Does eating chicken within an hour of taking levothyroxine affect how well the medication is absorbed?

Eating any meal within about an hour of taking levothyroxine can reduce how much of the medicine your body absorbs, and this can include chicken. While chicken itself is not a specifically named “problem food,” the general effect of food is to lower levothyroxine absorption, so it’s safest to take levothyroxine on an empty stomach and wait at least 30–60 minutes before eating. ^{[1] [2]}

Why timing with food matters

• Levothyroxine is best absorbed in a fasting state; food taken at the same time lowers its absorption. ^[2]
• Official guidance recommends taking levothyroxine as a single daily dose on an empty stomach, 30–60 minutes before breakfast, to avoid food-related reductions in absorption. ^{[1] [3]}
• Labels also advise that if levothyroxine is regularly taken within one hour of certain foods, your dose might need adjustment because absorption can change. ^[4]

Are certain foods worse than others?

• Some foods are especially known to interfere by binding the drug or slowing its uptake examples include soybean products, high-fiber foods, walnuts, and grapefruit juice (which can delay and reduce bioavailability). ^[5]
• These named foods have stronger evidence for interaction, but the broader principle still applies: simultaneous food intake of any kind lowers absorption versus fasting. ^{[2] [1]}

What about chicken specifically?

• Chicken (a protein food) is not singled out on medication labels as a specific inhibitor like soy or high fiber, but eating chicken within an hour still counts as “taking with food,” which has been shown to reduce absorption compared with fasting. ^{[2] [1]}
• Because the reduction is timing-related rather than chicken-specific, separating the dose from any meal chicken included helps keep your thyroid levels steady. ^[1]

Practical dosing tips

• Take levothyroxine with water on an empty stomach, then wait 30–60 minutes before eating breakfast or drinking coffee. ^[1]
• If mornings are hard, another workable approach is taking it at bedtime, at least 3–4 hours after your last meal, to maintain an empty stomach. ^[1]
• Keep the routine consistent: taking it the same way each day helps keep your TSH and thyroid hormone levels stable. ^[6]
• Separate iron, calcium, and antacids by at least 4 hours because they can significantly reduce absorption. ^[3]

Key takeaways

• Any food taken near the dose lowers absorption; fasting improves it. ^[2]
• Chicken is not uniquely problematic, but eating it within an hour still risks less absorption compared with taking levothyroxine on an empty stomach. ^[2]
• Aim for a 30–60 minute gap before breakfast (or take it several hours after your evening meal) for best results. ^{[1] [3]}
• If you must take it close to meals consistently, your clinician may need to monitor and adjust your dose. ^[4]