@LucH Thank you for the additional detail. I'm with you on avoiding plastic. I now use glass for water and food storage, whenever possible. But, for most of us, there is still plastic with foods that we buy and store. Strangely, the Alexandre brand milk, the one with the true full milk fat (6%), A2, and 100% grass-fed, uses a plastic bottle. Too bad. They were so close to seemingly having the crème de la crème of milk (pun maybe intended, subconsciously...haha). Not that I could buy this on a regular basis, but if opportunity allowed, it would be nice to get this with glass. It's also worth noting that Straus's pasteurization temp and time are on the higher end of the ~72°C/161°F, Flash classification. Per their web site: "76.6°C/170°F for 18 seconds". P.S. I have to point out, to correct my comments above, that Alexandre's 100% grass-fed is not 6% milk fat. Their Whole Milk, at 80-20%, grass-corn, is the 6% milk fat. It's also worth pointing out that Alexandre's 100% grass-fed has 5x the amount of vitamin D per serving.

Brown fat produced T3 and the enzyme that converts T4 to T3 "Brown adipocytes are known to produce biologically active molecules that modulate thermogenesis, such as thyroid hormone (triiodothyronine, T3), retinaldehyde, and retinoic acid. Thyroid hormone has been recognized as an important regulator of thermogenesis. The expression of type II thyroxine 5′-deiodinase (Dio2), which converts thyroxine to T3, is restricted to BAT and strongly induced during BAT activation [87]." https://www.cell.com/trends/endocrinology-metabolism/fulltext/S1043-2760(15)00046-6 Most of the T3 in BAT is produced locally (55%), hence BAT seems to be a significant source of T3. Comparable to the liver in terms of numbers of the receptor. "Fifty-five percent of the nuclear T3 was generated locally, and 45% was derived from circulating T3. BAT is, hence, comparable to the liver in number of receptors (-5000/ cell) and to the pituitary with regard to saturation and relative contributions of locally generated T3 and plasma T3 to nuclear T3. These results suggest that BAT may be an important target for thyroid hormones and, along with other data, that alterations in the activity of the type II 5′-deiodinase of this tissue may influence the saturation of nuclear T3 receptors. (Endocrinology120: 55–62,1987)" https://academic.oup.com/endo/article-abstract/120/1/55/2540567 "These results indicate that BAT can be a major source of plasma T3 under suitable circumstances such as acute or chronic exposure to cold." https://www.jci.org/articles/view/112239 --> The fact that BAT can strongly increase overall plasma T3 levels for significant spans of time is remarkable. And, it can also be increased/activated by certain supplements. It doesn't necessarily have to be cold exposure. If one finds a benign supplement that does that, I could see that replacing a thyroid supplement for people that can't access it or can't make it work. BAT activation also increases liver health and insulin sensitivity, which complements increased T3 and should make people more thyroid sensitive/less thyroid resistant.

@gg12 what @awawat said. Also other things to try: Goat milk; Ultra pasteurized (UP) milk which is often labeled UHT (Ultra High Temperature) milk; Buttermilk (tastes like unsweetened kefir) Try whichever appeals to you and whenever you feel like having some, then work your way up. Sweetened condensed milk is another great option. Good luck

@BearWithMe said in Mysterious gallbladder disease - can't digest fat for no apparent reason: salt might be necessary for stomach HCL production I don't add any salt now and cook food myself with no salt. My blood levels of CL are always showing in higher range. If I add salt my stomach feels irrtated or inflamed , it rather hinders stomach HCL production. But a bit of pickles with a teaspoon of brine can be very helpful occasionally .

@CrumblingCookie I agree with you on subclinical fungal infections. They're very hard to get rid of. I posted a study about fungi hiding in the gallbladder when attacked. Let that sink in.

@alfredoolivas said in Best thyroid type in context of combining with hormones?: you probably will convert t4 fine if you want to consider that. In light of this, and prior experience, will go with NDT. It's a more rounded product with other components including T1, T2, Calcitonin etc. Appreciate the input @alfredoolivas as it made me view things differently!

@user73636 said in Dietary calcium does not affect pyruvate dehydrogenase?: Your body maintains a very strict range of calcium in your blood regardless of how much you eat. Because of this: The quesiton is how does PTH (affected by dietary calcium) affect PDH.

@user73636 said in Low soluble fiber = leaky gut?: research indicates that when gut bacteria are starved of dietary fiber, they can begin to consume the protective mucus lining of the intestines. => Need a context and a study. Yes, this is accurate and refers to a well-known, seminal study on gut microbiome health. => A combination of host genetic susceptibility, low dietary fiber and intestinal bacteria exacerbate colitis. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2518251/v1 2023 Mar 13. Context: The "If You Don't Feed Them, They Eat You" Mechanism • The Problem: The mucus lining (largely composed of MUC2 glycoproteins) protects the intestinal epithelial cells from being directly attacked by bacteria. • The Mechanism: When gut bacteria are deprived of dietary fiber (their preferred food source), they turn to the next best source of nutrients: the carbohydrates in the protective colonic mucus layer. • The Result: This erosion of the mucus layer makes the intestinal lining thinner and significantly more vulnerable to inflammatory pathogens. • Significance: This finding provides a direct mechanism for why low-fiber, high-fat "Western diets" are associated with increased risk of ulcerative colitis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), and metabolic disorders. Key Study "A Dietary Fiber-Deprived Gut Microbiota Degrades the Colonic Mucus Barrier and Enhances Pathogen Susceptibility" Authors: Desai et al. (Lead researchers include Eric Martens at the University of Michigan and Mahesh Desai). Journal: Cell (Nov 17, 2016). Comment (LucH): Not only when deprived but when some phyla take the lead. When you decide to correct and tend towards 30 g (1 oz.) fiber, you need to begin progressively and adapt yourself to transit. We need 4 colors to optimize the different effects.

Thyroxine is T4 - it is best to use both T4 and T3 in the right ratio. I have written a book about thyroid replacement therapy - it also presents Dr. Ray Peat's protocol for using T4+ T3. The title of the book is: "How to Use Thyroid Medication." It is helpful for anyone who wants to use thyroid medication correctly. You can get it on Amazon. I spent more than three years researching for this book in hopes of helping people who are confused about thyroid medication - I hope it will help. You are also welcome to contact me via my website: https://biochemnordic.com/ [image: 1773483570697-how-to-use-thyroid-medication-ray-peat-resized.png]

@Jennifer I can relate with the need for structure and routine, for sure.  No matter who you are or what you've been through, I think the last 6 years, the COVID era, has brought a degree of chaos to everyone.  Novelty is indeed good for the spirit, but the right kind of novelty.  That which we choose, or welcome in, from a place of comfort and trust, where the unknown aspects are more to do with adventure than fright.  I prefer stress yard work to stress cleaning.  I think I prefer most anything to cleaning.   And even now days, I'd say stress cooking.  It's not that I love cooking, but it does two things: it fulfills an immediate need, and it occupies and challenges me differently, beyond the physicality of outdoor work. Haha...milk snob.  That is funny.  I do prefer raw milk as well, but haven't had it in years.  I don't mind yogurt, especially Greek  I primarily use it in bread making these days. Thank you for the kind words.  I'm glad my brother came to his senses as well.  I trust he'll move on or modify his carnivore diet once he gets bored or feels like something is lacking.  But it really has done wonders so far.  I wish I could at least seriously attempt thyroid.  I know you think it's key to your health, as well as your dad's.  Maybe I'll try it one day, I'm just far too sensitive to supplements, and this supplement in particular has me hesitant.  I've dealt with tachycardia over the last 10 years, and I read that that is not uncommon with a wrong thyroid dose. I have become quite good with the homemade fries.  They are easier for me now.  So, maybe all I need is a good air fryer. I'm not a huge fan of the desert myself, though I do appreciate the uniqueness of it.  I think the country side, within reasonable reach of a good city or town, would be ideal.  But I say this as someone who has never lived where there are no street lights.  So, maybe I wouldn't like it.  Though, I have lived with minimal street lights, where the stars could still be seen. I have no problem with a bread machine, which is what I use primarily.  I'm trying out a heritage wheat — pre-1950's milling technique and non-hybrid — which is supposed to be better on the gut, as well as providing better nutrients ( I think I run the risk of becoming a flour snob . ) But, it doesn't rise as well as modern flour, and the bread machine can beat it up too much.  So, I'm finally learning to modify the default settings on the bread machine, in an attempt to get the best out of this wheat.  Ultimately, I won't sweat it too much.

@polba you are welcome It takes time and being consistent But you will feel much better and symptom free Just easy to digest stuff Nothing that irritates your digestion u

@user73636 if the study you mention is indeed true, it's not clear if it would still be valid for Pyrucet specifically because it includes the ethyl pyruvate to replenish the PDH that the EA would reportedly inhibit.

@engineer https://bioenergetic.forum/topic/9249/nnos-a-useless-harmful-byproduct

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Now it's worse again, I think it is due to food. I am now keeping track of grocery store receipts and whether I feel better or worse afterwards to narrow down what's reducing symptoms and what's increasing it. It gets substantially worse if I eat too little so a elimination diet is off the table. Glycine helps a lot. Supposedly this is because during a state of sickness the body needs like 10-15g of Glycine daily to repair mucal barriers, gut lining, skin, etc, but can only produce 3g itself. It also generally increases the threshold for mast cell degranulation. I drink a few teaspoons per day dissolved in drinks.