So I’ve been seeing conflicting info online about whether low carb is the right way to lose weight when hypo.
Some websites are saying keto causes too much acidity leading to increased inflammation (which we already have too much of) and too little insulin impairs the body’s ability to convert T4 to T3.
Others are saying keto is great for hypo as it improves thyroid hormone sensitivity so more is absorbed.
Keen to hear thoughts. I’ve done keto a few times before and lost 10kg each time but then cravings get too intense and I ended up with binge eating disorder and weight gain.
Wired123,
I think it depends upon your glucose and insulin state. If you raise ketones and then haven’t the insulin to deal with them that is as damaging as unusable raised blood sugars.
We all become very slightly more insulin resistant as we age, and it is seen commonly on this forum because of thyroid hormones influence on sugar metabolism, ie, acting as both insulin agonistic & antagonistic, and occurring with too much or too little thyroid hormone. You also need healthy adrenal glands to withstand the alterations in electrolytes caused by ketosis.
I have come to the conclusion that keto is great for a healthy person trying to lose a few lbs but if you have multiple conditions and thyroid hormones aren’t working well keto risks not working well and certainly isn’t a fix for losing weight due to insufficient and ineffectively working thyroid hormone.
T3 is very influential on mitochondria but we still require the cofactors for it to work, so it could be something as simple as addressing a zinc deficiency that then allows better biogenesis and weight loss. Zinc is used in the making of TSH which may stay elevated sometimes for years before hypothyroidism is adequately medicated. After diagnosis I was deficient in zinc and it took a long while of liposomal to rectify. (Zinc needs testing before supplementing significant amounts).
Or inadequate bile acids, also synonymous with hypothyroidism. This paper is too complicated to fully understand but outlines how the introduction of bile acids to mice increased energy expenditure in brown adipose tissue, encouraging weight loss and improving insulin resistance by up-regulating D2 activity (thyroid conversion enzyme) and improving oxygen consumption. How many of us have suffered ‘air hunger’! I previously supplemented ox bile for several years.
nature.com/articles/nature0...
Anyway I digress, and there are members who claim to have used keto very successfully and others who successfully fast. Another thing I would never consider beyond my 12-14 hour daily/nightly fast. If you crave high-carb on keto, eating more fats/protein will help your body make the switch which then satiates your appetite.
Some good points you raise and like every diet it does not work for everyone.
Interesting what you say about zinc and bile, I certainly need to try the bile product and see if that helps.