46: How Gut Inflammation Sabotages Thyroid Function and What to Do About It with Dr. David Jockers

In this episode of Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations, Dr. Izabella Wentz interviews Dr. David Jockers, an expert in functional nutrition, gut health, and mitochondrial medicine. Together, they explore the intricate connection between gut inflammation and thyroid dysfunction, breaking down the gut-liver-thyroid axis and why mitochondrial health is often the missing piece in healing. 

Dr. Jockers shares his insights into how the gut microbiome contributes to thyroid hormone activation and why common protocols like keto and intermittent fasting may not work for everyone, especially without foundational healing steps like improving sleep, digestion, and mitochondrial function. The discussion also dives into practical, research-backed strategies that support metabolic flexibility and reduce thyroid antibodies, including the use of postbiotics, immunoglobulins, and nutrient therapies. 

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why your thyroid symptoms might be a gut problem in disguise. Even if you’re producing enough thyroid hormone, poor gut health can block the critical T4-to-T3 conversion needed for energy, mood, and metabolism. Dr. Jockers explains how gut inflammation and microbiome imbalances often go undetected and how supporting the gut can unlock better thyroid function.

• When your cells go into “wartime mode,” your thyroid pays the price. Chronic stress, infections, or environmental toxins can flip the mitochondria, your body’s energy producers, into a defensive, low-energy state. This cell danger response damages the gut lining, fuels autoimmunity, and halts healing unless reversed through targeted mitochondrial support.

• You could have leaky gut, even if your digestion seems fine. Many people with thyroid conditions have silent intestinal permeability, driving inflammation and autoimmunity. Dr. Wentz shares how symptoms like brain fog, anxiety, or infertility may actually stem from gut damage that began years before a Hashimoto’s diagnosis.

• Bone broth isn’t a gut cure-all; root causes matter. While nutrients like glutamine or collagen can soothe the gut lining, they won’t fix what’s breaking it down. Dr. Jockers highlights overlooked drivers like vagus nerve dysfunction, parasites, poor stomach acid, or EMFs, and why deep healing starts with identifying and removing those triggers.

• Mitochondrial nutrients can be a game-changer if you start them early. Supplements like butyrate, magnesium, carnitine, and immunoglobulins can help repair the gut lining, restore energy, and reduce thyroid antibodies. Supporting cellular energy is often the first step in getting out of burnout and finally feeling like yourself again.

• Keto and fasting can help, but only when your body’s ready. These popular strategies can backfire if you have adrenal fatigue, poor digestion, or constipation. Dr. Jockers and Dr. Wentz stress the importance of building metabolic flexibility gradually, starting with sleep, digestion, and blood sugar regulation before jumping into advanced protocols.

  
  

Tune in to learn more about the root causes of thyroid dysfunction, the importance of gut and mitochondrial repair, and how to personalize healing strategies for lasting energy and resilience.

Be sure to subscribe to the Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations podcast so you don’t miss an episode! Sign up for the Thyroid Pharmacist Weekly Thyroid Solutions Newsletter here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/gift/ 

For the full list of resources and products mentioned in this episode, and to get the full episode transcript, see complete show notes here: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/podcast/