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Promotional Content • Saturday 28th March 2020


Keeping a healthy thyroid — the challenge for vegans


Situated at the base of the neck, the thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland that wraps around the front and sides of the windpipe. It plays a major role in growth, development and metabolism


Signs of thyroid problems Until something goes wrong, most people tend to take their thyroid for granted and are unlikely to have met the endocrinologists who diagnose and treat any hormone imbalances that can arise. It can be quite chal- lenging to diagnose thyroid prob- lems — not least because they can feel rather vague and unrelated. For example, an underactive


thyroid — described as hypothyroid — causes many different symptoms, such as: • Feeling below-par or fatigued • Having dry skin and nails that break more easily


• Feeling the cold more than others • Constipation • Memory problems or having trouble thinking clearly.


• Putting on weight Meanwhile, an overactive thyroid


— described as hyperthyroid — may manifest itself in the form of: • Heart flutter • Hand tremor


• Weight loss • Sleeplessness • Palpitations • Anxiety and emotional reactions • Reduced or absent periods in women Unsurprisingly then, GPs need to


have a high level of suspicion to carry out further investigations, as thyroid disorders can often look like those of another body system. Te most common cause of thyroid


disease in the UK is autoimmune thyroiditis (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves’ disease), which sees the immune system target the thyroid gland as a ‘foreign agent’. Having other family members with


thyroid problems should act as a red flag. However, this sometimes won’t be picked up until the condition is advanced, with the swollen neck (or goitre) that can occur in those with either an under- or overactive thyroid, and the swelling and protruding eye appearance that occurs in approxi- mately 20% of those with an overac- tive thyroid.


Iodine plays a crucial role in the development of the brain and nervous system of the developing foetus, particularly in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.


The role of iodine and advice for vegans While the rise in veganism over the past few years is generally promoted in terms of the potential health bene- fits, there’s little information about the potential risk of following a diet with little or no iodine. Why is this important?


Because


the thyroid cannot function properly without it. Iodine plays a crucial role in the development of the brain and nervous system of the developing foetus, particularly in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Tis presents a challenge to vegans,


as the richest sources of iodine are in dairy products (milk, cheese and yoghurt) and fish, including shellfish.


Most plant foods will contain low


levels of iodine, and even these will vary depending on the soil where the plants were grown. Milk substitute drinks like soya,


almond and coconut lack iodine, with the average iodine content of milk alternatives being just 1.7% of that in milk. Organic milk products also contain less iodine. Too much iodine can also be a


problem, as excessive iodine is toxic to the body and can trigger abnormal- ities of thyroid function. Dried seaweed should be frugally


consumed — a 7oz. serving can contain an incredible 4,500mcg of iodine. Te daily requirement is 150mcg, and 200mcg when pregnant,


so care should be taken when using iodine supplements. It’s easy to take our bodies for


granted and to remain largely unaware of the essential elements that we need to stay healthy, so the monitoring and maintenance of the iodine content for a healthy and hard- working thyroid is vital.


Former president of the British Tyroid Association, consultant endocrinologist Dr Mark Vanderpump is London-based but also offers e-consultation via T: 07565 978310 E: pa@markvanderpump.co.uk


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