask. Maybe someone here has actual experience with broccoli and other cruciferous interference with their thyroid and will share some details.
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Re: Broccoli - How Much is Too Much?

Postby DenverGuy » Fri Feb 11, 2022 4:42 pm

Thanks! I buy those 3.5 Lb. bags of broccoli crowns at Costco and go through 'em fast. I never thought I had to worry about broccoli. Thanks for the URLs. I saw this:
"This means that you would need to eat 2 or more kilos of broccoli per day every day to inhibit the thyroid. (1)"
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Re: Broccoli - How Much is Too Much?

Postby JCTB » Sat Feb 12, 2022 12:34 am

You're welcome!
My big takeaways from the two articles were to have almonds with my breakfast and save the walnuts for later, more hours after I take my thyroid supplement in the morning (from the Mayo Clinic article) and to eat my cruciferous veggies cooked or at least blanched/heated (from TheThyroidDietitian article: "4. Goitrogens are destroyed by heat. Not sure if you have deficiencies? You can still enjoy many vegetables like kale or spinach simply by steaming or cooking them. Heat destroys goitrogens. If you want to include kale in your smoothie, quickly blanching it before you use it in your smoothie does the trick.")

Good luck with all of this!
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Re: Broccoli - How Much is Too Much?

Postby DenverGuy » Sat Feb 12, 2022 10:21 am

Thanks. I don't do smoothies ("don't drink your calories"), but that makes sense.
Steaming is the way to go.
Good luck to you, too.
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