Anti-nutrients of one sort or another are present in varying degrees in many of plants we eat (grains, pseudo-cereals, pulses, and vegetables)./a Among the anti-nutrients, goitrogens are often associated with millets. Some articles about millets raise the issue, But how much of a concern are goitrogens, are there differences among millets or varieties of a millet, and how do they compare with what one might find in other plants? Without trying to go into more detail than I am qualified to comment on, I thought I'd pass on two interesting recent links. First, however, let's review a definition: "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."/b 1. Anitha S, Upadhyay S, Grando S, Kane-Potaka J. "Does consumption of pearl millet cause goiter? A systematic review of existing evidence." *Frontiers in Nutrition*. 2024 Mar 7;11:1323336. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1323336. PMID: 38515523; PMCID: PMC10955131. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10955131/ Abstract: "Millets (defined here to also include sorghum) have been consumed in Asian and African countries for centuries, and have in recent years become increasingly popular in Western countries, especially because of their proven health and environmental benefits. Nevertheless, some concerns have been raised that their consumption can interfere with thyroid function and cause goiter. This systematic review aimed to investigate the link between millet consumption and goiter. We found nine papers that were relevant to this topic and included them in this review. Among nine papers eight were on pearl millet and one was on fonio millet. The findings of the review indicate that published literature on the association of pearl millet and increased goiter prevalence are not compelling and strong enough to assert that pearl millet consumed as part of a balanced diet can lead to goiter in the general population. To ensure appropriate factual messaging about millets, we need more scientific research to conclusively state whether millet consumption mediates goitrogenic effects." 2. The podcast "Gut Feeling with Dr. Pal" (Dr. Pal Manickam) featured an episode entitled "All About How & When to Eat Millets - Health Benefits & Side Effects of Millets Explained by Dr Rao" (15 June 2024) includes a discussion of thyroid and the goitrogen issue (at the 51:21 mark, for a bit more than 2 minutes): - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKBwKbunTJA&list=PLVlf929ZD8laSTsczo4BlVS_NS... - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-about-how-when-to-eat-millets-heal... This is a long and wide-ranging discussion of millets, if you have the time to listen, but it's easy to drop into the point indicated to hear what they have to say on this topic. Comments based on all the above: * A single line of research in Sudan looms large in discussions of pearl millet and goiter. * A combination of low iodide in diet plus goitrogens may raise risk * Since there does not seem to be a high incidence of goiter in other regions where pearl millet is consumed (notably those in India), might there be a chemical difference in varieties of pearl millet? * Chemically, the goitrogens in fonio are different than those in pearl millet (which in turn raises questions about the nature of goitrogens across other foods) If you have other items on this topic, which comes up periodically, please share. Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US) North American Millets Alliance Notes: a. Petroski W, Minich DM. "Is There Such a Thing as 'Anti-Nutrients'? A Narrative Review of Perceived Problematic Plant Compounds." *Nutrients*. 2020 Sep 24;12(10):2929. doi: 10.3390/nu12102929. PMID: 32987890; PMCID: PMC7600777. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7600777/ b. "Goitrogen" on Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goitrogen