Will soy-based diet affect thyroid function?

Q. I started eating lots of soy products when I was a young woman. I developed low-level hypothyroidism around age 40.

My nurse practitioner put me on levothyroxine, and I have been taking that. I still consume soy products just about every day even though I’ve read that it is bad for my thyroid.

Dairy products give me sinus problems, so I use only butter and a small amount of cheese. I drink soy milk every day. I’ve tried to cut back on soy, but I have eaten it for so long that it is hard to change! My TSH levels are tested every year and are normal. Do I really need to worry about soy and thyroid?

A. You might need to find some ways to consume less soy, but since your TSH is normal and you feel good, it is not an immediate problem. Soy foods might reduce the absorption of your thyroid pill, but presumably the dose can be adjusted (Thyroid, March 2006).

Q. Are there any natural approaches for relieving gout? Please help! This attack has put me down for now, and I don’t like it.

I am taking allopurinol, which my doctor prescribed, but it is not working fast enough. Labor pains weren’t this bad!

A. There are a few natural products that can help lower uric acid in the body. During a gout flare-up, uric acid crystals precipitate into the joints and cause the excruciating pain you are experiencing.

Perhaps the favorite natural remedy is tart cherries. Fresh, frozen and dried cherries, cherry juice or Montmorency cherry extract all seem to do the job. Healthy women who eat cherries have lower uric acid levels in their blood (Journal of Nutrition, June 2003). There don’t appear to be any clinical trials of sour cherries for gout, however.

Another natural product that may help is celery seed. Celery is rich in luteolin, a compound that slows the production of uric acid (Food Chemistry, Dec. 15, 2013).

Losing weight is a long-term strategy that might be helpful for some folks. Including nonfat milk and low-fat yogurt and avoiding high-purine foods like meat and seafood can help with prevention (Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2005).

Q. I have been taking red yeast rice for several years. A few weeks ago, my legs began aching at night, especially my left hip.

I am 72 years old, in good health, not overweight, exercise regularly and take no prescribed medications. I have not experienced any injury to cause this discomfort.

I have taken ibuprofen a couple of times to alleviate the aching at night, but I would rather not. Do you think red yeast rice is causing this problem?

A. It is certainly possible that you have developed a reaction to red yeast rice. Although this natural source of statin compounds is less likely to trigger muscle pain than the pharmaceutical statins, some people are sensitive to it. You may have become more susceptible to this side effect as you have grown older.

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