Green Tea and Thyroid Medications

by Kitty

What are some of the things you look for if you are taking a thyroid medication and drink green tea?

Answer:

I am not a medical expert so I can't really advise, but from my limited knowledge, I understand that green tea contains caffeine, which may be a problem for people having hyperthyroidism.

In addition, your green tea may contain too much fluoride, posing a problem for people having hypothyroidism.

Green Tea and Hyperthyroidism

The reason why green tea may contain high level of fluoride could be due to

- the soil and water the tea is grown (as tea accummulate fluoride)

- additional processing involved in making the more processed green tea, such as decaffeinated or instant green tea

- the source of water used in making green tea

So the important thing is to avoid the more processed green tea, and if possible, drink green tea made from young tea buds. They are younger, contain less fluoride and more antioxidants (which reduces with leaf age) and theanine (which is soothing and decaffeinating).

I hope this helps. Please speak to your doctor for medical advice.

Julian