Millet doesn’t contain gluten, but it does contain goitrogens. These are those substances in food that suppress thyroid activity and can lead to goiter – enlargement of the thyroid gland found in the throat. You can see an enlarged goiter as it protrudes out of the neck, down low. Low iodine intake can also lead to goiter. Hypothyroidism is at epidemic proportions in Western society, due perhaps to the constant stresses and strains on this gland to do with the pollution of our food, water, air and environment.
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussles sprouts and cabbage naturally release ‘goitrin’ when they’re broken down/cooked, and this can interfere with the synthesis of thyroid hormones. However, this is usually a concern only when there is also an iodine deficiency. Heating cruciferous vegetables denatures much or all of this potential goitrogenic effect, whereas in millet cooking actually increases the goitrogenic effect, which may suppress thyroid function even in people with adequate iodine intake.
So, eat millet in moderation if you have low thyroid function, and choose other grains to include in your diet as well.