Dr. Westin Childs Podcast: Thyroid | Weight Loss | Hormones

Over 100 million people will fill a prescription for levothyroxine this year and most of them have no idea how many different things interfere with its function. This includes food, medications, and, yes, even supplements. Which is why I put together a list of supplements that can cause problems with thyroid medication. Are you taking any? 1. Biotin - Biotin interferes with the ACCURACY of thyroid medication and levothyroxine. 2. Caffeine - Caffeine decreases the absorption of your thyroid medication. 3. Iron and calcium - Both iron and calcium bind to and inactivate levothyroxine and other thyroid medications. 4. Glucomannan and other fiber supplements - Glucomannan and fiber supplements delay the absorption of thyroid medication. 5. Estrogen enhancing supplements. - Supplements that increase estrogen increase thyroid binding globulin which decreases how much free thyroid hormone your body can use. See the full list of labs that every thyroid patient should get here: https://youtu.be/xjvdJ95

Why is it that some thyroid patients experience almost too good-to-be-true side effects when they STOP taking thyroid medication? And why does taking thyroid medication seem to make some people feel WORSE? Should thyroid medication make thyroid patients feel better? You would think so, but life isn’t always that simple. There are some people who lose weight when they stop taking thyroid medication and, in this video, I want to explain why. Here are two reasons: 1. You were taking levothyroxine when you didn’t need to be on it. Up to 30% of thyroid patients taking thyroid medication right now don’t need to be on it. If you are someone who is taking medication when you don’t need to, you may be making your thyroid worse (because your own thyroid gland would do a better job at regulating your levels compared to a medication). 2. Your dose of levothyroxine was too high. Contrary to what you might think, high doses of levothyroxine will not always cause weight loss. In fact, taking too much thyroid m

Everyone knows eating too much sugar can be damaging to your body, but did you know it can also be damaging to your thyroid? If weight loss and better overall health weren’t enough to convince you to give up sugar then maybe these 5 thyroid-related benefits will be. Here’s what happens to your thyroid when you give up sugar: 1. Your thyroid hormones will be more balanced. Reducing inflammation can help your body convert T4 into T3 thereby increasing thyroid function. 2. It will be easier to lose weight. Cutting sugar will improve your thyroid which increases your metabolism but also positively effects insulin levels and muscle glycogen. 3. Your skin will look better. Sugar accelerates aging by degrading the function of collagen and elastin. 4. Your thyroid gland will be better able to protect itself. Sugar impacts your microbiome which disrupts immune function. The better your immune system works, the better your thyroid can protect itself against thyroid hormone-related oxidative damage. 5.

Many patients with Hashimoto’s feel frustrated. They don’t like the idea of taking thyroid medication for life and they don’t like the idea of feeling like there’s nothing they can do to help themselves feel better. The good news is they can do something: take supplements. The right supplements are not only safe, they can also be effective at improving thyroid and immune function in people with autoimmune thyroiditis. Here are 6 supplements that can help you feel better if you have Hashimoto’s: 1. Zinc Zinc helps support the immune system, thyroid function, and thyroid conversion. My recommended zinc supplement: https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3-conversion-booster/ 2. Selenium Selenium helps increase T3 and provides protection to the thyroid gland against oxidative stress. Selenium is also found in my recommended zinc supplement: https://www.restartmed.com/product/t3-conversion-booster/ 3. Adrenal support Adrenal adaptogens help provide energy and can be combined with thyroid glandulars fo

Millions of prescriptions of thyroid medication will be filled this year and the vast majority of them will be for levothyroxine. Of those millions, only about 10% or so will go to a class of thyroid medication called natural desiccated thyroid. Despite being only 10% of all prescriptions, thyroid patients have a clear preference for it. Not only does it help with weight loss, but it also can help better control thyroid symptoms based on surveys of thyroid patients. There’s only one problem: Doctors don’t like to prescribe it. Unfortunately, they are under the impression that NDT is an inferior medication to levothyroxine which is why today, I’m busting these NDT myths. Here they are, in no particular order: 1. Claim #1: Taking NDT Will Cause Bone Loss & Heart Problems Long-term studies show this isn’t true PROVIDED you are not taking more than you need. 2. Claim #2: Newer Synthetic Medications Are More Effective The idea here is that NDT may cause side effects because of its T3 content. This

Despite what many of you may feel, it’s definitely possible to get to a normal weight if you have a thyroid problem. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, but it does mean it’s possible. In order to do that, though, you’ll want to avoid these mistakes. Mistake 1. Massive upfront calorie restriction. Calorie restriction in some form will be necessary to get to your ideal weight but many thyroid patients should spend more time focusing on their thyroid function instead of their calories, at least in the beginning. Mistake 2. No weight goal or plan. Thyroid patients who set specific goals are the ones who will reach them. If you don’t have a plan then you won’t obtain your goal. Mistake 3. Overeating healthy foods or "healthy" versions of unhealthy foods. Paleo brownies are still brownies whether they are paleo or not. Are they healthier than box brownies? Sure. But they still shouldn’t be on the menu if you are trying to lose weight. Mistake 4. Not having realistic expectations. As a thyroid patient, your w

Roughly 80% of hypothyroid or low thyroid patients say that they have trouble losing weight. It’s for this reason, that they are often attracted to dangerous diets that promise rapid weight loss. Unfortunately for them, instead of rapid weight loss, they are often met with thyroid damage, metabolic damage, and short-lived changes on the scale that revert back to normal the second they stop. Which is why today I’m going to talk about the most powerful weight loss treatments that exist for thyroid patients. If you are looking to lose weight SAFELY while ensuring that your weight won’t just come right back on the second you stop, these are for you: 1. Prolonged fasting (1-4 days) Fasting is hands down the cheapest and most reliable way to lose weight. While it is a form of calorie restriction, it works better than daily calorie restriction for patients with thyroid dysfunction (see the video for more info as to why). 2. Strategically decrease carbohydrate intake Your thyroid needs carbohydrates, at leas

There’s a lot of bad advice that gets thrown around out there for people who have Hashimoto’s. And, believe it or not, some of the worst offenders are doctors! If you have Hashimoto’s, make sure you aren’t falling for these lies: 1. Your TSH is "normal". The TSH is an accurate test for diagnosing thyroid disease but it’s not a great test for assessing if you are being adequately treated. 2. Changing your diet won’t help your thyroid. It’s always been the case that changing your diet is an important and necessary treatment for just about any disease state and Hashimoto’s is no different. 3. You’ll have to take thyroid medication forever. Even though you MIGHT have to take thyroid medication forever doesn’t guarantee that you will. New research suggests that there are a lot of patients out there who can get off their meds. 4. The best and only treatment for hypothyroidism is levothyroxine. While levothyroxine works for some people, it doesn’t work for everyone. There are plenty of other options you can lo

You should eat low carb if you have a thyroid problem like hypothyroidism and want to lose weight, right? No! Cutting your carbohydrates has been shown to REDUCE thyroid function by negatively impacting thyroid lab tests like free T3 and reverse T3. The change that we see in people who go low carb for long periods of time mimics the same thyroid lab tests we see in chronically ill patients and in those who starve themselves. In other words, if you want better thyroid function and better thyroid lab tests, you need to eat more carbs. This applies if you have hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, and even if your thyroid has been removed. But how many carbs do you need? The answer? At least 100 grams per day. These carbs should be consumed as whole food sources, NOT processed foods like pastries, cookies, cakes, donuts, etc. And don’t be stingy on fruits or 100% fruit juice either as both of these are healthy options and will not cause weight gain. Don’t worry about carbs causing weight gain either, bec

Glucomannan is a plant fiber that comes from konjac root and it has some special properties that can help you lose weight. Unlike other plant fibers (which are also healthy) it can absorb up to 100x its weight in water. This holding of water allows it to press against stretch receptors in your stomach which impacts appetite. But this is just one benefit, here are 3 ways that glucomannan can help you lose weight: 1. By helping you to control your appetite. When taken before a meal, and with water, glucomannan absorbs water which pushes against your stomach walls. This then sends signals to the brain that you are full. But, in this case, you are full of plant fiber and not food which means you are hacking your appetite. 2. By delaying the absorption of sugar and carbohydrates. When introduced to water, glucomannan turns into a sticky viscous fiber which delays the absorption of glucose and carbohydrates. This delay means better insulin and blood sugar control which means more weight loss. 3. By po

One easy way to check the status of your overall health and the health of your thyroid is by simply looking at your nails. Because your nails grow slowly, and because they respond to stressors on the inside of your body, they represent a 6 month history of your overall health. It just so happens that they also give you valuable information about your thyroid function as well. In hypothyroidism roughly: 70% of patients experience fragile nails 48% experience slow growth 40% experience thinning And 38% experience onycholysis (which is nail separation at the base) In hyperthyroidism roughly: 100% of patients experience koilonychia (which is depression of the nail in the center with flaring of the nails on the side) 83% experience softening of the nail 29% experience onycholysis (which, again, is nail separation) And 10% experience brittle nails In addition to these problems, those with thyroid problems are also at increased risk for developing: 1. Leukonychia 2. Pits in the nails 3. Brittle nail sy

Is fruit juice worse than soda or is it actually healthy for your body and thyroid? I’m going to argue that every thyroid patient should drink it and here’s why: 1. Drinking it does NOT cause weight gain. Study after study show that drinking more fruit juice is associated with a leaner BMI. 2. Drinking it will NOT cause diabetes or insulin resistance. Meta-analyses show that 100% fruit juice consumption does NOT increase diabetes risk and has a neutral impact on blood sugar. 3. Fruit juice may help reduce inflammation in your thyroid gland. The polyphenols in fruit juice can help protect your thyroid gland from oxidative damage. 4. The carbs found within can help support thyroid function. Thyroid patients need carbohydrates for optimal thyroid function so you might as well get some of these carbs from fruit juice given their may benefits. 5. Drinking it can improve your gut health. Gut function plays an important role in regulating thyroid health and drinking fruit juice can improve your gut.

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Berberine is a great over-the-counter supplement known for its benefits on weight loss, insulin, blood sugar, and even cholesterol. But if you spend some time looking around, you’ll notice that there’s a new formulation available: dihydroberberine. The formulation that most people use is known as berberine hcl, so how does this new form compare? In short, it’s probably better for these reasons: One small pilot study showed that a smaller dose of dihydroberberine was roughly 5x more effective than dihydroberberine. Given the smaller dose needed, the risk of fewer side effects, and the comparable effects, dihydroberberine is probably the preferred form for most people. The pilot study mentioned in the video, along with anecdotal reports, was enough to convince me to reformulate my own berberine supplement to dihydroberberine: https://www.restartmed.com/product/berberine-500/ But that doesn’t mean you can’t get results with regular berberine hcl. Dihydroberberine is probably best for people who ha

These 3 simple vitamins can help support your thyroid in more ways than one and, based on data from NHANES, most people aren’t getting enough of them from their diet. Here’s how they work and why they are helpful: #1. The Pro-Thyroid Benefits of Vitamin A Vitamin A helps with the production of thyroid hormones, protects your thyroid gland from autoimmune disease, prevents thyroid gland enlargement, and protects against thyroid resistance. Up to 45% of the US population doesn’t meet their vitamin A intake requirements from food so supplement may be a good idea. #2. The Pro-Thyroid Benefits of Vitamin D3 One study showed that hypothyroid patients taking vitamin D saw improvements in TSH levels and calcium regulation. Vitamin D also protects against thyroid cancer and both types of autoimmune thyroid disease (Graves’ and Hashimoto’s). #3. The Thyroid-Symptom Related Benefits of Vitamin K2 Vitamin K2 can help prevent two of the biggest consequences of low thyroid function: osteoporosis and cardiova

Do hypothyroid support supplements work? Absolutely, but only if you use the right ones. In my opinion, and based on my experience, here are the ones hypothyroid patients should be using: 1. Guggulsterone Guggulsterone has been shown in animal studies to promote thyroid hormone creation and iodine uptake thereby supporting the thyroid gland. It also happens to help with symptoms associated with low thyroid like high cholesterol. 2. T2 (3,5 diiodo-l-thyronine) As the only thyroid hormone available over the counter, T2 is a must have for low thyroid patients. It performs its own functions while also supporting the action of T3. 3. Rhodiola Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that promotes energy and better cognition and is one of my favorite adaptogens for thyroid patients. 4. Calcium D glucarate Calcium D glucarate promotes better liver health which, in turn, supports T4 to T3 conversion and the elimination of endocrine disrupting chemicals. 5. L-tyrosine L-tyrosine is needed to create thyroxine (T4 t

All thyroid hormones are important for different reasons but if we are talking about pure power, T3 reigns supreme. Compared to other thyroid hormones, it’s about 100 times more active on the thyroid nuclear receptor which means that it does the majority of the heavy lifting. And because of its power, when T3 levels are low, you will feel T3. By my estimation, low T3 is probably one of the biggest causes of persistent low thyroid symptoms among patients with hypothyroidism and is often missed because most doctors don’t check for it. But if you want to optimize your thyroid, you need to optimize your T3. Here are some of the most common causes of low T3 that you should be aware of: 1. Thyroid gland problems 2. Decreased T4 to T3 conversion 3. Relative t3 deficiency (thyroid hormone resistance) 4. Illness or chronic medical conditions 5. Nutrient deficiencies 6. Prescription medications If you suspect you have low T3 then you’ll want to watch this video which walks you through natural ways to incre

Experiencing symptoms and not sure where they are coming from? It may just be your thyroid. Owing to the fact that just bout every cell in your body has a thyroid hormone receptor, the symptoms of hypothyroidism are vast. And while you may know about the more common symptoms, there are plenty that can easily get mixed if you don’t know what you are looking for. With that in mind, here are some of the most surprising symptoms of hypothyroidism (low thyroid function): 1. High cholesterol Thyroid hormone regulates the elimination of cholesterol. When thyroid hormone is low, cholesterol clearance is decreased which causes a build-up of cholesterol in the body. 2. Menstrual problems Because thyroid hormone impacts both progesterone and estrogen, low thyroid can cause menstrual problems including problems with fertility. 3. Swelling in the legs and in the face Low thyroid function increases mucopolysaccharides in the tissues which pull water along with them. This results in swelling wherever they go.

What is a thyroid belly? It’s the characteristic shape of the abdomen that many patients with hypothyroidism end up with and it’s caused by 4 things: 1. Visceral fat. Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds your organs. Thyroid dysfunction increases your risk for developing this type of fat. The more you have of it, the more it will push outward and cause a thyroid belly. 2. Subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that wiggles and jiggles and is found underneath your skin. This type of fat can also be caused by thyroid dysfunction. 3. Gas and bloating. Thyroid patients often end up with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and constipation which can distend the abdomen and result in a thyroid belly. 4. Fluid retention Lastly, hypothyroidism and the low thyroid state can cause fluid to accumulate in the abdomen which, once again, causes a protrusion of the belly. Can you get rid of your thyroid belly? Absolutely, but it will require that you figure out which of the 4 causes I just mentioned

T2 thyroid hormone is a potent thyroid hormone and the only thyroid hormone available over the counter. For this reason, many thyroid patients have asked me how they can test their T2 level to determine if they would benefit from a T2 supplement. And while commercially available tests are not available for T2 right now, we do have a way to estimate T2 status in the body with the use of proxy measurements. These proxy measurements aren’t perfect, but they do seem to be fairly accurate based on my experience. Here are the measurements that I’m talking about: 1. Resting heart rate. If T2 is low then your resting heart rate will be low (usually in the 50s to 60s range). 2. Metabolism. Feel like your metabolism is sluggish? Low T2 could be to blame. 3. Cholesterol. When T2 is low, cholesterol levels will rise. 4. T3 and T3 levels. T2 is a byproduct of the metabolism of thyroid hormone. If your T4 and/or T3 levels are low then we can assume that T2 will probably also be low. 5. Thyroid symptom