The Long Awaited Non Cruciferous Vegetables List To Take Care of Your Thyroids

I’ve always been one of those proud green veggie freaks who used to think kale is the ultimate health food. I would even encourage everyone around me to have some green smoothies every morning. Well, that was until I knew that kale and broccoli worsen your underactive thyroid. 

PSo, did it mean I’d have to give up on my greens? Fortunately, no! There’s an extensive non cruciferous vegetable list that can save your thyroid and fulfil the want for greens at the same time. 

If you eat a whole bunch of cruciferous vegetables, there’s a high chance it will create complications for your thyroid as it prohibits iodine absorption. You might already  know that if dont then dont worry!We’ve got your back with a few replacement green veggies. Come on!

What Are Non Cruciferous Vegetables?

What to do when veggies you need for nutrition harm your thyroid function? Go for non-cruciferous or non-goitrogenic greens that not only offer you iodine, minerals, vitamins, and prebiotics but also excite your taste buds!

If you know your thyroid gland functions, you’d know how it assists in metabolism, energy production, mental wellness and so on. 

When you take cruciferous vegetables (You’ll know all about them shortly), iodine absorption is heightened. For a normally functioning thyroid gland, more hormones to compensate for the need isn’t a big deal. What if you already have thyroid dysfunction ? With more cruciferous vegetables, the gland fails to produce more hormone, and hence it is swollen.

That’s when the need for consuming non-cruciferous vegetables strikes! These vegetates offer protection from free radicals and provide enough electrolytes that control the fluid content in your body tissues.

So, it’s time you plan your hyperthyroidism diet. So do give it a concentrated read.

What Does Cruciferous Mean?

Cruciferous vegetables are indeed members of the brassica family. But where does the name come from? It originates from the Latin word ‘Cruciferae, which means ‘cross bearing’. These veggies are called such names as they contain four metals that look like a cross.

The cruciferous vegetables contain an enriched amount of vitamins, especially Vitamin D and K, and higher content of minerals like sodium, folate, etc. They even prevent cancer. Besides the several benefits of cruciferous vegetables, like offering an increased range of fibre and fewer calories, they come with the curse of triggering your thyroid. 

If you are an average eater of cruciferous veggies, they will shower you with only the benefits. However, with the regular addition of such veggies to your diet, they offer a terrible impact on your dysfunctional or underactive thyroid. 

You might love to take some green juice every morning, but if you see some enlarged thyroid action, you might want to drop it. It is even more harmful to eat these vegetables raw. 

Why so?

They contain goitrogenic compounds like glucosinolates, which hamper the absorption of iodine by the thyroid gland. It ultimately leads to interference in thyroid hormone production. As a result, with lower iodine, the thyroid hormone level falls, leading to goitre or thyroid dysfunction.

Before getting into the core there are a few foods you should  avoid and you need to have a clear conception about that.

List of Cruciferous Vegetables

Okay, so we need to refrain from overeating the cruciferous veggies. But what do the examples of cruciferous vegetables look like?

There’s a high chance that your favourite greens fall under this category. In most cases, we eat the leaves and flowers of the Cruciferae family. However, in a few instances, cruciferous roots and seeds offer excellent nutritional content as well. So let’s see.

• Kale
• Broccoli 
• Brussel sprouts
• Cauliflower 
• Cabbage 
• Collard greens
• Bok choy
• Arugula
• Watercress 
• Kohlrabi
• Daikon
• Radish
• Horseradish 
• Mustard
• Turnips
• Land cress
• Mizuna
• Rutabaga 
• Wasabi
• Chinese broccoli, Chinese cabbage, etc.

Yes, researches prove that they can potentially harm your thyroid health. For patients with hypothyroidism, there are high chances that the cruciferous photo chemicals will disrupt the synthesis of thyroid hormone. It will lead to a problematic iodine uptake.

Hence, if you already have an enlarged thyroid or thyroid dysfunction, you might want to stay on the safe side. Do you know you can prevent thyroid diseases with ease if you concentrate on your diet plan? Better digestion can heal many health issues, and luckily, the thyroid gland focuses highly on keeping your digestive organs intact.

If you have thyroid diseases, there’s a high chance your doctor will prescribe you some thyroid hormone replacement medicines. However, if you want to get rid of thyroid problems naturally, there’s no alternate to picking the proper nutrition. 

However, if you still think you’ll stick with your usual green juices.you should have a clear conception  about the following: 

• The cruciferous vegetables or brassica family contain glucosinolates that have a richness of sulfur.

• If you take the vegetables in raw, juiced, blended form, the glucosinolates slowly turn into goitrogens. 

• Goitrogens,compounds that mess with iodine uptake. With more intake of such compounds, the production of thyroid hormones like thyroxine minimizes.

• If you already have a disrupted thyroid or hypothyroidism, then you are likely about to get affected with lower thyroxine concentration. 

• The whole disorder can even give rise to thyroid cancer! 

It looks hella scary! Doesn’t it? So without wasting a single second, let’s move on to what you should take as a replacement for cruciferous vegetables.

List of Non-Cruciferous Vegetables

Sadly, most of your favourite greens fall under the cruciferous vegetable list. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t good greens that provide necessary nutrients and taste well too. But how do you find them out?

Well, that’s why you need us! We are here with an alternative list of non-cruciferous green vegetables for those who want to change their thyroid diet.here is the long-awaited list of non-cruciferous vegetables. 

• Spinach (My absolute favourite!)
• Parsley
• Beet greens
• Cilantro
• Lettuce
• Wheatgrass
• Moringa
• Dandelion 
• Chicory 

Here are a few more that you can definitely  try:

• Endive
• Dandelion
• Purslan
• Sunflower sprouts
• Gongura
• Lovage
• Lambsquarters 

With our dependency on cruciferous greens, there’s a high chance you don’t eat these vegetables at all. For some veggies, you might have not even heard about them!You might be thinking 

How do you eat them?

Do you need to process them? Juice them? Cook them? Or can you eat them all raw? Wait up; I’ll tell you.

• Vegetables like beet greens and lettuce can be eaten raw or juiced as you prefer.

• Juicing these non-cruciferous vegetables along with cucumber and celery can meet your needs for refreshing green smoothies.

• Items like parsley and cilantro can be used as spices to add flavour to any curry you like.

• You can even cook these vegetables into tasty treats or add them to daily meals.

• Moringa, endive and gongura are the rare ones here.if you get them you better add it to your green juices 

If you’ve not eaten the non-cruciferous vegetables at all, here are a few things you need to be cautious of. Before you switch your cruciferous diet to the non-cruciferous one, make sure you consult with your physician. Also, ask him about the quantities you should take of these vegetables daily. 

Can I Eat Cruciferous Vegetables Raw?

A lot of people love having some raw kale for the sake of their physical wellness.Well that’s a misconception  come out of it.

• When you take cruciferous vegetables like sprouts, kale, broccoli, cabbage, etc., raw, they bring along the glucosinolates in them. It eventually turns to goitrin like harmful chemicals and disrupts iodine absorption.

• They have sugar contents that you cannot digest easily.

Besides, eating such vegetables raw in significant amounts or regularly can increase gastric juices’ secretion and, hence, turn into gastronomical issues.

So, please refrain from eating crucifers raw. If you have to eat them, cook them well before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

01. Which food is not an example of a cruciferous vegetable?

While the most known leafy greens like cabbage, collard greens, and kale belong to the exact cruciferous origin, several alternates don’t. For instance, spinach and lettuce are two popular greens but not cruciferous.

02. Are carrots cruciferous vegetables?

Cruciferous vegetables are the most chlorophyll-rich greens. However, there are other crucifers like sweet potatoes and carrots that are not green.

03. Is lettuce a cruciferous vegetable?

Good news for thyroid patients, you can eat all the lettuce you want. They are non-cruciferous leafy greens.

04. Is swiss chard a cruciferous vegetable?

Unfortunately, yes but don’t worry that much about eating them up once you cook them well.

05. Who should avoid cruciferous vegetables?

If you have thyroid dysfunction or an enlarged thyroid gland, then it’s best for you to put a stop to regular intake of cruciferous vegetables.

06. Are cruciferous vegetables bad for the thyroid?

Cruciferous vegetables disrupt the normal absorption of iodine by reducing the production of thyroxine like hormones. Hence, if you have thyroid and want to avoid worsening it, cruciferous vegetables are not ideal for you.

07. Are cruciferous vegetables bad for you?

These vegetables offer multiple health advantages, from providing high Vitamin content to preventing cancer. But, if you are already suffering from hypothyroidism, cruciferous vegetables are a big no-no.

Final Say

We all love some soothing green juice right after we wake up, especially the health freaks. But before it turns into your daily routine, you might as well want to check your thyroid condition beforehand. 

 it is pretty common to get thyroid disorders if you are above40.. So, consciousness and replacement of the diet with non-cruciferous greens is the only natural solution. Even as a thyroid patient, you can eat all you want from the non cruciferous vegetable list without any hesitance. 

don’t forget to buy some spinach instead of kale the next time you have to go grocery shopping. Now you have got to know everything about non cruciferous vegetables and can control  thyroid as well.