SEAFOOD AND THYROID HEALTH
On the Perfect 10 Diet, seafood is an excellent protein choice that you can
benefit from daily. Seafood is great for thyroid health. However, if you have an
underactive thyroid, eat seafood no more than 3 times a week. Eating too much
seafood can adversely affect thyroid function, as shown in a Japanese study. In
the study, 50 percent of patients with an underactive thyroid who stopped eating
seafood had an increase in thyroid hormone levels in a matter of a few weeks.
This is related to the dangers of having too much iodine in your food. It’s true—
too much of a good thing can be bad, but finding the right balance optimizes
your thyroid hormone production.
YOU RECOMMEND SEAFOOD AS A FAVORITE PROTEIN, BUT
WHAT ABOUT MERCURY?
Mercury is very harmful to the developing brains of unborn babies and young
children. That’s why young children and women who are pregnant, who are
planning to become pregnant, or who are nursing are advised to be cautious
when eating fish. For those people, the United States government recommends
no more than 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood to limit their risk. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests more stringent guidelines,
limiting fish to 1 serving per week (6 ounces of cooked fish for women and 2
ounces for young children).
For the rest of us, the benefits of eating fish regularly outweigh any risks. You
can reduce your exposure to mercury by eating fish known to have low mercury
levels. Just stick to eating small fish and avoid large ones, such as swordfish,
shark, and king mackerel.
Fish is a very healthy addition to your diet. Fish will provide you with the
essential fatty acids (omega-3) that help prevent heart disease, cancer, and
Alzheimer’s disease.
DOES CANNED TUNA CONTAIN A LOT OF MERCURY?
That depends on what kind of canned tuna you buy. The species used in canned
tuna tend to be smaller than the longlived, larger species sold at the fish counter.
Choose chunk light, as it tends to contain less mercury than solid white or chunk
white. Albacore “white” tuna has more mercury; Figure 4.8: Seafood: What to Enjoy and
What to Avoid to Limit Mercury Exposure