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Ray Peat Was Right About Fasting & Thyroid But Nobody Listened — Key Takeaways

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Ray Peat Was Right About Fasting & Thyroid But Nobody Listened

Jay Feldman Wellness24mOct 15, 2026

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Low thyroid is usually a protective adaptation to chronic stress or under-eating — fix the energy deficit (carbs, calories, sleep, reduced stress) before considering thyroid hormone.

Key takeaways

Low-carb dieting suppresses thyroid: high rT3, low free T3, normal TSH

Low-carb dieting suppresses thyroid: high rT3, low free T3, normal TSH

  • Low energy availability signals liver to convert T4 to rT3, suppressing metabolic rate
  • Fix is refeeding carbs/calories to restore insulin signaling, not thyroid meds

Adequate carbs, fats, calories, and sleep signal the body to upregulate thyroid

Adequate carbs, fats, calories, and sleep signal the body to upregulate thyroid

  • These inputs tell the body starvation mode is over, enabling metabolism and repair
  • Avoid calorie restriction and excess exercise when metabolic rate is already downregulated

Extreme calorie restriction causes rapid muscle loss after liver glycogen depletes

Extreme calorie restriction causes rapid muscle loss after liver glycogen depletes

  • Liver glycogen depletes in 12-24 hours; body then converts muscle protein to glucose
  • Metabolic downregulation follows, halting weight loss despite severe caloric deficit

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In this video

  1. 1mThe underlying cause of hypothyroidism
  2. 9mWhat is the true value of Ray Peat’s work?
  3. 16mStress and aging: is taking thyroid medication the solution?
  4. 21mTaking control of your health vs. the modern medical system

“It's really the map. It's not like the milk, the orange juice and the stuff that he gets in social media condensed down to.”

— Mike

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Related in the Library

Ray Peat’s Forgotten Healing Principles (BV#30)

When thyroid function is low from chronic stress or undereating, adding adequate carbohydrates (one listener reversed low testosterone, rising blood glucose, and poor sleep by increasing to 350g carbs/day) is more effective than cutting calories or adding exercise, which deepens the suppression.

Why Health Experts Are Quitting Fasting (BV #32)

Skip daily 16:8 fasting entirely — even 4 days of intermittent fasting measurably shifts cortisol rhythm and suppresses T3 by up to 55% within 24 hours, and Thomas DeLauer's proposed fix (fewer but longer 20–22 hour fasts) produces the same hormonal damage per the studies he himself cites.

Why Thomas Delauer Changed His Mind & Quit 16:8 Fasting

Fasting fewer times per week but for longer durations (20–22 hours) may not reduce stress compared to daily 16:8 — longer fasts amplify cortisol, lower thyroid, and the autophagy benefits are unproven in humans.

Why Your Cholesterol Is Still High & How to Fix It

High cholesterol is most likely driven by endotoxin/gut dysbiosis, hypothyroidism (especially T3 deficiency missed by TSH-only testing), or a high-fat/low-carb diet suppressing thyroid conversion — address these root causes before considering any medication.