I have read all the emails that I’ve received from Izabella Wentz over several years and I can’t help thinking that it’s all an expensive waste of money. I’d like to know if anyone on this forum have had any of the promised benefits by following her course and buying her products or have tried similar products bought in this country?
Many thanks 😊
Couldn't agree more. She is by no means the only one though. These days, everyone wants to sell us 'a pill for this and a pill for that'.
Flecmac
I don't follow her nor have I read her website to know what she sells, if they are supplements are they the sort of thing you can buy elsewhere at a more reasonable price?
I have found that many members on this forum have far more knowledge than the majority of GPs and some endocrinologists about how to diagnose/treat those who have dysfunctional thyroid glands..
I would decide to follow the advice from those who have suggestions for you.
Thanks to finding Thyroiduk and becoming a member as I had to diagnose myself - by then feeling extremely unwell - because my GP phoned .... you can click on my name and it will take you to my 'page' where I've put my history if you wish .
I don't follow or receive Wentz's emails. I have read some of her articles on her website though. But I do that when I want to find out the answer to a particular question rather than something generic. As an example, suppose I wanted to follow up on any benefits or drawbacks to supplementing, say, zinc. As well as doing a general web search I might visit Wentz's website, plus several other websites of people I've found interesting in the past. BUT I would also do searches in research databases for research papers - usually Google Scholar and Pubmed, plus Medscape which has some interesting news articles (although it is often biased by commercial input I think - although I might be wrong).
I have never bought supplements from people like Wentz because they use their popularity as a reason for keeping their prices extremely high. I just use websites that "appear" to be UK-based (sometimes it is hard to tell!) or Amazon.
Reading her emails and books can be helpful even if you only learn one small thing.
She does have Hashimotos which sounded a bad case so she had to dig deep. You do not have to buy her products.
Also American sites often sound dramatic and OTT - just the way some Americans are. Even the top and well respected guys can sound - well - just a bit too much. Sadly there are so few UK sites sharing valuable information ... Take the bits that fit comfortably and move on 😎
Thanks everyone. I feel the same and wouldn’t buy from her or anyone in America. Just wondered if anyone in this country had found her info useful and maybe found similar supplements helpful from U.K. I have read two of her books which include some interesting advice which appears similar to advice on here, so yes take what you like and leave the rest. Thanks all 😊
Flecmac,
I have her books and they were enormously helpful in the beginnings of my journey in trying to understand Hashimotos.
She offers clear explanations and covers topics that conventional medicine wouldn’t naturally associate with Hashi such as the possible triggers, ie virus', infections, environmental factors, etc, and ways of modulating the immune system to help prevent/quell further attacks.
Being a pharmacist with Hashi she has great understanding of the common issues surrounding Hashi that conventional medicine chooses to ignore such as low gastric acid, high histamine levels, low adrenal reserves, food intolerances, etc.
I still refer to her articles in the links I provide to other members. However, I would not buy her supplements because she is in America and I presume they to be at over-inflated prices.
Like others have said, I’ve read some of her posts that were helpful. I am insulin resistant as well so in particular in understanding why low carb is helpful for some and not others, and keto to be avoided.
Like others dubious about paying for anything though! Will be interesting to see if you have replies from people who have though...
I have read some of her things and many others which have been helpful but not perfect, I am gluten free which helped and I buy my own vitamins. Stress reduction and adding omega three really helped. I eat low dairy but I find it hard to do a restrictive diet when I barely eat meat and no gluten. I do what I can but I wonder if these things can really be cured and reversed. It’s expensive to do what any of these people want even if you buy the stuff on your own.
Yes, this is the dilemma. I have been gluten free for 4 years with no difference really. I try to avoid dairy but like you I wouldn’t have much to eat. I’ve tried all the dairy free options but it’s really hard and feels so restrictive and is expensive enough already. Even vitamins don’t seem to make a difference.
Hello, it has been a while since you posted this message. I usually don't respond online, but in this case would love to share my experience.
I was diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's a couple of years ago. I knew someone with Hashimoto's who had to retire in her mid 50s as she could no longer work due to fatigue and brain fog, so I was pretty anxious about the diagnosis. I decided that if there was a way to manage this condition, I would find it.
Pretty soon after, I came across Izabella Wentz's work and the work of Datis Kharazzian. Like you, I wasn't sure if it was legit because of the marketing style. Fortunately I had a friend who assured me that she had seen some positive results in her naturopathic practice in the US (they combine naturopathy with medical studies there, it's a bit different than in the UK I think).
I read their books, and followed Izabella Wentz's course. To start with the results: after 9 months my antibodies had gone down to the low 20s (they were in the low 100s before), and my TSH was back to normal. All of my symptoms (extreme fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, hair loss) had gradually disappeared over that period.
HOWEVER, I want to stress that for me to get these results, hacking this autoimmunity was a PhD topic. I was academically minded, spent hundreds of pounds on tests, to this day spend a lot of money on high quality foods (organic) and supplements (good brands available in the UK) and most of all, I'm very strict with my lifestyle adjustments. For example, gluten-free to me means I have to avoid gluten at all costs. I treat it as if I have Coeliac.
Also, it's important to not just look at the diet. There are about 50 known triggers and causes, including viruses, parasites, and nutrient deficiencies, and it can be a pain and sometimes impossible to find a trigger. But as I found them one by one and addressed them, the symptoms cleared gradually.
I cannot recommend especially Izabella's book The Hashimoto's Protocol enough. But you have to be prepared to go all the way and spend a good year or two investigating what your triggers are. If you are a person who can't really be bothered or find it difficult stick with lifestyle changes, you will likely not have the same results.
I was lucky that my causes and triggers were testable and that I could address them. My Hashimoto's stage was also fortunate as I have been able to slow the progression at an early time. This may not be the case for you, and you may not get the same results. But if you are a person who likes to dig deeper into things and are able to stick with an approach, you may be able to reduce some of your symptoms.
Please also always consult a GP when making diet and lifestyle changes - especially when taking supplements. What works for one person may not work for the other. Your GP may not be supportive as it's outside of NHS protocols. But they of course can advise if the changes you want to make are a healthy choice for you.
I am hopeful that the NHS protocols may catch up on the research in the next 20 years and start rolling out Hashimoto's diets/approaches like they have done for Diabetes diets. There are loads of studies going on at the moment on preventative methods through diet and lifestyle. Until that time we'll have do with the help we can get from people who design these approaches based on the latest research, and sometimes limited or patchy research.
I hope this may help you or someone reading this. Again, do be careful and consult with your doctor.
All the best to you, I know it's not easy living with Hashimoto's.
Many thanks. I did read her book a few years ago. I tried as hard as I could. I may look at it again. It can take over life though and can impact on family too. I have been GF for 6 years now but it hasn’t really made any difference. It is good to hear that it can be possible to have some relief. Well done! 😊
Hi Flecmac,
I hope you're feeling OK at the moment. Have you tried any other strategies apart from going gluten-free? Anything that works for you?
I'm re-reading this just now - I was cautious in formulating my message last time, since talking about managing autoimmune conditions seems to be a bit of a taboo. Especially the response you get from NHS personnel, who have a rather one-dimensional view and seem not to have read any recent scientific literature on Hashimoto's causes and triggers.
I would like to say to anyone reading this: yes, you can hack it, in some cases to the point where you seemingly not have it, and it's 100% worth it! The symptoms you can most likely at the very least reduce, by stemming the autoimmune attack. This is something you can actually measure - you need a thyroid antibody test (antiTG and antiTPO). You can try the NHS, but they will likely only give you a TSH test. I prefer doing tests privately so I know I get the right test without any questions. A test is about £60, you can also wait for discounts. If you try different strategies like Izabella Wentz's Hashimoto's protocol, and test your antibodies every 3-4 months, you can see if it has an effect on your antibodies. There are also symptom sheets in her book, so you can see if your symptoms are reducing.
However, success requires you to have an academic mindset, trying out different things in the protocol to find what works for you, and you have to stick with the lifestyle. You can't give up after two months if you don't see immediate results. It's a leap of faith and you need to give yourself the time to investigate your triggers for the autoimmunity. You won't be able to find the causes and triggers all at once. If you're not dedicated to the investigation and give it time, you won't see any results. Like, people who are sometimes gluten-free won't see any results. You need to be consistent.
Just to illustrate, even when you find and address your triggers, you're always susceptible to them. I've experienced two relapses since 2018, one of them was triggered a couple of weeks ago.
I'm currently dealing with an Epstein-Barr reactivation, which I think is my main trigger. I found this through testing for EB twice, and the antibodies that remain elevated after an infection had increased to the point that they are no longer measurable. The virus reactivates when my immune system is thrown off by stress/lack of sleep and last time, a gut health incident. Much of my autoimmune management is about managing this Epstein-Barr virus. The approach is the same: rest, destress, eating loads of organic fruits and veggies, taking some supportive supplements like selenium and vitamin B and D. It's all in Izabella Wentz's book.
So there you have it, I say "stay consistent", yet life happens and then you have to take the time to reset. I personally find building in enough rest a challenge as a sole breadwinner living in an expensive city. Resting means I can't go on a weekend trip apparently, as I've found out a couple of weeks ago. It's annoying, and I'm also not sure yet how to balance it. Because you also want to do enjoyable things. I think that working fulltime without enough holidays and having to run a household and having Hashimoto's and having a social life don't go well together. If you get it wrong, you're paying back in fatigue that take weeks/months to resolve. So it's about finding that balance, and accepting that sometimes you get it wrong. That's OK. Once you've found a method that works, a throw-back isn't as daunting. Just annoying.
Thank you for your reply. I am doing what I can to help myself, although health issues make it difficult. My TPO antibodies have been 1300 (0-60) since 2010. I thought combining Liothyronine with Levothyroxine 2019 may help as well as being gluten free, which helped a little, however not enough. Gut issues and migraines continue to be an ongoing problem. I had a vertigo episode with sickness a week ago which has thrown me among other things. I do struggle to sift through all the information about Hashimoto’s. I’m reading ‘recovering with T3’ at the moment. Not being very academic I am unsure how to start really. All I know is that I don’t seem to be able to live the life I would like, sleep has been a major issue since 2009, which causes so many problems. Resting a lot means I do very little and get very little done. I need to try harder, but it’s so draining. Yes annoying too.
I have 3 of her books and found the diet advice very helpful. I have found cheaper alternatives to her supplements and haven’t paid for any of her programmes. With the advice here and what I learned reading her books twice with post it notes (!) I’m doing ok 🌱🦋🌱
I will have another look. I do find it hard working out diet, supplements and medication etc and if nothing changes it puts me off. I must try harder! Thank you for taking the time to respond to me. I appreciate it.
happy to help or answer any questions, haven’t got all the answers yet but I’ve tried lots out and am slowly making progress 🤗
Thank you 😊
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