Why more thyroid hormone doesn't always help you lose weight
Thyroid Function Variation in the Normal Range, Energy Expenditure, and Body Composition in L-T4–Treated Subjects
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Even when thyroid hormone levels are normal, some people on thyroid medicine have more of one hormone (fT3) — and that’s linked to both burning more calories and having more body fat.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
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Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
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Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Even when thyroid hormone levels are normal, some people on thyroid medicine have more of one hormone (fT3) — and that’s linked to both burning more calories and having more body fat.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 558 / 44
Evidence Score
A snapshot of a population at a single point in time. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine the direction of cause and effect.
Publication
Authors
Samuels MH, Kolobova I, Antosik M, Niederhausen M, Purnell JQ, Schuff KG
Related Content
Claims (4)
Differences in the natural levels of thyroid hormones in the body are associated with changes in how many calories a person burns per day, with the maximum change being 10%.
For people taking levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, normal levels of TSH in the blood do not reliably predict differences in metabolism, weight, or body fat composition.
In people taking levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, about half have low levels of free triiodothyronine in their blood even when their thyroid-stimulating hormone levels are within the normal range.
Among people with hypothyroidism who take levothyroxine long-term, those with higher levels of free triiodothyronine within the normal range tend to have higher resting energy expenditure and more body fat, including visceral fat.