This article lists the foods you might and cannot eat on a low-thyroid diet.

Among the considerations:

You’ll need to avoid these products prior to and during radioactive iodine treatment.

Before starting treatment, ask your healthcare provider if any of the medications or supplements you take contain iodine.

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Do not stop taking any chronic medications without first speaking with your healthcare provider.

This includes the recommended daily intake of salt (sodium).

Foods you might eat while on a low-iodine diet include:

Can I Have Prepared Foods?

If ordering take-out or eating in a restaurant, be sure to exercise some caution.

You may be able to request that your food is made without salt or with non-iodized salt.

Seek out specialty grocery stores and bakeries that sell items prepared with low iodine.

Making these yourself at home may be even safer.

Benefits of a Low-Iodine Diet

Iodine is the mineral your body uses to make importantthyroid hormones.

But today,iodine deficiencyis uncommon due to the widespread use of iodized salt in food preparation and production.

With that said, some of the principles of a low-iodine diet can be beneficial.

By cutting back on processed foods, you could significantly reduce your risk of these diseases.

Summary

Before beginning radioactive iodine treatment, you will need to follow a low-iodine diet.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.Low-iodine diet.

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American Thyroid Association.Low iodine diet.

Michigan Medicine.Low iodine diet guidelines.

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Office of Dietary Supplements.Iodine.

National Institutes of Health.Hypothyroidism.