I’m certainly not a doctor, but here’s my layperson’s understanding of some of the diagnostic issues. Before the use of blood tests, it was common to diagnose hypothyroidism on the basis of basal body temperature, which is the body’s resting temperature, and also the Achilles reflex, which is slow in hypothyroid patients. These tests aren’t used as much anymore, yet today’s blood tests are not sensitive enough to diagnose mild hypothyroidism–which can still cause symptoms. If you are interested in pursuing this question, I would contact the Barnes Foundation. Pat Puglio is the director and she possesses a wealth of knowledge on this topic. She can also tell you about a urine test done in Belgium that is both sensitive and thorough and is available to people in this country through the Barnes Foundation. I hope this helps.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful and informative comment; the article you mentioned is one I read while I was researching this post. If you take a look at the paragraph that follows the one you quoted, you will see the author states that, because we don’t have a lot of carefully controlled research to rely on, health care practitioners differ on their recommendations. The author suggests that “the goal is not to eliminate goitrogenic foods from the meal plan, but to limit intake so that it falls within a limited range.” I think my post reflects this view.

In the realm of cancer, I have information from the Broda Barnes Foundation, also a not-for-profit, that every cancer patient they have worked with has been both thyroid and adrenal deficient–often without knowing it–and their cancer patients are often helped tremendously by balancing the endocrine system. Since immune strength is so dependent upon thyroid hormone and cortisol, it is easy to see why cancer patients may suffer from thyroid and adrenal insufficiency. The Barnes Foundation offers a large amount of literature on topics like these, all available through their website: http://www.brodabarnes.org

One phrase that I think is key from the paragraph you quoted is this: “In the absence of thyroid problems…” In her book, The Thyroid Diet, Mary Shomon says that at least 20 million of us have thyroid conditions and most (13 million) go undiagnosed. Broda Barnes, who spent 45 years studying the endocrine system, said in 1976 that 40% of Americans were hypothryoid and many were undiagnosed because of unreliable lab tests. Today, I have heard from my own doctor that the number is closer to 50%, and lab tests are still unreliable. This would suggest that there are many of us who are thyroid deficient and don’t know it.

It’s so helpful to have this sort of dialogue and, of course, in the absence of sure data, we all have to fumble somewhat to find the approach that feels right to us. Thank you again for offering up your own experience with this topic. I really appreciate it.

Goitrogens and health

In the absence of thyroid problems, there is no research evidence to suggest that goitrogenic foods will negatively impact your health. In fact, the opposite is true: soy foods and cruciferous vegetables have unique nutritional value, and intake of these foods has been associated with decreased risk of disease in many research studies. That’s one of the reasons we’ve included both types of food among the World’s Healthiest Foods!
There’s lots more to this article:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=47

The site is The George Mateljan Foundation for The World’s Healthiest Foods. It
is not-for-profit so they can offer an independent perspective that is not influenced by commercial interests.
I think reading this site will be of great interest to all.
Thanks again for a very interesting blog.

Lynn

Thank you so much for this information. I always have cut up raw veggies in the fridge for the kids to snack on. I am now eliminating the raw Broccoli and cauliflower. I had assumed these were good choices because of their cancer fighting properties. In our household Arugula, Broccoli and cauliflower will now be cooked.
Thanks,
Kathy

http://www.westonaprice.org/Bearers-of-the-Cross-Crucifers-in-the-Context-of-Traditional-Diets-and-Modern-Science.html