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Claim
Strong Support
correlational
Analysis v3

In adults with drug-resistant epilepsy following the modified Atkins diet, changes in thyroid hormone levels do not relate to changes in seizure frequency, the type of seizure medication taken, or...

32
Pro
0
Against

Mechanism

Synthesis from 1 study

How it works

When the body runs on fat instead of carbs, it changes how it uses thyroid hormones, making less of the active form. This happens whether seizures get better or worse, what medicines are taken, or how much fat is being burned — it's just how the body adapts to the diet.

Most probable mechanism

In Simple Terms

When the body switches to burning fat for fuel, it changes how it processes thyroid hormones, and this happens whether seizures improve, what medicines are taken, or how much fat is being burned.

Causal chain
1

Reduced carbohydrate intake lowers insulin levels, increasing hepatic deiodinase activity and enhancing conversion of thyroxine to reverse triiodothyronine

Supported by evidence
which leads to
2

Elevated reverse triiodothyronine binds to thyroid hormone receptors without activating them, reducing metabolic signaling without altering thyroid gland output

Supported by evidence
which leads to
3

Thyroid hormone clearance increases due to altered hepatic uptake and peripheral deiodination, lowering circulating triiodothyronine levels independently of pituitary stimulation

Supported by evidence

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

32

Community contributions welcome

32

Effects of modified Atkins diet on thyroid function in adult patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

Cross-Sectional Study
Human
2020 Oct

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

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Source Study

Effects of modified Atkins diet on thyroid function in adult patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

Score: 32
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107285

Similar Assertions

Adults with pharmacoresistant epilepsy who follow the modified Atkins diet experience a modest decrease in thyroid hormone levels, particularly if they already have low thyroid hormone levels or are taking antiseizure medications that reduce thyroid function.

32
0
92%

In adults with epilepsy that does not respond to medication, a 12-week modified Atkins diet was linked to a decrease in T3 and fT3 hormone levels, an increase in fT4, and no change in TSH or rT3, indicating a measurable shift in thyroid hormone levels.

32
0
87%

A ketogenic diet lowers free triiodothyronine levels without raising thyroid-stimulating hormone in healthy adults and people with epilepsy, indicating a metabolic adjustment to low carbohydrate intake that reduces basal metabolic rate.

1
0
70%