Goitrogenic foods and Thyroid gland

Abstract

Maintenance of physiology of human body is brought about by various organs, thyroid being one of them. Among the daily food that we consume in general, there are various compounds which disrupt thyroid physiology as well as alter the functional status of other organ system through their effects on thyroid gland. These compounds, known as Goitrogens, modulate thyroid functional status by interfering with the iodine uptake process by the thyroid follicular cells, leading to the enlargement of thyroid formation and formation of goitre. The goitrogens are broadly classified into two types, one is goitrogenic drugs, and the other is goitrogenic foods. The food substances that contain goitrogens are mainly the vegetables in the family Brassicaceae, commonly known as cruciferous plants, like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, mustard, radish, turnip, etc. The main constituents of these foods that affect the thyroid function are thiocyanates, isothiocyanates, cyanogenic glucosides, flavonoids, etc. The various drugs that cause goitre formation include environmental pollutants like potassium perchlorate, thiocyanate, etc. and others that are often used for the treatment of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmia, microbial infections, etc. include amiodarone, sulfadimethoxine, propylthiouracil, etc. The goitrogens alter thyroid gland physiology and disrupts the various organ systems that are regulated by the thyroid gland, including metabolism, growth, development and reproductive functions. This further causes the development of various health issues which need to be considered given the present scenario of goitre in present perspective of developing societies in India. These drugs and food which are a part of our day-to-day life, may actually be harmful when consumed irrationally and hence need to be dealt with carefully.