Limiting your eating window usually results in lower calorie intake. While this is beneficial for weight loss, calorie restriction has a significant impact on your thyroid. For example, your inactive thyroid hormone, called reverse T3, increases with diet and competes with your active thyroid hormone (T3) to bind to your receptors. Both short- and long-term dieting can cause up to a 50 percent drop in your active T3 hormone. Increased reverse T3 and decreased active T3 can lead to a worsening hypothyroid state. Despite these findings, some studies show that your thyroid hormones return to pre-fasting levels after a fast with a meal, suggesting that some prolonged fasting may not be harmful for people without hypothyroidism.
Intermittent Fasting and Cortisol
Intermittent Fasting and Cortisol
p>Fasting for long periods of time can lead to low blood sugar levels and cause your adrenal glands to secrete a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that has many important functions in the body, including reducing inflammation during acute injury, helping your body adapt to dangerous situations, and regulating blood sugar levels. However, when cortisol is chronically elevated, we may experience negative side effects. For example, chronically elevated cortisol levels can disrupt thyroid hormone production and function. If you struggle with adrenal issues such as high cortisol levels, intermittent fasting can worsen cortisol balance and subsequently hinder your thyroid function.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Intermittent fasting can lead to nutrient deficiencies if not done correctly. This is an important factor because your thyroid requires nutrients such as iron, iodine, zinc, selenium, and B vitamins to make your T4 thyroid hormone sufficient. You also need adequate levels of selenium and zinc to convert T4 into your active T3 hormone. Finally, your body needs vitamin A and zinc to effectively transport active thyroid hormone into cells. Fasting aside, many Americans do not meet recommended daily allowances for nutrients such as vitamin A and iron. What's more, 95 percent of people fail to meet the recommended amounts of fiber (12). Fiber then indirectly improves your thyroid health. It plays a vital role in maintaining optimal intestinal health! Skipping meals or fasting for multiple days during the week can create nutrient deficiencies that can worsen hypothyroidism.
Intermittent Fasting and Hypothyroidism: Is it Safe?
Intermittent fasting is a tool that may be helpful for some people. . However, fasting with hypothyroidism should be done with caution. As always, focus on an unprocessed, whole food diet rich in fiber. Listen to your body and stop practices that will make you feel worse, mentally or physically. Extended fasting is not for everyone. Intermittent fasting is not recommended during pregnancy, for women with eating disorders, or for women with unresolved adrenal issues.
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