August 19, 2021
2 min read
August 19, 2021
2 min read
Disclosures:
The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Eating more foods that are high in protein and saturated fatty acids is associated with better thyroid function, according to findings from a cross-sectional study published in Nutrition.
“This is the first study to analyze the influence of a comprehensive set of dietary factors on plasma free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels,” Dubravka Brdar, MD, a specialist in the department of nuclear medicine at University Hospital Split in Croatia, and colleagues wrote. “The study showed a negative effect of frequent consumption of foods with a high glycemic index on thyroid function. At the same time, ‘healthy foods’ with high protein concentration and foods rich in saturated fatty acids that are not limited in consumption nowadays showed positive effects on thyroid function.”
Researchers recruited 4,585 adults from three regions of Croatia to participate in the study (60.1% women; mean age, 53.5 years). All participants had blood samples taken to measure plasma free T3, free T4 and TSH levels. A food frequency questionnaire was administered at recruitment to