definitely mayb
Member
I've read Ray's articles on thyroid, as well as Danny Roddy's article on thyroid supplementation. I've also read much of Ray's other work, and have listened to a lot of material from the Generative Energy podcast. However, I still find myself confused about hypothyroidism and its treatment.
I think Broda Barnes would argue that if your body temperature and pulse rate is low, you're hypothyroid. (Full disclosure, I'm inferring this secondhand. The book is in the mail!) But obviously your body temps depend on mitochondrial performance. And so I would think that chain of reasoning (low temp -> hypothyroid) is not so simple: i.e., your thyroid could be performing optimally, but you could have impaired mitochondrial function.
Further, I find myself confused that Danny, who I assume has been living the "Ray Peat lifestyle" for around a decade or more, has not been able to restore natural thyroid function. Ray himself also supplements thyroid, but obviously has experienced more bodily wear and tear. Am I to infer that the average person is also not able to restore natural thyroid function via lifestyle interventions?
I write this from the perspective a 36 year old male with low body temperatures. (Typically, my temp on waking is around 97.6 F, and it generally stays around that level until later in the day.) My TSH is 0.79. So, unless I can find a Peaty doctor, I think the only way I would be able to supplement thyroid hormone is by ordering it online, which I'm less inclined to do.
For about the last month or two I've been trying to raise my temps through strict PUFA avoidance, aspirin supplementation, focusing on calcium/phosphate, and amino acid balance. I notice that aspirin helps temps somewhat. But I can't say I've noticed any improvements when I'm not taking it. I know from Ray's writings that PUFA and certain amino acids are thyroid suppressive. So maybe I would need to keep this up. But the fact that others in the community can live this way and still need to supplement leaves me wondering. And I further wonder whether it wouldn't be more optimal to supplement thyroid in the short term, while also continuing the aforementioned lifestyle interventions.
Curious what you all think.
I think Broda Barnes would argue that if your body temperature and pulse rate is low, you're hypothyroid. (Full disclosure, I'm inferring this secondhand. The book is in the mail!) But obviously your body temps depend on mitochondrial performance. And so I would think that chain of reasoning (low temp -> hypothyroid) is not so simple: i.e., your thyroid could be performing optimally, but you could have impaired mitochondrial function.
Further, I find myself confused that Danny, who I assume has been living the "Ray Peat lifestyle" for around a decade or more, has not been able to restore natural thyroid function. Ray himself also supplements thyroid, but obviously has experienced more bodily wear and tear. Am I to infer that the average person is also not able to restore natural thyroid function via lifestyle interventions?
I write this from the perspective a 36 year old male with low body temperatures. (Typically, my temp on waking is around 97.6 F, and it generally stays around that level until later in the day.) My TSH is 0.79. So, unless I can find a Peaty doctor, I think the only way I would be able to supplement thyroid hormone is by ordering it online, which I'm less inclined to do.
For about the last month or two I've been trying to raise my temps through strict PUFA avoidance, aspirin supplementation, focusing on calcium/phosphate, and amino acid balance. I notice that aspirin helps temps somewhat. But I can't say I've noticed any improvements when I'm not taking it. I know from Ray's writings that PUFA and certain amino acids are thyroid suppressive. So maybe I would need to keep this up. But the fact that others in the community can live this way and still need to supplement leaves me wondering. And I further wonder whether it wouldn't be more optimal to supplement thyroid in the short term, while also continuing the aforementioned lifestyle interventions.
Curious what you all think.