Reply #27: There are substances called goitrogens in foods. [View All]

Goitrogens you can probably guess cause goiters; basically they inhibit the body's ability to use iodine. All the cruciferous (green leafy) vegetables have them, including broccoli, kale, cabbage (the main ones I was eating), spinach, mustard, collards, etc. Other goitrogenic foods include millet, soy, turnips, peaches, peanuts and strawberries. Possible goitrogenic foods include almonds and most other nuts.

I stress that almost everybody agrees that the goitrogenic properties are killed by cooking, and that if you steam your vegetables, the goitrogens are likely to leach out into the water. My problem was (that I'm an idiot, and) I decided that I didn't want to lose those valuable nutrients to the steaming water, so I started putting my broccoli, cabbage, kale and turnips straight into my stew so I'd get every frickin' molecule. Ummmm... don't do this. Not a good idea. Steam the vegetables, and if you want more of their vitamins and minerals, just make more. Belieeeeeeeve me!

Oh, the exception is that some people say that millet's goitrogens are actually concentrated by cooking. I have no idea whether this is true; take it with a grain of iodized salt. The Merckians indicate that it can also lead to pellagra, so my own love affair with millet is at least temporarily over: http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec01/ch004/ch004d.html#sec01-ch004-ch004d-267 (Millet never calls or writes anyway.)

Some links:
What, me worry? Eat 'em: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=250
They'll kill ya! They'll kill your parakeets! They'll give you anemia! Stay away!: http://www.ithyroid.com/goitrogens.htm

And lastly, thanks for the vibes!