There are various dosing strategies to consider when taking all natural desiccated thyroid (NDT). Each capsule provides 30MG of desiccated thyroid (with 470MG of desiccated liver). A conservative dose is just one capsule a day; however, it is more common to take two capsules a day for the first two weeks, then increase by one capsule every two weeks in search of the optimal dose. As a reminder, Grass Fed Beef Thyroid is a natural, whole food dietary supplement, unlike Armour, Naturethroid, Westhroid-P (WP) and NP Thyroid which are concentrated USP thyroid extracts derived from porcine. For an in depth dosing resource on USP thyroid extracts.

• Weeks 1 & 2 - Two capsules daily in the early morning (or) split dosage
• Weeks 3 & 4 - Three capsules daily in the early morning (or) split dosage
 
• Weeks 5 & 6 - Four capsules daily in the early morning (or) split dosage
• Weeks 7 & 8 - Five capsules daily in the early morning (or) split dosage
 
• Weeks 9 & 10 - Six capsules daily in the early morning (or) split dosage
• Weeks 11 & 12 - Seven capsules daily in the early morning (or) split dosage
• Weeks 13 & 14 - Eight capsules daily in the early morning (or) split dosage

Early Morning: Take one capsule as soon as you wake in the morning on an empty stomach. Wait at least one hour before food and ideally two hours before coffee. If you haven't tried bulletproof coffee, now might be a good time.

Split Dosage: Take a main dosage in the early morning (e.g. four capsules), then take a smaller dosage in the afternoon (e.g. two capsules). This can help to achieve a more stable level of energy throughout the day without disrupting sleep.

The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare professional.

The primary issue that can occur with consuming natural desiccated thyroid is over-stimulation. This is an indication that a person has taken too much at a given time. Signs of over-stimulation include: increased heart rate (or) heart palpitations, feeling anxious, feeling shaky, feeling hotter than usual and sometimes fatigue. It is important to reduce the dosage following any issue, such as those related to over-stimulation. The effects of over-stimulation are temporary and should subside within a few hours; however, if over-stimulation persists beyond twenty-four hours, this should be addressed by a qualified healthcare professional.

For most of human history, we effortlessly consumed like-supports-like nutrition that supported our strength, health and happiness. In the modern world, we unknowingly struggle to fulfill our nutritional needs. It's easy to see why so many kids and adults alike are walking around like zombies. The nourishing wisdom that allowed our early ancestors to live a vibrant, disease-free life has been tucked away for convenient, cheap, hyperpalatable food-like products that support big industry as opposed to our health. These products might appeal to taste, but they leave us hungry and stuffed because our bodies are still starving for true whole-food nourishment. As a result, the most common nutrient deficiencies are also implicated with thyroid health.

• Vitamin A - Look to liver for real, preformed vitamin A (retinol). If you're not consuming liver (or) desiccated liver, you're probably deficient.
• Vitamin D - Get sensible sun exposure, eat wild fish eggs... or, consider a vitamin D3 supplement.
• Vitamin K - Eat your fermented foods like natto and veggies like kimchi and sauerkraut... or, consider a vitamin K complex supplement.
• B12 - Again, liver reigns supreme here providing 13.6 mcg (230% DV) of vitamin B12 per serving (6 capsules of our Grass Fed Beef Liver).
• Choline - Liver's got you covered... pasture-raised egg yolks are also a rich source of choline.
• Iron - The recurring theme here is liver... and other red meats, oysters and sardines.
• Iodine - Sea vegetables. Consider organic kelp granules to add in bone broth soup, sprinkle over salad or as a seasoning to all dishes.
• Selenium - Simple, eat one organic brazil nut a day.
• Magnesium - It's really hard to get enough magnesium from diet. Look for a transdermal magnesium oil. Apply before bedtime.

It's not hard to see why liver is considered a nutritional powerhouse and included in the Grass Fed Beef Thyroid supplement — liver fills nutrition gaps more completely than any other food. A whole food, nutrient-dense diet provides the nourishment we need in order to express the strongest and healthiest version of ourselves... Food forms the basis of our health. 

Our biology is truly remarkable as it relates to our ability to heal... we just need to create the right environment for healing to take place. Bruce Lipton's work regarding The Biology Of Belief demonstrates that we are indeed the architects of our experience. We can, and we do, create cell signals (perceptions) with our thoughts. So stay positive... think about the wonderful things in your life that you're grateful for... eat like our early ancestors did... move around like our ancestors did... slow down... go barefoot, connect to the earth... get sensible sun exposure... sleep like a rock... keep stress in check... and breathe.

Okay, you're convinced! You're going to start incorporating organs and glands in your routine because, well... you're educated now... you understand, just as our early ancestors did, that they provide superlative health benefits that are missing in our modern diets. The next step is sourcing it. It's important that you source the highest quality because not all organs and glands are created equal. Consider the source, consider this:  

 
• Should Come from An Unpolluted Geographical Region — Isolated, Healthy, Pristine Lands 
• Should Come from Pasture Raised Cows
• Should Come from Grass Fed & Grass-Finished Cows
• Should Come from Cows That Are Hormone, Pesticide & GMO-free
• Should Also Be Ultra-Pure... Absolutely No Fillers (or) Flow Agents, No Allergens
• Should Be Non-Defatted
• Should Be 100% Freeze-dried... Freeze Drying Preserves Heat Sensitive Biological Activity.

High-quality liver from pasture-raised, Grass Fed cows is completely safe to consume. There is a common misconception about the liver being a storage depot for toxins which couldn't be further from fact. One of the many roles of liver is to filter toxins and send them to be expelled — usually in the urine via the kidney. In other words, the liver does not hold on to toxins, it expels them. The liver does act as a storage depot for vitamins, minerals and glycogen. Rest assured, liver from healthy animals is safe, nutritious and time-tested.

Need more assurance... Recall that liver is rich in choline, folate and B12. A diet rich in these nutrients supports methylation. Amongst other things, methylation is central to detoxification. What's more, is that without adequate choline (most Americans) fatty deposits may accumulate that contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Downstream issues include compromised detoxification, high cholesterol and memory problems. The take-home message is this... Grass Fed, pasture-raised liver is not only safe to consume but one could say that its nutrients are required to support and optimize our own detoxification pathways. Enjoy!

Our early ancestors were regularly subjected to cold temperatures. It’s most likely why we humans have brown adipose tissue (BAT). BAT is especially abundant in newborns and in hibernating mammals.[9] It is also present and metabolically active in adult humans and its primary function is thermoregulation. In the modern world though, we are rarely subjected to cold temperatures for any real duration... Let's face it, who likes that uncomfortable frigid feeling that comes with cold, especially when we have access to warmth 24/7. In modern times, we simply put on some clothes… turn up the heater… or we avoid the cold altogether by staying inside. Our potential for strength and health remains encoded in our DNA, and under certain conditions, we can genetically express the strongest, healthiest version of ourselves. Those "certain conditions" almost always have to do with like-supports-like nutrition. In this instance, it has to do with getting cold.

 
• Improves blood circulation so the arteries work more efficiently at pumping blood, therefore boosting our overall heart health 
• Promotes “hardening,” which results in increased tolerance to stress and disease 
• Upgrades the immune system by increasing glutathione (our master antioxidant) and decreasing inflammatory markers

Intentional cold exposures initiate adaptive processes and response mechanisms that are hardwired into our genes. We have 60,000 miles of blood vessels within us that are lined with smooth muscles that constrict (or) dilate based on our perception of temperature. This process of vasoconstriction and vasodilation is like exercise for your blood vessels.Cold exposure benefits include boosting heart health through improved circulation and increased tolerance to stress, upgraded immunity, and enhanced metabolic flexibility. Rhonda Patrick, PHD writes “cold exposures increase cold shock proteins including one in the brain that repairs damaged synapses and in muscle prevents atrophy, how a cold-induced catecholamine lowers inflammation and pain by decreasing the levels of 3 inflammatory mediators…” [10] This is very, very interesting stuff and it's grounded in evolutionary science.Give it a try. Start with cold/hot shower contrasts for 30 seconds at a time. At first, you'll downright hate me for it because it is downright uncomfortable. Continue the shower contrasts over a 30 day period. Take notice how you feel afterward... it will keep you coming back for more. It gets easier and easier because the adaptive mechanisms, including the smooth muscles that line the blood vessels, adapt... they get stronger, faster and more efficient at doing what they were designed to do. You will notice that your ability to withstand cold will increase considerably after only a few days. Like any other stressor, we adapt… it gets easier… and it starts to feel amazing.You never know, cold exposures could easily be the missing link to the strength, energy and other health benefits that we are all after. Send me an email... let me know your thoughts... let me know your questions. I'd love to hear from you. Our mission is our purpose... putting back in, what the modern world has left out.

  Stay positive... think about the wonderful things in your life that you're grateful for... eat like our early ancestors did... move around like our ancestors did... avoid danger like our ancestors did (think lions, trans fats, sugars, fluoride, excessive wifi, emfs, vaccines, mercury, etc)... slow down... go barefoot, connect to the earth... get sensible sun exposure... get cold (environmental conditioning)... mind your magnesium... sleep like a rock... keep stress in check... and breathe like Wim Hof.

Perhaps we could learn something from the most ketogenic culture of all time when it comes to thyroid health and its influence on one of the most important markers of health status… fertility!!

Weston Price described how a far North Native Indian culture consumed thyroid to ensure the health and survival of their offspring. Here’s an excerpt from Nutrition and Physical Degeneration…

“For the Indians of the far North [reinforcement of fertility] was accomplished by supplying special feedings of organs of animals. Among the Indians in the moose country near the Arctic Circle a larger percentage of the children were born in June than in any other month. This was accomplished, I was told, by both parents eating liberally of the thyroid glands of the male moose as they came down from the high mountain areas for the mating season, at which time the large protuberances carrying the thyroids under the throat were greatly enlarged.”

It could well have been that consumption of moose thyroid was an important means of maintaining fertility in the face of the level of carbohydrate restriction that the Arctic environment forced on its inhabitants.

I personally love ketosis… I especially go deeper into ketosis during the Winter months in an effort to model ancestral living. That said, I also like to consume Grass Fed Beef Thyroid during this time… I, as well as others that I know that do the same, feel and function and perform much better with a little thyroid on board. We’ve all done plenty of testing with FREE T3 to support this ancient ancestral practice.

I keep getting questions about the ketogenic diet and thyroid dysfunction. Can the two coexist? Is it good... is it bad... everyone has an opinion, and everyone wants an answer. Here's your answer...

Functional ranges of FREE T3 are 3.0 – 4.0 pg/mL. If you’re below 3.0 pg/mL, you might be hypothyroid. Would ketosis hurt ya or help ya… Completely depends on why you’re hypothyroid… for instance, if you’re hypothyroid because of stress/cortisol dysfunction, then chances are your reverse T3 (rT3) has been upregulated thus displacing free T3 (at the cellular level) in an effort to slow you down and get you recovered. Same thing happens when you get sick, or get the flu but with chronic stress, it’s never ending which is why hypothyroid is common here. Going low carb/keto could be disastrous because keto is yet another low-grade chronic stress.... Not sleeping well is a low-grade stress... Not eating well is a low-grade stress... Food sensitives (especially gluten, msgs, artificial food-like products) are a low-grade stress... Moving too much (or) not moving enough is a low-grade stress... Danger/poison is a stress (think lions, trans fats, sugars, fluoride, excessive wifi, emfs, vaccines, mercury, non-native water, plastics, non-native clothing, non-native bedding, non-native eating and drinking containers, flame retardants, etc)... you get the picture.

On the other hand, if you’re vitamin A and/or D deficient (like most people), this can prevent T3 from activating your cell. Or, if you have a selenium or iodine deficiency, conversion of T4 to T3 (active thyroid hormone) issues can arise. In these cases, going keto is probably not going to hurt but it’s obviously more important to fill the nutrition gaps to support one’s thyroid.

Here’s the question… Why are your reverse T3 numbers high? Do you know your FREE T3 numbers? Cortisol is important too but you’d need a 24 hour saliva test to know what’s going on here. In summary, keto is not categorically bad for people with hypothyroid issues… but it could be… it just depends.

Janie A. Bowthorpe developed a comprehensive website and book called "Stop the Thyroid Madness." Her work has been an invaluable resource for patients and doctors dealing with thyroid issues. The following information is a very abridged version from her website which can be accessed here.

TSH - (with a low free T3) is more about hypopituitary, not the thyroid.

Free T4, Free T3 and Reverse T3 (RT3) -  “Free” in front of T3 and T4 is measuring what is available for use unlike the “total.” 

Thyroid Antibodies - both anti-TPO and anti-thyroglobulin are needed, not just one.

Iron Panel - all four iron labs are needed because ferritin can be low due to high heavy metals, not just low iron.

Janie's website also recommends saliva cortisol testing, B12, magnesium, other minerals, plus D3 and sex hormones which can all play a role in thyroid health. Many health professionals don't know that these labs exist, much less know how to interpret the data. To understand these labs and what to do, I again refer you to "Stop The Thyroid Madness" webpage — all about lab values which can be found here and Chris Kresser's "Why Your “Normal” Thyroid Lab Results May Not Be Normal" here.

Normal Ranges

• TSH: 0.27 – 4.20 μIU/mL
• Total T4: 4.5 – 11.7 μg/dL
• Free T4: 0.93 – 1.70 ng/dL
• Total T3: 80 – 200 ng/dL
• Free T3: 2.0 – 4.4 pg/mL
• Reverse T3: 8 – 24 ng/dL
• TPO antibodies: < 9 IU/mL
• Thyroglobulin antibodies: ≤ 1 IU/mL

Functional Ranges

• TSH: 1.0 – 2.5 μIU/mL
• Total T4: 6.0 – 11.9 μg/dL
• Free T4: 1.0 – 1.5 ng/dL
• Total T3: 100 – 168 ng/dL
• Free T3: 3.0 – 4.0 pg/mL
• Reverse T3: 14.9 – 24.1 ng/dL
• TPO antibodies: 0 – 15 IU/mL
• Thyroglobulin antibodies: 0.0 – 0.9 IU/mL