Q&A: Does Keto Harm Thyroid Function? Bone Health, Ketones & More

Q&A: Does Keto Harm Thyroid Function? Bone Health, Ketones & More

From Metabolic Mind by Bret Scher

May 1, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the effects of a ketogenic diet on thyroid function, bone health, and other health concerns.

Can a ketogenic diet affect your thyroid? What about bone health, uric acid, cannabis use, or ketone supplements? In this Metabolic Mailbag episode, Dr. Bret Scher and Dr. Georgia Ede answer your most pressing questions about ketogenic therapy and how it interacts with real-world health concerns. From thyroid function to mental health, this conversation highlights how nuanced and individualized metabolic therapies can be. You’ll learn: How ketogenic diets influence thyroid hormones, and why lower T3 doesn’t necessarily mean hypothyroidism When to monitor thyroid function more closely, especially with pre-existing conditions or medications like lithium What the evidence says about protein intake, uric acid, and bone health Why temporary changes during the adaptation phase (like uric acid fluctuations) may not reflect long-term outcomes How cannabis use may affect appetite, cravings, and adherence to a ketogenic diet Whether exogenous ketones and MCT oil provide the same benefits as nutritional ketosis Dr. Ede also shares a key principle: context matters. Lab values, symptoms, and individual biology all need to be considered together, especially when using ketogenic therapy for…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Bret Scher

Guest: Dr. Georgia Ede

Topics covered

  • ketogenic diet
  • thyroid function
  • bone health
  • mental health
  • metabolic therapy

Keywords

  • ketogenic diet
  • thyroid hormones
  • bone health
  • uric acid
  • cannabis use
  • ketone supplements
  • metabolic therapy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Metabolic Mailbag

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