Supplement allegedly working as well as prescription NDT

I have read about a relatively new product available from Europe. I got an email from seller about this as I have previously ordered other products from this company. It's sold as a supplement and the website stresses that it is not an extract. It is available as both bovine and porcine thyroid, although seller recommends that people who don't have any problems eating pork should try that one first as it's closer to human chemistry...it sounds very interesting. However, seller also claims that it's not possible to harmonise the hormone content of this product as hormones naturally fluctuate in animal thyroid glands as well...this means that a grain of this product can contain anything from 2.55-4.25 mcg of T3 and 28.5-41.5 mcg of T4. It's sold as 2 grain capsules, meaning each capsule contains anything between 5.1.-8.5 mcg of T3 and 57-83 mcg of T4. The bovine version contains slightly more T3 and T4 per grain.

But would fluctuating hormone levels not be a problem, as you never know how much T4 and T3 you are getting with each capsule?

It's a shame, because this product could otherwise be a really interesting alternative to prescription NDT, especially after all the reformulations in recent years as well as availability problems...not to mention the prohibitive prices of most prescription brands of NDT nowadays.

Ingredients: desiccated whole raw porcine or bovine thyroid gland, rose hip powder and vegetable cellulose in the capsule shell. 90 capsules cost ca 20€.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

anna69,

The major desiccated thyroid producers assay and blend powdered thyroid and another substance (could be ordinary sugar, lactose or a few other substances) in order to achieve a consistent thyroid hormone content. This was being done by, for example, the Armour company back before the second world war.

Armour even had an animal laboratory in which product was tested to demonstrate that consistency.

Nowadays the measurement of T4 and T3 content is far more precise and doesn't rely on "iodine" content as it used to. (That was always unsatisfactory.)

Lack of consistency is precisely the issue with "dietary" supplements. We do not know how it varies - or even if there is any variation - batch to batch.

Knowing the exact numbers for T4 and T3 is not the main issue - it is this consistency.

Remember, it was this very uncertainty and inconsistency that really sounded the death knell for desiccated thyroid in mainstream medicine. Medcis could turn round, point at the product and damn it as being inconsistent.

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

True...I don't see why it would be impossible for this manufacturer to achieve a given hormone content in the product in question, thus guaranteeing consistency.

[phoenix23002]

There are already several ... what I call 'whole glandular' thyroid products on the market... NutriMeds and Thyro Gold, to name a few. Some folks report having excellent results from these OTC supplements. I think they come in 150 mg and 300 mg tabs and caps. Here is a link to a list (not comprehensive by any means) of treatment alternatives. Note item # 6.

stopthethyroidmadness.com/o...

If memory serves, I believe that some group members have brought other OTC (over-the-counter) thyroid supplements to our attention over the last few months. So, check around and do your due diligence, homework, research and reviews for the best alternative for you if you don't have access to prescription meds. If you go to the ThyroGold webpage, there is a fact page that gives good suggestions for taking their product. Those same instructions can be used if you pick out some other well known OTC thyroid product.

Funny that NDT hasn't ever been recalled for 'inconsistency' but Synthroid (synthetic T 4) has had numerous recalls because of 'inconsistencies'. Ironic, huh?

[foxglove]

Would you be kind enough to tell me the name of this product and the manufacturer ? Thanks