Should women with a slow thyroid have dairy?

This is a question I get asked a lot, especially because I personally do not eat or drink any dairy products.

If you’re dreading that I’m about to tell you you have to cut out all cheese, you’re in luck.

Well, maybe.

Here's the lowdown: dairy products contain a lot of macro and micronutrients that are good for the thyroid. Milk has iodine, magnesium and potassium. Yogurt is great for the gut, which also helps the thyroid. Organic dairy products can add some good protein into your diet, too.

But up to 30 million Americans are lactose intolerant (including me!).

If you’re intolerant and you still consume dairy, this can be a huge cause of inflammation in the gut. Constant inflammation in the gut can cause your stress response to turn on, which ultimately throws your thyroid hormones off balance.

There is a direct connection between the health and happiness of the gut and the function of your thyroid and thyroid hormones. So, if you’re eating something that you are intolerant to, this isn’t good for the thyroid, either.

I don’t eat dairy because I know that I am lactose intolerant. But many women I work with tolerate it just fine, so I don’t recommend that they cut it out. 

So, coming back to the question of whether dairy is good for your thyroid, the answer is: it depends.

If you can tolerate dairy with little to no gut inflammation, then having small amounts of organic dairy products is just fine (but making sure they’re organic is really important!).

If you can't handle dairy (like me!) then look for other nutrient sources:

* Iodine: seaweed, cod, shrimp, tuna, eggs, and table salt (not himalayan or sea salt!)

* Magnesium: spinach, pumpkin seeds, cashews, dark chocolate, white potatoes

* Potassium: bananas, sweet potatoes, oranges, cooked broccoli

* Protein: Organic eggs, organic ground turkey, organic chicken breast.

I dive deeper into some other foods you may need to avoid on your journey to thyroid health in this YouTube video.

Do you have questions about other foods & food groups for thyroid health? Leave me a comment below!