7 Bad Habits That Can Affect Your Thyroid Health

Thyroid dysfunction can stem from poor stress management and even from eating foods such as soy or gluten, well that we do not suffer from intolerance.

The thyroid is a small, butterfly-shaped gland located on the front of the neck, just above the collarbone.

The thyroid is an endocrine organ whose main function is to secrete hormones to regulate many vital activities in the body.

Among these, it should be mentioned that it is decisive for metabolic functions, in addition to being related to mood, heart rate and body temperature.

For this reason, its dysfunction leads to a series of health consequences and, if left unchecked, will significantly influence our quality of life.

That is why, it is important to know what are the habits that can affect it and, of course, to take preventative measures before a serious problem occurs.

In this article we want to share with you the 7 most common bad habits so that you can try to avoid them as much as possible.

Discover them all!

1. Tobacco addiction can affect your thyroid

Excessive smoking increases the likelihood of thyroid disease, since toxins affect the health of the gland.

Although its main consequences are felt in the respiratory system, it is not surprising that smokers represent a large proportion of patients with thyroid conditions.

This is because tobacco decreases the levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which is involved in metabolism, eye health and cardiovascular health.

2. Sedentarism

Although the sedentary lifestyle influences the development of a wide variety of disorders that affect physical and emotional health, its effects are usually due to the dysfunction it produces in the thyroid.

Inactivity increases the tendency to accumulate fat and hence it is a factor that influences overweight, obesity and other metabolic issues.

On the other hand, since the secretion of thyroid hormones decreases, it  can also lead to suffer from hypothyroidism.

This disorder not only affects the ability to burn calories and fat, but can also increase the risk of heart disease, alopecia, and fatigue.

3. Poor stress management

Not knowing how to control the stress that arises in everyday life can be a factor that triggers thyroid dysfunction.

The endocrine system is sensitive to our emotional state and  influences thyroid hormone levels.

As a result, hormonal imbalances occur which, in turn, affect the health of other systems in the body.

4. A low iodine diet

Low iodine levels in the diet are a major cause of thyroid problems such as hypothyroidism.

The body needs this substance for optimal production of thyroid hormones. For this reason, it is necessary to ingest the appropriate amounts of iodine.

Fortunately, it can be found naturally in foods such as:

• Sea salt
• Sea vegetables
• Blueberries
• Natural yoghurt
• Beans
• Potatoes
• Peas
• Pineapple
• Chocolate

5. Alcoholic drinks

The harmful effects of excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages is nothing new and, among these, it should be mentioned that  the thyroid is one of the most affected organs.

Although the liver is responsible for filtering and metabolizing these drinks, their toxins, which circulate in the blood stream, impair hormone production.

For this reason, their consumption can influence difficulties in losing weight. In addition, in the short term, it can cause metabolic problems.

6. Gluten consumption

People with celiac disease or gluten intolerance can experience consequences on their thyroid health due to the effects of this protein in the body.

The immune system attacks healthy tissue by detecting this substance in the body. Therefore, inflammatory and metabolic reactions can occur and affect the quality of life.

For this reason, a gluten-free diet, even in people who are not gluten intolerant, can improve thyroid function and thus promote weight loss.

7. Excess consumption of soy

We cannot deny that soy is a food with multiple nutritional properties which, in large part, can provide health benefits.

However, soy consumption should not be excessive. This is because soy  can inhibit the absorption of thyroid hormone, especially in patients at risk.

So, people already diagnosed with thyroid disease should limit or completely eliminate this food and all its derivatives.

Do you identify these bad habits? If so, try to avoid them as a preventative measure to protect your thyroid.

It doesn’t matter if you are a person at risk for thyroid disease or not. Regularly practicing these habits can be a potential trigger.