Is Intermittent Fasting Bad for People with Thyroid Issues?
Is intermittent fasting a good idea for people with thyroid issues? It’s a common question. After all, we know that the thyroid gland is a sensitive barometer of overall caloric sufficiency in the body. If a fast sends a message of caloric insufficiency, and the body thinks “times are tough,” the thyroid may presumably down-regulate its function to slow down the metabolic rate and preserve energy and nutrients. Caution is justifiable. What Happens to Thyroid Function When You Fast? It’s all going to be specific to the individual fasting, of course, but here’s what studies of humans have shown: In 1978 , researchers placed 45 obese human subjects on a 4-day fast, studying their thyroid hormones levels before and during the fast, and after refeeding. Everyone’s TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) and T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) went up during the fast. Everyone’s T3 (active thyroid hormone) dropped. Men saw bigger changes than women. When they supplemented T4 during the fast, T3 sti