Foods to avoid with Graves' Disease

With Graves' disease the thyroid is already overactive, so iodine-dense foods and stimulants draw the most caution. Caffeine in black tea and coffee can worsen palpitations and anxiety, while iodized salt, seaweed and iodine supplements can feed excess hormone production.

Commonly asked about

All Graves' ingredients (22)

Avoid during a flare (2)

How diet fits with Graves' disease

Iodine and kelp

In Graves' disease the thyroid is overactive, so iodine-rich foods and supplements draw the most caution. The American Thyroid Association advises against iodine and kelp supplements that supply more than 500 micrograms of iodine a day and says there is no known thyroid benefit from routine iodine doses above the recommended intake, and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases lists eating large amounts of iodine-rich food such as kelp as a risk factor for hyperthyroidism.

What the evidence leaves open

People with Graves' disease are often asked to limit dietary iodine, but that is clinical practice and not a formal rule, and one review notes that the interference of dietary iodine with antithyroid drugs may be overestimated. The ATA's low-iodine diet handout is written for radioactive iodine treatment, and it lists kelp, seaweed and iodized salt among the foods to avoid. Your endocrinologist can tell you what applies to your treatment.

Caffeine and other stimulants

An overactive thyroid can cause palpitations, anxiety and a fast heart rate, and caffeine can add to them. The FDA has said that 400 milligrams of caffeine a day is not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults, but also that how much is too much varies with medical conditions and individual sensitivity, so the right limit is a question for your care team.

How to use this guide

Each entry gives a rating for when symptoms are active and for when they are controlled, with the reason and the label names to look for. These ratings are general information and do not replace medical advice.

Questions to ask your care team

Useful questions include how much iodine your treatment plan allows, whether to avoid kelp and seaweed products entirely, how much caffeine is reasonable while your thyroid is overactive, and whether any supplement you take contains iodine. Bring the labels of any supplement or multivitamin, since iodine amounts vary widely between products and the label figure is what your clinician needs.

General guidance, not medical advice. Individual tolerance varies — talk to your clinician before changing your diet.

Check whole products for Graves'

Scan a barcode with FoodSage and every ingredient on the label is checked against Graves' Disease — flare or remission. Learn about FoodSage.

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