Lower prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism in vegetarian men compared with omnivores

Introduction: Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is diagnosed when the TSH level is elevated above the reference range (0.4-4.5 Ul/mL) and free T4 levels remain within the normal serum range (0.7-1.7 ng/dL). There are many studies showing that a vegetarian dietary pattern could bring benefits at multiple levels. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between dietary pattern and thyroid hormones, as well as to compare the prevalence of SCH among apparently healthy vegetarian (VEG) and omnivorous (OMN) male individuals. Methods: The study was based on data from two 24-hour dietary recalls, biochemical parameters, and anthropometry obtained from 88 individuals VEG (n = 44) and OMN (n = 44) male, between 35 and 71 years of age, who were participants in the CARVOS study.