Proper selection or avoidance of certain foods can help a thyroid gland which is treated with radioactive iodine.
The purpose of the iodine diet is to reduce the reserves of iodine in the body, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of radioactive iodine. This diet usually lasts for two weeks and begins two weeks before and two days after the application of radioactive iodine.
Foods that should be avoided:
- Iodized salt – food or food supplements that contain a lot of salt (eg. seasoning);
- Dried and salted meat (bacon, ham, pork scratchings, sausages, meat prepared for grilling or frying);
- Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, margarine, sour and sweet cream, sour cream for cooking, ice cream);
- Eggs (yolk);
- Bakery products (breads, cakes, pastries);
- Sea food (fish, shellfish, crabs, squid, cuttlefish, octopus, seaweed, tablets containing seaweed and grass);
- Dried fruit, candied fruit and canned vegetables;
- Chocolate, sweets, liqueurs, cocktails;
- Multivitamin and multimineral products – those which contain iodine.
Foods that can be consumed :
- Fresh fruits and vegetables – well washed, except for large amounts of spinach and broccoli (vegetables can be prepared with vegetable oil and salt without iodine);
- Fresh meat;
- Homemade bread and cakes (without iodized salt, milk, butter, margarine, egg yolks);
- Pasta (without eggs);
- Vegetable oil;
- Sugar, honey, clear fruit juices;
- Canned fruit (peaches, pears and pineapples);
- Coffee and tea (without milk or cream);
- Eggs (egg whites).
