It seems like almost everyone is claiming to have hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s disease; statistically it is true. Ninety-six percent of the population is deficient in iodine, which is the number one predictor of thyroid disease. On top of that, thyroid auto-immune disease is connected to gut health, and with the Standard American Diet and environmental toxins we are exposed to, our gut is constantly under threat. Those factors quickly lead to leaky gut, which subsequently affects our thyroid health.
What is TSH?
When diagnosing thyroid issues, doctors typically only test your TSH and maybe your T4. That won’t give you the complete picture; thyroid health is much more intricate than just two numbers.
TSH [Thyroid Stimulating Hormone] is a pituitary hormone, not a thyroid hormone. This is the gold standard of thyroid blood work. But patients often report that they are still symptomatic, feeling sluggish with weight loss stalls even if their TSH is in “normal” range.
TSH signals the thyroid to release T4. All TSH is telling you is how well your pituitary hormone is communicating with your thyroid. Total T4 can look “normal” but isn’t able to be used by the thyroid, as T4 needs to be activated.
T4, the inactive thyroid hormone, needs to be converted into T3, the thyroid hormone that produces energy and shows a healthy metabolism and thyroid. T4 and T3 refer to 4 and 3 molecules of iodine. The “T” stands for Tyrosine, a specific amino acid.
Iodine is essential for proper thyroid function and is lacking in our modern day food supply.
The conversion of T4 to T3 occurs in the liver, the gut and kidneys. If the gut and liver can’t convert the T4 to the T3, then the thyroid isn’t functioning optimally, and energy and fat burning will suffer.
The hypothalamus is the master control central of all the hormones including insulin, Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, Leptin, Ghrelin and sex hormones.
Signs of thyroid disease
If you have any of the following symptoms, it could mean your thyroid is malfunctioning, also known as Thyroiditis.
- low energy
- hair loss
- eyebrows thinning
- irregular menstrual cycle
- anxiety and depression
- unexplained weight gain
- constipation
- dry skin
- headaches
- brittle and ridged nails
- fluid retention
- cold intolerance
- puffy face and swollen eyelids
- poor circulation
- thickening of the elbow skin
- poor concentration and memory
- decreased libido
- numbness
What is Thyroiditis?
TPO, or Thyroid Peroxidase and Thyroglobulin (or TG), are antibodies that cause an auto-immune reaction to the thyroid, called Thyroiditis.
It is like having a hole in the gas tank.
This will cause Hashimoto’s or Graves Disease, where the thyroid is under or over functioning.
Factors that cause Thyroiditis are toxins including fluoride, lithium mercury, BPA, teflon, PCBs, phthalates, radiation, and Celiac Disease. Therefore, detoxification from environmental and dietary toxins is imperative for optimal thyroid and metabolism function.
How do thyroid medications work?
Synthroid and Levothyroxine are strictly T4 only medications. By taking a T4 based medication, you are telling your body you have a problem, but it isn’t trying to fix it, and your body becomes dependent on the medication.
About 90% of all thyroid dysfunction is autoimmune. What happens to someone on thyroid medication is that you will progressively need more medication over time as the antibodies are ruining your thyroid health, and your thyroid will shut down. Both hyper and hypothyroidism are auto-immune diseases and are beating up your thyroid.
How does your liver affect your thyroid and metabolism?
If your liver is compromised or your gut isn’t healthy, then the T4 won’t be converted to T3. Free T3 binds to the nucleus of the cell and is necessary to produce ATP, which is a true energy production for all of your cells.
Reverse T3 is an inflammatory sympathetic marker signaling if your body is responding well to stressors or not.
Reverse T3 is a reservoir for stressful situations and is a primitive response. It looks like free T3, and in a stressful situation, your thyroid can slow down and use the reverse T3 for energy. It can bind with the receptors that T3 would bind with, but it doesn’t give you the energy you get from T3; in fact, it competes with T3. If there becomes an imbalance of Free T3 and Reverse T3, you will start having problems as they compete.
Those with hypothyroid for a long time will depend on Reverse T3 and Cortisol to get themselves out of bed. As a result, the adrenals become tapped out, blood sugar can rise from the excess cortisol, and there is a cascade of negative hormonal reactions, leading to Adrenal Burnout and the manifestation of the typical Adrenal Body Type.
Can you do keto when you have thyroid disease?
During ketosis, you can see a decrease of Free T3, but that isn’t a bad thing; you are changing your energy substrates and fuel system.
As your diet comprises fewer carbohydrates and your metabolism has changed, you need less T3 because more of Free T3 is used to process the carbs in the typical higher carb diet and excess weight. So, a reduction of T3 shows that your thyroid is functioning more efficiently when you are in ketosis. You make more of T3 to deal with the excess carbohydrates. The carbohydrates cause cellular inflammation which inhibits T3’s ability to enter the cell. Ketones increases cellular permeability. This allows nutrients to enter the cells and toxins to come out of the cells with ease.
What are the correct levels for blood tests?
Medical ranges of the numbers are too broad and the functional medicine ranges are too strict. If you are losing weight or in ketosis, the blood test might show that they are too low but are in a healthy range. Assess how you feel and your energy level.
When the thyroid is off, it affects the gut microbiome, the adrenals, and the sex hormones. The adrenals will produce excess cortisol to make up for the lack of energy produced by the thyroid. That is why many who suffer from thyroid disease are also suffering from Adrenal Fatigue.
How does keto help thyroid function?
Keto, or a low-carbohydrate diet, reduces inflammation and heals the gut by rebalancing the gut microbiome. It helps detox the liver and reduce blood sugar.
If you are consuming sugar or carbohydrates, you’re putting excessive burden on the liver, gut and kidneys, and this will compromise the conversion from the inactive to active thyroid hormone, T4 to T3.
Furthermore, nutrients that are essential for T4 production include Tyrosine, zinc, copper, Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C are all found in red meat, eggs, and fish, explaining why many vegans report suffering from thyroid disease.
When you are insulin resistant, the needed enzymes, called Deiodinase, to produce Free T3 become inactive and you instead produce Reverse T3. Likewise, when you follow a ketogenic diet or a low-carb diet and become insulin sensitive, you produce the proper active thyroid hormone, T3.
Factors that suppress the Deiodinase action are selenium deficiency, high carb intake, stress and high cortisol, heavy metals, inadequate protein intake, chronic illness, inflammation, kidney or liver dysfunction, iodine deficiency, and iron deficiency. The medications that affect the conversion of T4 to T3 are Beta Blockers, Steroids, Birth control, Estrogen Excess, Lithium, Phenytoin, Theophylline, Chemo, and IL-6.
The dietary factors that could suppress conversion of T4 to T3 are too many cruciferous vegetables, a low protein or low fat diet, excessive alcohol, walnuts, and soy.
Ketones increase ATP production in the mitochondria in the cells, which is true cellular energy.
The Ketogenic diet is helping your thyroid, liver, kidneys, and brain detox from heavy metals like mercury, chlorine, fluoride and bromine while the antibodies are at a lower level. This detoxification process is easier during a fasting period when there is less demand on the thyroid.
How does fasting affect your thyroid?
This is a great tool to use if you are coming off thyroid medication.
Fasting resets leptin resistance, thyroid resistance and insulin resistance. When you are coming off the medication, your body is resetting its cellular sensitivity to thyroid hormones as well. On day three of a fast your thyroid function shifts and becomes reset. Fasting can also improve your immune system, your gut health and reduce the antibodies.
Can staying in ketosis too long hurt the thyroid?
Ketosis is a hormetic stress.
The hypothalamus has parasympathetic and sympathetic state. When you are in keto too long and are in a sympathetic state chronically, then you will be in a survival state and your body starts using reverse T3. We need insulin to convert T4 to T3; when you are in a chronically low insulin level you can’t convert T4 to T3.
You need to listen to your body to know when that needs to happen. You will see that your weight loss stalls, you are fatigued regardless of how much sleep you have had. You then should increase your carbs to 50 grams a day.
Tips to heal your thyroid and metabolism naturally
- Acceleradine®. This is the only iodine supplement that has 100% absorption, where most have only 10-20% and include toxic ingredients. Acceleradine® speeds up metabolism, provides non toxic iodine for the production of T4 and T3, and kicks out the toxins from the thyroid and the liver that hinder thyroid function. This is essential for those with hashimotos, hyperthyroid and hypothyroid. Even more, Acceleradine® is charged with Scalar frequencies to further detox the body of radiation and heavy metals; no other iodine supplement does this.
- Accelerated Thyroid®. This comprehensive thyroid supplement not only reverses hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s, but improves overall endocrine function. It will help improve metabolism, thyroid health, energy, cognition, and more.
Accelerated Thyroid® has been Bio Energetically Enhanced with our proprietary Scalar Field technology to imbue specific healing pattens into this product.
The Scalar frequencies include:
• Enhancing the general health of the thyroid
• Neutralizing toxins found in the thyroid such as chlorine, fluorine, mercury, and other metals
• Neutralizing radiation and nuclear fallout.These halogen chemicals that are very common in our water supply and other household items actually lock into the receptor sites of the thyroid thus diminishing the function of the thyroid and leading to a slow metabolism.
Our Scalar enhanced products adds another dimension of healing to our already unique formulation. - Accelerated Fast®™. This flips you into fat burning, tapping into your body’s own fat stores for fuel. It also dramatically increases ATP production in the mitochondria of the cells which is true cellular energy. As a result thyroid function becomes more efficient and improves to healthy levels. Keto also increases testosterone, growth hormone, glucagon and melatonin, which all increase the proper conversion of T4 into T3.
- Accelerated Scalar Copper™. Copper plays an important role in ensuring that the thyroid gland functions properly. It works with other trace minerals like selenium and zinc that are needed to balance thyroid activity. When the thyroid gland does not work properly, the production of hormones may cause unwarranted effects on the overall body’s metabolic processes as well as heart and digestive function, muscle control, brain development, and bone maintenance. Copper and zinc work in conjunction with each other; these two elements should be balanced for everything to function properly. It may be essential, but just like all other vitamins and minerals, copper should be taken in moderation.
- Accelerated Diet Cleanse. This comprehensive cleanse, puts you into ketosis, aids in fasting, feeds your thyroid the proper iodine, detoxes the body and liver, rebuilds the gut, and boosts thyroid health significantly within 30 days.
- X39 LifeWave Patch. This has been shown to increase energy, send stem cells to the needed areas of the body, increase metabolism, enhance sports performance, reduce inflammation, and reverse age-related symptoms.
- Energy Enhancer LifeWave Patch. Within 15 minutes of applying the patch, you see an increase in energy, boost in metabolism, burning an additional 300 calories a day. It is also known to move the “chi” or life force in your body and improve circulation.
- Genius Insight Biofeedback App. This app on your smart device can target and run a program to improve thyroid function and detox the liver, thyroid, pituitary, and all organs related to thyroid health. It can also target T3, T4, Reverse T3 and TSH.
- Glutathione. This will decrease the occurrence of thyroid antibodies, in addition to acting as the master antioxidant throughout the body and detoxifying the liver, where T4 converts into T3.
- Silent Night Sleep Patches. Without enough sleep, your thyroid will slow as your body can’t detox properly during sleep. These patches naturally enhance the quality and length of sleep without causing grogginess. During sleep is when your body detoxes, rejuvenates and rebuilds its entire endocrine system, including the thyroid.
- Ola Loa. This multivitamin, electrolyte drink includes potassium, selenium, iron, zinc, manganese, and vitamins that all increase the conversion from T4 to T3.
- Fasting. Fasting increases autophagy and detoxification of the body, including the thyroid, and also to switch your body into burning its own fat stores for fuel. As it does this, it recognizes the endless supply of energy it can use and increases its metabolism, while limiting calories and eating throughout the day. With the help of Accelerated Fast®™, your appetite is suppressed and fasting becomes very easy to do.
- HIIT Training. High Intensity Interval Training boosts growth hormone, testosterone, and metabolism, while chronic cardio can actually slow down metabolism and accelerate aging. Try to incorporate HIIT training 2-3 times a week.
- Increase Your Protein intake. You want to at least have a 1:1 ratio of protein to fat, and keep your carbohydrates to 20 to 50 grams a day. Meat, fish, and eggs all provide sufficient amino acids including the Tyrosine that is essential for the “T” in T3 and T4.
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Sara Banta
Sara Banta is a Stanford University Graduate with a Degree in Economics and Psychology, and a certified Natural Supplement Expert & Graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Sara is the Founder of Accelerated Health Products and host of the health & wellness podcast, Accelerated Health Radio.
