The Incredible Gallbladder/Hypothyroid Connection

March 14, 2024

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

Suffering from a sluggish thyroid or Hashimoto’s? This is an association your metabolism can’t afford to ignore…

Would you believe that research from Harvard Medical School has FINALLY revealed a sneaky missing gallbladder “Glitch” disrupting the thyroid of millions of Americans! I first suspected a gallbladder (or bile) connection to low thyroid function when a functional doc friend said he has noticed when patients lose their gallbladder, they start gaining weight and show signs of hypothyroidism.

Several years ago, while I was conducting research for my book Radical Metabolism, I came across a buried Harvard Study from a team lead by Dr. Antonio Bianco. The researchers found that bile release triggers the release of an enzyme that converts T4 (the body’s less active thyroid hormone) into active T3. Wow! What a groundbreaking connection. Without time-released bile production, the thyroid’s hormone activation comes to a screeching halt.

I came across even more fascinating research out of Finland. A study at Tampere University Hospital found that hypothyroidism is seven times more likely in people with reduced bile flow. Another study at Tufts produced similar findings, showing greater rates of hypothyroidism among those with bile duct stones.

Without Good Bile, Your Thyroid May Crash

Even now, with all this preliminary research, more than 90 percent of physicians fail to recognize bile as a factor for their thyroid patients.

Suboptimal bile flow and sluggish thyroid share many of the same symptoms, including fatigue, weight gain, digestive issues, constipation, leptin resistance, dry skin, and many more. And what’s more, around 80 percent of women over the age of forty suffer from insufficient, poor-quality bile. If you’re not absorbing fats from timed bile release, then, you can’t make thyroid hormones, either. Period.

Hashimoto’s is another missing link. Even the most astute Hashimoto’s researchers are overlooking the bile connection. The prevalence of Hashimoto’s is reported to be about 5 percent of the population, but this estimate is actually relatively low because so many are asymptomatic in their early stages. Hashimoto’s is five to ten times more common in women than men, and its prevalence is on the rise.

If you know your thyroid isn’t functioning at its peak, here are some of the signs that bile deficiency may very well be part of the problem (whether you have a gallbladder or not):

Fatigue
Sciatica-like pain
Tinnitus
Light colored stool
Insomnia
Sluggish digestion
Headaches

Optimizing bile production and flow can not only relieve many of these concerns, but in my experience can also improve sluggish thyroid function by ensuring adequate release of the enzyme needed to convert T4 into active T3.

In the case of an underperforming thyroid or Hashimoto’s and no gallbladder (or bile deficiency), do this.

I recommend supplementing with a double whammy from UNI KEY Health:

Bile Builder contains every one of the “superstar six” for building bile: Ox bile, choline, stone root, beet root, taurine and pancreatic lipase. Together this combination of nutrients provides all of the critical functions missing in the absence of a gallbladder – adequate bile production, thin free-flowing bile, gallstone prevention and improved fat digestion.

Thyro-Key is a non-herbal combination of bovine glandulars designed to give the thyroid the building blocks for optimum function and rejuvenation. It’s hormone-free, and a great option to use along with medication for an extra boost, or on its own. Glandulars are sourced from Argentina and New Zealand.

Our gallbladder, bile, and thyroid each play integral (and interconnected) roles in our body’s digestive, detoxification, and metabolic processes. By making this critical connection and taking proactive steps to support bile production and thyroid function, you can optimize digestion, manage weight effectively, increase energy and safeguard your overall health for years to come!

To read more about the fascinating bile-thyroid and get dietary recommendations, pick up a copy of my book, Radical Metabolism.