A Farewell Tribute to Dr. Ray Peat – with Kitty Martone

Summary

Dr. Benedicte Lerche talks with Kitty Martone about how mold exposure and repeated infections at 19–20 triggered her low thyroid function, how a phone call to Dr. Ray Peat started years of correspondence, and why thyroid function sits at the top of women's hormonal balance.

Key points

• Thyroid first: thyroid function is so high in the body's control systems that it should be checked before working on other hormonal imbalances.
• T4 vs T3: T4 (levothyroxine, Synthroid) is a storage hormone the liver must convert to active T3. Many women, and anyone with a weak liver, convert it poorly.
• How to take T3: split it into small doses taken with meals through the day, never the whole dose on an empty stomach.
• Diet: replace liquid cooking oils with butter, coconut oil and other saturated fats. Eat fruit, juice (pulp-free) and plenty of milk, which is a near-complete meal.
• Light, vitamin A and vitamin D: orange–red light (600–700 nm), vitamin A from liver, eggs and milk rather than carotene, and enough vitamin D3 and calcium all support hormone production.
• Coffee: take it with milk and sugar or with a meal, not black on an empty stomach.

Questions this interview answers

• Why doesn't T4 medication work for everyone? It must be converted to T3 in the liver. Women with estrogen excess, older people and anyone who has been ill for a long time often convert it poorly.
• Can you improve thyroid function without medication? To a degree, yes: remove polyunsaturated oils, get enough light, and eat a diet built on fruit, milk and protein.
• Why can yellow palms be a sign of low thyroid? People with low thyroid function can't convert carotene to vitamin A, so it builds up in the skin.