Is Green Tea is harmful for HypoThyriods

[KrishVish]

Hi

My TSH and FT4 are normal with 62.5 mg

I heard drinking Green Tea will reduce the function of Thyriod and hence it is not advisable for HyopThyriods. Is it true

I have been drinking Green tea for couple of years. One to two cups a year. My Thyriod function actually improved on the contrary. So if i did not have Green Tea could that have been more better??

Thanks and Best Regards

-Satish

[KrishVish]

Thank you for your reply!

So i me being a HypoThyriod will drink 1 cup per day as per your advice - as green tea provides other benifits

Thanks and Best Regards

-Satish

[Red_Star]

Excerpt from Natural Endocrine Solutions - Green Tea and Thyroid Health

"Can Green Tea Inhibit Thyroid Gland Activity?

There is some evidence which shows that the catechins present in green tea might have antithyroid activity when consumed in high doses (23) (24). However, these studies were performed on rats, and as I just mentioned, involved high doses. I don’t see a problem with most people with hypothyroid conditions drinking one or two cups of green tea per day. On the other hand, people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis might want to be cautious about drinking larger amounts of green tea on a regular basis.

With the possibility of high doses of green tea inhibiting thyroid activity, some people with hyperthyroid conditions might wonder whether drinking a lot of green tea can help with their condition. I personally haven’t tested this out on my patients, but it would be interesting to find out if drinking a lot of green tea on a daily basis (i.e. five or more cups) would inhibit thyroid activity.

Another potential concern of green tea consumption is that there is fluoride present in green tea. Although the studies I listed attributed the antithyroid activity to the catechins in the green tea, it is also possible that the fluoride was responsible for inhibiting thyroid function. I’m not sure if there is enough fluoride in one or two cups of green tea to have a negative impact on one’s thyroid health, but if you want to play it safe you can purchase green tea that is fluoride-free.

In summary, there are many different health benefits of drinking green tea. As a result, most people can benefit from drinking at least one or two cups per day, and drinking more than this can offer further benefits in preventing the development of certain chronic health conditions. By modulating the immune system, regular green tea consumption can also benefit people with Graves’ Disease and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.

However, while drinking large amounts of green per day might offer certain benefits (i.e. provide protection against cardiovascular disease), drinking a lot of green tea might have a goitrogenic effect. Although this might be beneficial for those people with hyperthyroidism and Graves’ Disease, those people with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis might want to limit their consumption of green tea to one or two cups per day."

[Barb135]

I don't know where you got your information, but green tea is very good for you and in all the reading I've done on thyroid function, I've never heard of green tea adversely affecting anyone with hypothyroidism.  I drink it regularly and it's never affected my thyroid levels one way or the other.

[KrishVish]

Correction : One to two cups a DAY :)