I searched all the forums and wasn't able to find an answer to my question..

I have been taking Syntrax Guggulbolic continuously for about a year now and it has significantly lowered my cholesterol levels. It's wonderful. However, I was recently told by a friend that I should not use the guggulsterone products because they can cause thyroid failure.. Big suprise to me. I personally think he's full of it. What does everyone else think?

Don't guggulsterone products simply stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more T3? (Not even by that much! I havent noticed significant weight reduction!) He seems to think that it will cause the thyroid to give out.. But Guggulsterone ISNT T3, or can't be converted to T3, can it? So if I was taking it non-stop for a year now and my thyroid failed, I'd probably be dead, correct?

Please, if someone knows anything about this, I'd appreciate a response. Thanks so much!

Pilot, try a search on this site for guggulesteron or guggulbolic - Trainerdan as written a few posts about it. I took guggulesterones for about 5 weeks to help raise metabolism - yes, it does stimulate your thyroid. However, it should be cycled in order for it to be effective.

HTH
Nat

Right, I know what you mean.. But, I don't use it to kick up my metabolism. Since I've begun taking it, it has consistantly kept my bad cholesterol at bay no matter what my diet looked like. (Even long before I started low-carbing). That is the only reason I truely use it.

The only thing I'm worried about is it killing my thyroid. It seems like it's still very effective for cholesterol even without being cycled.... ?

Thanks for the quick reply, Natrushka!

Pilot, from everything I've read guggul lipids have been used for over 2000 years to lower cholesterol - it's effectivness rivals that of prescription drugs, without the nasty side effects. The only other supplement that does something similar is non flushing niacin in doses of 500mg.

I've never head that it could 'kill' your thyroid. Guggulesterons function by increasing the uptake of iodine to the thyroid and increasing the conversion of the less active T4 to the more active T3. I bet Dan will have more info for us

I did find this article a while back that might be of interest to you - it doesn't mention prolonged use of the product though. I wonder if this is because the use of gugguls for improved thyroid function is rather new?

Nat

Hey, Nat, thanks alot. I appreciate the link, it was a big help. I think the reason that I haven't noticed any metabolic effects though is the fact that I have never had a thyroid condition. Mine has always functioned pretty normally.

Guggul doesn't actively manipulate your T3 or T4 levels, such as Cynomel or Synthroid would.

Guggul's actions on the thyroid include increasing the uptake of iodine by the thyroid, and it also does help STIMULATE the secretion of thyroid hormone.

Stimulating secretion is different from supplying synthetic T3/T4. If you took T3/T4 over a long period of time, then your friend would be correct .. your body's feedback mechanism would shut-down your natural thyroid production due to the excess of endogenous thyroid hormone.

The effects of guggul on thyroid aren't super dramatic, but it is a tool to get thing going with the thyroid in a safe manner.

Thanks Dan. Thats what I thought. I don't rely on it to increase metabolism, I just have a tendency to build up bad cholesterol levels without it.

I kind of figured my friend didn't know what he was talking about..

Hi, I'm 24 and I just had a total thyroidectomy about a month ago. I have always been overweight and had problems losing weight and now I am on Synthroid. I was wondering if I can take Thyrolean to help increase my body's metabolism and lose more weight?

confused

Marsa

From what I have read guggle doesn't really stimulate the thyroid much. It's main effect is on cholesteral and helping the conversion of T4 to T3 in the liver which can be impaired by dieting.