Increasing Thyroid Activity

One of the chief drawbacks of calorie-restricted diets is their tendency to lower the body’s rate of energy production. In large part, this happens because the thyroid hormones are either released at a lessened rate or become less active.

An Indian herb may help. It turns out that this ephedra extract to increase lean tissue in the body by improving the release of fats from storage for energy and perhaps by improving the action of thyroid hormones. In a United States patent, a standardized 25mg ephedra extract is described as increasing lean body mass.

Another special Indian compound known as guggul, standardized as guggulipid (25 mg gug-gulsterones per gram), has been shown to have a dramatic impact upon cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as being an aid to weight loss. When using Ayurvedic weight-loss formulas for a period of three months, non dieting subjects lost approximately 12 pounds more than those taking a placebo. Trials using guggulipid alone without any other herbs indicated that as little as 200 mg taken three times per day before meals caused weight loss in overweight subjects. The effective dosage may vary if combined with other ingredients. These results were under non-American conditions. In the United States, guggul extracts appear to be more successful as components of more extensive formulas.

A good combination is guggul with various phosphate salts. The thyroid-activating and weight-loss stimulation of this combination is covered by a United States patent. The principal ingredients in this product are guggulsterone, phosphate salts, and the amino acid L-tyrosine (a building block for thyroid hormone and certain neurotransmit-ters). Phosphate supplementation has been proven in European trials to prevent the reduction in thyroid action and energy metabolism that usually is found with dieting. In a clinical trial, this patented product led to weight loss of just under 1 pound per week.

The mechanism by which the phosphate salts work has been explored. These appear to prevent the reduction in the conversion of thyroid hormones to their active form normally caused by very low-calorie diets. In one study, thirty overweight women participated in an eight-week slimming program consisting of a self-controlled low-energy diet supplemented with fiber and mineral tablets containing calcium, potassium, and sodium phosphates. Although there were no differences in weight loss caused by these salts, during periods of phosphate supplementation, the resting metabolic rate increased by approximately 12 percent in one group and 19 percent in a second group. No one holds that supplementation with phosphates alone induces much weight loss, yet it is significant to find that phosphates can prevent the thyroid down regulation typical of diets. Approximately 3 grams of mixed phosphate salts appears to be required for this effect.

Dieters, especially those who have been through the “diet wars” several times, should try improving thyroid functioning before opting for yet more stimulants. In addition to items such as guggul, keep in mind that the thyroid requires building blocks for its hormones. Increasing the amount of protein in the diet helps, especially the complete protein found in whey. Similarly, over a period of several months, the essential fatty acids discussed in Chapter? may help.

Georgiy Kharchenko with American Weight Loss Group LLC selling: Weight Loss Pills, ECA STACK, Phentramin D, lipodrene