Goitrogen Explained

Goitrogens are substances that disrupt the production of thyroid hormones. This triggers the pituitary to release thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which then promotes the growth of thyroid tissue, eventually leading to goiter.^[1]

Goitrogenic drugs and chemicals

Chemicals that have been shown to have goitrogenic effects include:

• Sulfadimethoxine (Albon),^[2] propylthiouracil,^[3] potassium perchlorate,^[4] and iopanoic acid.^[5]
• Some oxazolidines such as goitrin.^[6]
• Ions such as thiocyanate (from cigarette smoking for example^[7]) and perchlorate decrease iodide uptake by competitive inhibition and, as a consequence of reduced thyroxine and triiodothyronine secretion by the gland, cause, at low doses, an increased release of thyrotropin (by reduced negative feedback), which then stimulates the gland.
• Amiodarone inhibits peripheral conversion of thyroxine to triiodothyronine; also interferes with thyroid hormone action.
• Lithium inhibits thyroid hormone release.
• Phenobarbitone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin induce metabolic degradation of triiodothyronine (T₃) and thyroxine (T₄).

Goitrogenic foods

Foods which have been demonstrated to have goitrogenic effects include soy, cassava (when crushed and not detoxified by soaking,^[8]) vegetables in the genus Brassica (such as broccoli and cabbage),^[9] and other cruciferous vegetables.^[10] In places where iodine deficiency exists in tandem with millet being a major component of the diet, millet consumption can contribute to thyroid enlargement which is the start of endemic goiter.^[11]

See also

• Hypothyroidism
• Hyperthyroidism
• Thyroid

External links

• Goitrogenic Substances in Food

Notes and References

1. Book: Bender. David A.. A dictionary of food and nutrition. 2009. Oxford University Press. Oxford. 9780199234875. 3rd. http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199234875.001.0001/acref-9780199234875-e-2463. Goitrogens. registration.
2. Goitrogenic effects in offspring of swine fed sulfadimethoxine and ormetoprim in late gestation. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Blackwell T, Werdin R, Eisenmenger M, FitzSimmons M. 194 . 4. 519–523 . March 1989.
3. Pregnancy outcome, thyroid dysfunction and fetal goitre after in utero exposure to propylthiouracil: a controlled cohort study. 2780286 . 19843064 . 10.1111/j.1365-2125.2009.03495.x. 68. 4 . 2009. Rosenfeld H, Ornoy A, Shechtman S, Diav-Citrin O. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 609–17.
4. Perchlorate Clinical Pharmacology and Human Health: A Review . 3640367 . 11477312 . 23 . 4 . 2001 . Soldin OP, Braverman LE, Lamm SH. Ther Drug Monit . 316–31 . 10.1097/00007691-200108000-00002.
5. Side Effects of Radiographic Contrast Media: Pathogenesis, Risk Factors, and Prevention. 4034507 . 24895606 . 10.1155/2014/741018. 2014. 2014. Andreucci M, Solomon R, Tasanarong A. Biomed Res Int. 741018. free .
6. Verhoeven DT, Verhagen H, Goldbohm RA, van den Brandt PA, van Poppel G . A review of mechanisms underlying anticarcinogenicity by brassica vegetables . . 103 . 2 . 79–129 . February 1997 . 9055870 . 10.1016/S0009-2797(96)03745-3.
7. Erdogan MF . Thiocyanate overload and thyroid disease . BioFactors . 19 . 3–4 . 107–11 . 2003 . 14757960 . 10.1002/biof.5520190302. Review.
8. Vanderpas J . Nutritional epidemiology and thyroid hormone metabolism . . 26 . 293–322 . 2006 . 16704348 . 10.1146/annurev.nutr.26.010506.103810.
9. Book: Mitchell, Richard Sheppard . Kumar, Vinay . Abbas, Abul K. . Fausto, Nelson . Robbins Basic Pathology. Saunders . Philadelphia . 2007. 978-1-4160-2973-1 . 8th.
10. Gaitan. Eduardo. Goitrogens in Food and Water. Annual Review of Nutrition. July 1990. 10. 1. 21–37. 10.1146/annurev.nu.10.070190.000321. 1696490.
11. Eduardo Gaitan . Raymond, H. Lindsay . Robert D. Reichert . Sidney H. Ingbar . Robert C. Cooksey . Jim Legan . Edward F. Meydrech . John Hill . Ken Kubota . Antithyroid and Goitrogenic Effects of Millet: Role of C-Glycosylflavones . The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism . 68 . 4 . 707–714 . 1989 . 10.1210/jcem-68-4-707. 2921306 .