I can switch it on and off . . .

[notnowdad]

Almost a year ago I reported here that I have achieved virtually complete relief from RLS by avoiding goitrogenic foods, those foods which inhibit thyroid function. Because my relief after many years of suffering has become complete and absolute, I really hope that others can experience the same success. When I go to the website, it breaks my heart to think that so many are suffering so grievously when relief could be just a few days away.

My concern is that others may not realize that they need a comprehensive list of goitrogenic foods in order to achieve relief. The list is long and success requires complete conformance initially. If I add a little bit of celery to my pot of soup or put some raw onions on my salad, I’m back to being miserable the next night.

Based on internet research and my personal experience, I have put together the following list. Please understand that there is not complete consensus on what foods are goitrogenic. I have included some in parentheses which are only found on some of the most obscure lists or which I believe I may have had a bad reaction to.

My recommendation to sufferers of RLS is to avoid all the foods on the following list for three days. If relief is achieved, as I suspect it will be, individual foods from the list can be added back into the diet on an experimental basis. My experience has been that RLS symptoms will recur within 24 to 36 hours if the food cannot be tolerated. The best news I have to report from my food “challenges” is that I can eat broccoli and cauliflower with no ill effects. I have also been eating small amounts of cooked onion, carrot, and garlic and have remained symptom free. Cooking is reported to reduce the goitrogenic effect of all of these foods with the exception of millet.

Fruits: Nectarines, peaches, pears, strawberries, (cherries), (red grapes/red wine).
Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, peanuts/groundnuts, flaxseed/linseed, (cashews), (pistachios).
Grains: Maize/corn flour, millet, soy flour.
Beans: Garbanzo beans/chick peas, lima beans, legumes, soy beans/soy products/tofu/textured vegetable protein.
Oils: Corn oil, canola/rapeseed oil, flaxseed/linseed oil, babassu oil, soy oil.
Vegetables: Arugula, alfalfa/lucerne, asparagus, bamboo shoots, beets, beet greens, bok choi, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cassava/tapioca, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, corn, daikon radish, garlic, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, komatsuna, maca root, mizuna, mustard greens, mustard seeds, onion, radishes, rutabaga/swede, spinach, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, tatsoi, turnips, turnip greens, wasabi, watercress, winter cress/yellow rocket.
Meats: Processed meats.

Most of the available lists include “legumes”, a broad, poorly defined term. I eat pinto, black and green beans without any problem. You might want to avoid all beans and lentils for the first few days. I eat green peas with no problem.

I don't drink beer, but if I were going to during this test I would find a German one brewed according to their centuries old purity law. I've been told that you can never be sure what you are getting in American beers. Maltodextrin, which is made from corn, is a common additive.

I realize that everybody has their own chemistry and reactions to foods are individual. On the other hand, it seems unlikely that I could be the only person who responds this way. There is no cost involved and the experiment only takes three days. Although I get relief within two days, I'm not sure how it will go for others so I'm suggesting three or, perhaps, four.

I think of you all every night as I lie comfortably in bed no more aware of my legs than I am of my ears. I wish that you all can find the same relief that I have. At the moment I seem to be the only person alive who can switch it on and off at will.

[ViewsAskew]

Must feel wonderful!

Other people have found relief through diet, as you have. They have cut out different foods, however. When others try to replicate it, it often doesn't work. We have no idea why. I understand why gluten free might help, as celiacs often have WED. But, sugar free sometimes works, too.

Hope this works for you for many years to come.

[badnights]

There are probably many paths to WED/RLS, and which dietary changes you might need to make, if any, will vary depending on what made your body go the WED/RLS route.

If I understand the goitogenic stuff correctly, goitrogens are substances that interfere with the thyroid's ability to suck up iodine. People who have thyroid problems (hypothyroidism, actually) feel more of an effect from goitrogens than others.

But I see that the list of goitrogenic foods is very close to a list of foods containing sulfur compounds that are essential for our bodies to eliminate unwanted byproducts of metabolism and foreign toxins. Eliminate those foods with care! Ensure you are getting sulfur-bearing foods that are not goitrogenic. A 3-day trial won't hurt, but permanent removal of those foods will require you to replace the missing nutrients with other foods.