Following a keto diet may affect the production and circulation of thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland produces two primary hormones, triiodothyronine T3 , and thyroxine T4 , with T3 being the more biologically active form.

Small, short-term studies have found that a ketogenic or other low carbohydrate diet resulted in increased levels of T4 and decreased levels of T3. More research is needed to determine whether a keto diet could have a lasting effect on thyroid hormone production.

Source , Source. Brain fog can be a symptom of hypothyroidism, and studies show the keto diet has the potential to reduce it.

Unhealthy weight gain and insulin resistance may contribute to foggy thinking, forgetfulness, fatigue, and mood issues, but research shows fueling your noggin with fat may improve mental clarity.

A balanced diet with limited carbs but no caloric restriction may help improve blood sugar balance, avoiding spikes from nutrient-poor carb sources, and fuel your brain more efficiently. Carbohydrate sources of fuel burn out quickly, but healthy fats rich in fatty acids are capable of fueling the brain for longer periods of time.

This can increase mental alertness and focus while avoiding insulin resistance that causes brain fog. Used therapeutically, the keto diet may be beneficial for managing your hypothyroidism condition, resulting in positive effects on metabolism.

Though this is a restrictive diet, the many potentially beneficial health outcomes of following this plan may play a role in metabolism and include:. Though the keto diet may be beneficial for some conditions, this high fat style of eating may not be right for everyone with thyroid issues, especially those with liver, pancreatic, kidney, or gallbladder diseases.

You may experience some uncomfortable symptoms and side effects of this diet, which may include:. Though there are quite a few cons of this diet, there are some that are temporary and may be remedied so you can safely enjoy the health benefits of this eating plan.

Source , Source , Source. Is there a best diet for hypothyroidism? Researchers say there is no one, perfect eating plan for this chronic disease, but keto may be a low carbohydrate diet option for short-term management of thyroid function.

It may improve energy levels and insulin resistance, reduce consumption of inflammatory foods, and reduce fat stores for optimal health, but it may not be a good option for all health conditions.

Your age, macronutrient intake, physical activity, metabolism, sleep hygiene, and stress levels all play a role in how the ketogenic diet will affect your ability to reach and maintain ketosis.

One of the potential pros of the ketogenic diet is that it may help manage symptoms of hypothyroidism, but this style of eating has many cons, too. Explore our high touch pathways and find out how our Nutritional Therapy Practitioners can help you find the right style of eating to suit your needs.

Cleveland Clinic. Side effects of a ketogenic diet. Dowis, K. The potential health benefits of the ketogenic diet: A narrative review. Nutrients , 13 5 , Ettleson, M. Brain fog in hypothyroidism: Understanding the patient's perspective. Endocrine Practice , 28 3 , — Health Essentials.

What is the keto diet and should you try it? Iacovides, S. Could the ketogenic diet induce a shift in thyroid function and support a metabolic advantage in healthy participants? A pilot randomized-controlled-crossover trial. PLOS ONE , 17 6 , e Mayo Clinic.

Pros and cons of a keto diet. Mount Sinai. T3 test. Volek, J. Body composition and hormonal responses to a carbohydrate-restricted diet.

Patients with a personal or family history of thyroid disease and those who had taken medications for a nonseizure indication within the previous 6 months were excluded. Free tri-iodothyronine fT3 , free thyroxine fT4 , and thyroid-stimulating hormone TSH levels were measured after an overnight fast at baseline and at posttreatment months 1, 3, 6, and Hypothyroidism was diagnosed more commonly in those with an elevated baseline TSH level compared with those with a normal TSH at baseline A total of 20 patients were diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism and started on L-thyroxin in the first 6 months of ketogenic diet therapy.

More females were noted to have hypothyroidism than to not have thyroid dysfunction. No patients were diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Several antiepileptics affect thyroid function, so results were stratified based on drug therapy, and no difference was found in thyroid levels.

Although there are several limitations to this single-center study, the authors concluded that the ketogenic diet might cause hypothyroidism in children with refractory epilepsy. Navigate back to the homepage SHOP TESTS. TAKE QUIZ. The keto diet has gained immense popularity in recent years and is often touted as a magic bullet for weight loss.

But the simple truth is the keto diet is not for everyone. Regardless of the eating pattern you use, it is essential to consider your unique needs; this is especially true if you have a thyroid disorder or are at risk for developing one.

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and moderate-protein pattern of eating. Many people use the ketogenic diet to achieve their health goals, such as losing weight.

The keto pattern of eating has the potential to detrimentally impact hormone balance, particularly that of the thyroid hormones. If you have a thyroid condition and want to try the ketogenic diet, at-home lab testing can help you find a keto modification that meets your needs.

The keto diet was originally used to treat childhood epilepsy. As science advanced and anti-epileptic medications became more available, the diet faded in popularity, until recently! Internet search terms related to the ketogenic diet started to see a dramatic increase in the s, a fact likely attributable to celebrities and social media influencers shouting from the rooftops the weight-loss results they saw with the diet.

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate pattern of eating. For reference, a bagel has about 50 grams of carbohydrate. While cutting out carbs may not sound all that fun, there are some research-backed benefits to doing so.

From helping with blood sugar control, to improving lipid panels, to helping get rid of those pesky love handles, the keto diet can certainly have a positive impact on your health.

Background: The ketogenic diet KD has been shown to result in body mass loss in people with disease as well as healthy people, yet the effect of the KD on thyroid function and metabolism are unknown.

Objective: We aimed to determine the effects of a KD, compared with an isocaloric high-carbohydrate low-fat HCLF diet, on resting metabolic rate and thyroid function in healthy individuals. Design: Eleven healthy, normal-weight participants mean SD age: 30 9 years completed this randomized crossover-controlled study.

Importantly, while on the KD, the participants were required to remain in a state of nutritional ketosis for three consecutive weeks. Crossover analyses and linear mixed models were used to assess effect of diet on body mass, thyroid function and resting metabolic rate.

There was a significant increase in T4 concentration from pre-diet levels following the KD diet There was a significantly greater T3:T4 ratio following the HCLF diet 0. Conclusions: Although the diets were isocaloric and physical activity and resting metabolic rate remained constant, the participants lost more mass after the KD than after the HCLF diet.

More females were noted to have hypothyroidism than to not have thyroid dysfunction. No patients were diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. Several antiepileptics affect thyroid function, so results were stratified based on drug therapy, and no difference was found in thyroid levels. Although there are several limitations to this single-center study, the authors concluded that the ketogenic diet might cause hypothyroidism in children with refractory epilepsy.

Female gender and higher TSH levels at baseline were found to be independent risk factors for hypothyroidism in patients following the ketogenic diet. Additionally, there is controversy in the literature about treating subclinical hypothyroidism in children. At a minimum, thyroid function should be monitored in children being treated with the ketogenic diet.

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The keto diet can also reduce inflammation, modulate the immune response, improve thyroid function, and reduce hypothyroidism symptoms. This is because, with a keto diet, you are limiting highly inflammatory foods that contain substances that can negatively impact the thyroid.

Tara trusted the Keto Girl process. She started avoiding high inflammatory foods , and rather than tracking her carbs, she listened to her body. She began taking note of when she was hungry and full, and what inflammation felt like. Within a week she had lost weight, had more energy and was sleeping better.

After a month, she was incorporating several higher carb days while still being able to go back into ketosis the next day. With these keto and hypothyroidism changes, Tara watched her weight consistently drop.

After 12 weeks of following the Keto Girl method, Tara was 10 pounds down compared to the 7 months and only 10 pounds down she was after following a regular keto diet and strict fasting beforehand. During her last week, she went to her doctor to have her thyroid panel redrawn.

Her thyroid levels were surprisingly high, so the doctor took her off her Levothyroxine. Her thyroid levels were normalizing due to the new Keto Girl diet.

Tara will continue to follow the Keto Girl Method; it is her new medicine. If you are struggling with hypothyroidism and want to lose weight and feel better, I can help!

As a keto weight loss nutritionist, I can support you with tailored advice so that you can eat foods that are filling, make you happy AND will help you shed those unwanted pounds. Apply for keto coaching today to get started on your journey.

View Larger Image. What is hypothyroidism? Trying keto with little success Tara was tired of gaining weight. Doing it the Keto Girl way Tara trusted the Keto Girl process.

The final week with keto and hypothyroidism After 12 weeks of following the Keto Girl method, Tara was 10 pounds down compared to the 7 months and only 10 pounds down she was after following a regular keto diet and strict fasting beforehand.

Apply for Coaching. Share This Post with Your Friends! Here is the big difference. When in a state of metabolic ketosis, any time that you are not getting enough fuel, your body will convert fats into fuel and will eventually use your own fats, if you run out of glycogen.

That process does result in some ketones being made. The most thorough amount of research that has been done on this diet has centered around children with epilepsy. I will mention more as we go along, but it is important to note that this audience is the main source of data that we have on possible thyroid side effects.

Bottom Line: All studies on the keto diet and thyroid, done to date, agree that the ketogenic diet has the potential to be harmful to thyroid function. The findings here are especially important because thyroid disease increased with age and is less common in pediatric populations.

When it comes to the more recent and higher-quality studies performed, they are ones which looked at kids who were on the ketogenic diet for the prevention of seizures. In the largest study, children of both genders , between the ages of 4 — 11, were treated with the diet for at least 1 year.

After 1, 3, 6, and 12 months on the diet, the following were measured:. The rate of hypothyroidism among preadolescent children is roughly 1 in , or about 0. Due to these findings, the researchers concluded that the diet itself caused thyroid malfunction.

Ultimately, they suggested that thyroid function should be monitored regularly in those with epilepsy who were on the ketogenic diet.

In the second study, researchers tracked children for two full years. They found that thyroid function did change, and that the change was more pronounced in those who:. These researchers came to the same conclusions as the first, that if a patient was to be on this particular diet, their thyroid function would need to be monitored closely.

One of the benefits of the ketogenic diet is that it may lower insulin levels. Many people can have problems when it comes to having too much insulin. Yet, too little can also be just as bad.

Bottom Line: If you are on a diet that lowers your insulin levels to the point where your liver cannot adequately make T3 out of T4, you are inadvertently doing damage to your thyroid.

This is done by pushing your levels way too low. The studies that we cited earlier focused primarily on children, and even though I had mentioned that thyroid problems do get worse with age, it is important to consider some of the research done on adult populations.

In fact, the earliest studies on the ketogenic diet and thyroid function were on adults. They evaluated how very low carb diets, that were not low in calories, affected thyroid hormone levels in adults. The findings were such that the lower the diet was in carbs, the more T3 lowered and reverse T3 elevated.

This was also the same change noted in cases of starvation, as the body attempted to slow its metabolic rate in order to store fat and stave off illness and death. This study found that it was not just starvation, but that carbohydrate restriction itself was responsible for the changes in thyroid function.

Another study performed, on completely healthy volunteers, showed the exact same findings. On a ketogenic diet, the thyroid function slowed.

T3 levels dropped, and reverse T3 elevated. This change occurred even when the calories were not reduced. Bottom Line: The ketogenic diet has been shown to slow thyroid function in both children and adults.

No doubt about it. It became clear to me, after digging into the science behind this popular diet, that the excitement behind it was buoyed more on speculation than evidence. Besides thyroid function, there were also other areas studied — the most included were on:.

Evidence has shown that the ketogenic diet can be helpful for pediatric epilepsy which has been otherwise non-responsive to medication. This is by far the best-studied application of the diet, but it is not a magic bullet by any means it may not even work for 78 — There are also inherent risks when it comes to treating epilepsy this way, so much so that there are debates whether or not the benefits of fewer seizures are even worth it.

Bottom Line: The positive effects that we know about the ketogenic diet revolve around young patients and epilepsy. But it is certainly not a cure all in these terms.

It can help some, with risk, but for most it simply does not work the vast majority, even. How does the ketogenic diet contribute to athletic performance? A high-fat, low-carb diet may impair exercise performance by reducing the capacity to utilize carbs effectively.

This would typically go on to be a key fuel source of skeletal muscles during intense, endurance-based exercise. So, what does this mean? Recently, we have seen an influx of ketone body supplements like ketone salts and esters on the market These can be used to rapidly increase ketone body availability without the need to first adapt to a ketogenic diet.

However, the extent to which ketone bodies regulate skeletal muscles and metabolism during prolonged periods of exercise remains unknown. Therefore, as of this moment, there is no reliable information to suggest that it would improve your athletic performance.

The most attractive aspect of the ketogenic diet is often that it does not matter how much food you are consuming, as long as you are still within a ketogenic state.

Can you use the ketogenic diet to lose weight? A controlled isocaloric study showed that the proportion of carbs to fats in the diet is irrelevant to energy expenditure and weight loss. Particularly when dietary proteins and energy intake are held at a constant.

The big promise of the ketogenic diet only leads to weight loss if there is a fuel deficit. There is no chain reaction, and no inspiration for your body to start burning up fat out of control Read: Carbs vs ketosis. The key to doing that is all about eating a good variety of:.

Bottom Line: The ketogenic diet may result in a decrease of weight and body fat, but it is certainly not the magic bullet that some may claim for weight loss or proper dieting.

For reference, a bagel has about 50 grams of carbohydrate. While cutting out carbs may not sound all that fun, there are some research-backed benefits to doing so. From helping with blood sugar control, to improving lipid panels, to helping get rid of those pesky love handles, the keto diet can certainly have a positive impact on your health.

The keto diet mimics a fast and deprives your body of its preferred source of energy: The lovely carbohydrate. When you restrict dietary carbs, you use glycogen stores of carbs in your liver and muscles.

Once those stores are gone, typically after about 12 hours , you can then enter… ketogenesis. The fat stores are accessed to create ketone bodies which are then used for energy.

Your heart, muscle tissue, kidneys, and brain can use ketone bodies for energy, but your red blood cells and liver cannot. Ketone bodies also have cell-protective antioxidant properties!

Thank you, biology! Symptoms are typically short-term and last a number of days; be sure to stay hydrated as this can help stave off some symptoms. Located on the front side of your neck and below your voice box, your thyroid is a tiny gland that plays a huge role in the development of your body and maintenance of your metabolism.

In short, T3 tells your cells how quickly to work. Too little T3 can lead to hypothyroidism where your cells operate more slowly you might have a slower heartbeat, for example. The keto diet is not the best hormone balancing diet and does have the potential to detrimentally alter thyroid hormone levels.

Research indicates periods of starvation which the keto diet mimics as well as weight loss from the keto diet can lower T3 levels, leading to weight gain! We will discuss:. So if you want to know the details keep reading we will get into the details.

The thing with the ketogenic diet and hypothyroid is that there is a theory or hypothesis that this diet will slow the conversion of your T4 into T3.

To that you might say, why is that important? Well T3 is the active form of your thyroid hormone. T4 is the main thyroid hormone that your thyroid gland makes. The T4 hormone does not really do a whole lot in terms of thyroid activity in your cells and tissues.

However it is converted in the peripheral tissue, your cells and tissues all over your body, into T3. These levels of T4 and T3 can be measured in your blood. The theory is that following a ketogenic diet will cause less of this conversion into the active form of the thyroid hormone. By the way, this T3 hormone is also responsible for the thermogenic and metabolic effects of your thyroid hormone.

So if you are making less of this then potentially you will to be less metabolically active. Most of the people doing the ketogenic diet are doing so to lose weight, not everybody but most.

Read More on the Health Benefits of The Ketogenic Diet. I n that sense then maybe thyroid effects are negating some of that weight loss effect of ketogenic diet by reducing the conversion of your T4 to T3. Let's take a little deeper dive into this and look at what some other research actually says about it.

One study looked at children that were put on a ketogenic diet to prevent seizures. These were epileptic children that medications were not working for to lower or prevent their seizures.

Over the course of about one year the researchers found those on this diet had a statistically significant increase in the diagnosis of hypothyroidism.

Another smaller study looked at the same demographic and they found a trend towards decreased thyroid function. This study was over two years but they did not find a statistically significant increase in actual hypothyroidism.

With that said, there was a small trend toward decreased thyroid function. A few studies in adults looked at the same question. These did show a decrease in some of the thyroid measurements like a decline in some of the thyroid measurements. Specifically they saw a decrease in the conversion of T4 to T3.

The actual T3 measurement was lower but there was no change in the T4 measurement. They didn't show any statistically significant change or impairment in things like metabolism or the overall thyroid function.

In fact, it can be a great asset and tool for many people including some with thyroid disease. My goal here is not to scare you away from this diet altogether, but it is to teach you to have a healthy respect for therapies and how they may potentially impact your thyroid in a negative way.

Believe it or not, losing weight the right way can actually help your thyroid to function more optimally. Several studies have shown that weight loss is usually associated with a decline in free T3, total T3, and an increase in reverse T3 1. The advice you will be given by your doctor or nutritionist is to eat less and exercise more.

It means that the studies which show how weight loss impacts thyroid function occur as a result of weight loss from calorie-restricted diets.

If you want to lose weight long-term, then this is absolutely NOT the way to do it because these types of diets WILL damage your metabolism and your thyroid. But what about the ketogenic diet? Is there something different in how keto helps you lose weight compared to calorie-restricted diets?

If the keto diet is done correctly, and if it is not associated with significant or sustained calorie restriction, then it can help with weight loss which may then improve your thyroid.

In fact, weight loss can actually promote normal thyroid function 2 as hormones such as leptin and insulin decrease. By virtue of carbohydrate reduction, keto tends to have a profound impact on insulin sensitivity. The second way that the ketogenic diet may positively impact your thyroid is through its influence on the hormone leptin.

Leptin is one of the most important hormones that your body uses to help regulate your weight and your metabolism. As you gain weight and are unable to lose it, leptin levels will increase and you may develop what is known as leptin resistance.

And leptin resistance negatively impacts thyroid function through the hypothalamus by reducing your metabolism and by reducing free T3 and free T4 levels 3. Any therapy which helps your body become more sensitive to leptin will help you lose weight and help improve your thyroid indirectly.

And because the ketogenic diet can help with weight loss it may also help sensitize your brain to leptin. Some studies show that the ketogenic diet may actually increase leptin levels 4. When you have mild leptin resistance or just a few pounds to lose an increase in leptin can paradoxically help you lose weight.

But the farther you get from that target weight the more you want to focus on lowering leptin not increasing it. Based on my experience and reading of the research, I tend to think of this diet as potentially causing more harm than good for most thyroid patients. The reason I feel this way is that managing and balancing your thyroid is already so tenuous and difficult, to begin with.

If you have hypothyroidism then you already know how difficult it can be to get your doctor on board with newer treatments, the use of supplements, and thyroid medications that contain T3. So why would you want to risk further damaging your thyroid with the keto diet when the consequence may be very difficult to deal with?

And most people can simply stop the offending therapy in this case diet , to normalize their thyroid function again. The first reason you want to be careful with the ketogenic diet is that it has been shown to suppress free thyroid hormone levels 5. There are some thyroid patients who feel well while using the keto diet but upon testing their thyroid, notice that their thyroid function declined from their baseline.

These patients often see a decline in free T3 and total T3 and a slight rise in their TSH. This is a classic presentation of hypothyroidism and probably represents early damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis prompted by the effects of the keto diet.

If you start to see this sort of change in your thyroid lab tests while you are using the ketogenic diet then it is probably a good idea to stop as soon as possible. For whatever reason, there are certain thyroid patients who are at increased risk of thyroid damage when doing the ketogenic diet. It stands to reason that the more risk factors you have the more likely you are to see thyroid problems when going keto.

Another complicating factor when considering keto is the use of thyroid medication. Thyroid medications, such as levothyroxine, are frequently used to help boost thyroid hormone levels in cases of hypothyroidism or low thyroid function. These medications are so common that they are frequently at the top of the list of most prescribed medications in the United States.

In other words, thyroid medication shuts down your thyroid gland in a dose-dependent manner. This may become an issue when you use the ketogenic diet because it can influence how much thyroid hormone your body needs.

This means you MUST address your thyroid medication either up or down based on these changes. But if you are someone that is struggling to get your doctor on board with new therapies or new diets such as the keto diet , changes to your thyroid function can be used as ammunition to try to get you to stop.

So, if you find that the ketogenic diet puts increased demand on your thyroid gland, you may need to alter your dose of thyroid medication to compensate. The hormones that I am referring to here include progesterone , cortisol , and estrogen.

All three of these hormones can be positively or negatively impacted by the ketogenic diet. And if this stress tips the balance towards the negative side of the spectrum, then it may cause further issues to your overall health and your thyroid.