Episode 236: Why Does Cholesterol Rise When Thyroid Physiology Slows Down?
About this episode
Dr. Eric Balcavage discusses the relationship between thyroid physiology and elevated cholesterol levels.
Many people are told their elevated cholesterol and LDL levels are simply the result of diet, lack of exercise, or genetics. But what if rising cholesterol is actually a clue that thyroid physiology is slowing down? In this episode of the Thyroid Answers Podcast, Dr. Eric Balcavage explains the important relationship between thyroid signaling, T4 to T3 conversion, cellular metabolism, liver function, bile production, and cholesterol regulation. He discusses why cholesterol is essential for health, how the body produces and uses it, and why elevated cholesterol may be a sign that the body is struggling to convert food energy into cellular energy efficiently. Dr. Balcavage breaks down several mechanisms by which reduced thyroid signaling may contribute to elevated cholesterol and LDL levels, including decreased T4 to T3 conversion, impaired cholesterol transport, reduced LDL receptor activity, diminished bile production, and impaired bile flow. He also explains why simply lowering cholesterol with medication may not address the underlying physiologic stressors driving these changes. If you've been told your cholesterol is high despite eating well, exercising regularly, and doing…
More episodes of Thyroid Answers Podcast
- Episode 240: What Mitochondrial Testing Can and Cannot Tell You - Why a Bottleneck is Not Always a Deficiency
- Episode 239: Stress, Food, and the Hypothyroid Body with Ginny Mahar
- Episode 238: Mitochondrial Dysfunction: The New Functional Medicine Rabbit Hole?
- Episode 237: Why Thyroid Medications and Supplements Work at First… Then Stop
- Episode 235: Your Thyroid Labs Are "Normal"… But Are They Appropriate?
- Episode 234: The GI Connection to Hormone Disorders with Dr. Cassie Smith
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