Eating habits that harm the thyroid gland

According to Dr. Oksana Mikhaleva, endocrinologist and Russian nutrition expert, excessive consumption of soybeans by vegetarians poses a danger to the thyroid gland.

In an interview with Gazeta.Ru, the doctor indicated that the habits that harm the thyroid gland are:

1 - Smoking. There is a known relationship between smoking and thyroid diseases such as endemic goiter, diffuse toxic goiter (Graves’ disease) and endocrine ophthalmopathy (which is a complication of Graves’ disease). A smoker who suffers from iodine deficiency doubles his risk of developing these diseases.

2- Take nutritional supplements containing iodine without discipline.

According to her, the required physiological dose of iodine is 150 mg per day, although a dose not exceeding 500 mg per day is also considered safe. Eating more than that causes autoimmune thyroiditis, Graves' disease, and inflammation of the thyroid gland that destroys its cells, leading to its failure.

3- Excessive consumption of soy products

The doctor refers to soy products as soy milk, sauce, tofu, soup, and spices. This especially includes vegetarians who are trying to obtain the necessary amount of protein.

She explains: “Soybeans contain isoflavonoids, which inhibit the activity of the peroxidase enzyme necessary for the production of hormones in thyroid cells. The greatest danger in this case is in people who suffer from iodine deficiency, which leads to thyroid enlargement and nodules may form in it.”

Hidden belly fat could reveal risk of Alzheimer's disease 15 years before symptoms appear

Visceral fat is located in the abdominal cavity near internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines, making it a risk factor for more serious health conditions.

According to research published in the journal Aging and Disease, citing the non-profit Radiological Society of North America, which will present detailed findings at its annual meeting next week, even if you can't see it, fat buried deep inside the abdomen could increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. .

Visceral fat, which surrounds internal organs in the abdomen, has been linked to brain changes that could indicate future dementia in those under 50, up to 15 years before symptoms appear.

The researchers analyzed brain MRI and positron emission tomography images of 54 “cognitively normal” participants between the ages of 40 and 60, focusing on any inflammation and “plaques and tangles” commonly seen in Alzheimer’s patients.

They also assessed the middle-aged adults' body mass index, obesity levels, blood sugar level, and abdominal adipose tissue.

“Although there have been other studies linking BMI to brain atrophy or even a higher risk of dementia, none have linked BMI to brain atrophy or even a higher risk of dementia,” said study author Dr. Masa Dolachahhi, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "Any previous study of a specific type of fat has been linked to the actual Alzheimer's disease protein in cognitively normal people."

“Similar studies have not looked at the differential role of visceral fat and subcutaneous fat, especially in relation to Alzheimer's disease amyloid, in early midlife,” she added.

The researchers found that those with more visceral fat also had higher levels of amyloid in the precuneus, the area of ​​the brain that typically shows the first signs of Alzheimer's disease. They also had greater inflammation in the brain, which is one of the main mechanisms contributing to Alzheimer's disease.

Men were more likely to show this association than women.

“We found the subtle relationship between fat and Alzheimer's disease in middle-aged people, in their 40s and 50s, on average 15 years before the first symptoms of Alzheimer's appear,” said Dr. Cyrus Raji, a study co-author from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

These findings could be a starting point for new targeted treatments for the disease.

"By going beyond BMI to better characterize the anatomical distribution of body fat on MRI, we now have a uniquely better understanding of why this factor increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease," Raji continued.

Raji revealed that the main limitation of the research is the small sample size and the fact that it is a cross-sectional study. Therefore, researchers hope to conduct larger future studies.

Raji says the results of the new research could help raise awareness that body and brain health are linked.