Why going keto might make you feel cold and tired
Ketogenic Diet and Thyroid Function: A Delicate Metabolic Balancing Act
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When you eat mostly fat and almost no carbs, your body switches to burning fat for fuel. This makes your thyroid produce less of the active hormone (T3) because your body thinks it’s fasting and tries to save energy.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
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Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
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Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
When you eat mostly fat and almost no carbs, your body switches to burning fat for fuel. This makes your thyroid produce less of the active hormone (T3) because your body thinks it’s fasting and tries to save energy.
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 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
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Claims (5)
The ketogenic diet raises reverse T3 levels in some people, and this increase interferes with active T3 binding to thyroid receptors, resulting in hypothyroid symptoms despite normal TSH and T4 levels.
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.
A ketogenic diet lowers the activity of enzymes that convert thyroxine (T4) into triiodothyronine (T3) in tissues like muscle and liver, resulting in reduced levels of active thyroid hormone.
A ketogenic diet lowers inflammation and oxidative stress in the thyroid gland through biochemical mechanisms involving beta-hydroxybutyrate, which suppresses the NLRP3 inflammasome and enhances antioxidant activity.
People with a specific genetic variation called DIO2 Thr92Ala who follow a ketogenic diet experience reduced conversion of thyroid hormone to its active form, leading to lower levels of active thyroid hormone in cells.