Thousands and thousands of individuals are actually taking medicines like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro) to handle blood sugar or drop pounds. These medication work, and for many individuals they’ve made an actual distinction. They’re a really highly effective crutch.
However there is a intestine downside that is quietly exhibiting up in a number of the folks taking these medicines, a intestine downside that almost all medical doctors aren’t warning their sufferers about, as I’ve written about beforehand. It is referred to as SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. And in case your thyroid gland is not working correctly, your threat may even be greater.
First, What Is SIBO?
Your digestive tract is residence to trillions of micro organism. The micro organism are concentrated within the colon, the big gut. SIBO occurs when these micro organism take up residence in your small gut, the place they do not belong in giant numbers.
Having micro organism in your small gut is an actual downside. They trigger loads of bloating, gasoline, persistent constipation, or diarrhea that results in fatigue, mind fog, and poor nutrient absorption.
Your physique has hassle absorbing key nutritional vitamins and minerals, reminiscent of B12, iron, and magnesium, in addition to different vitamins it must perform nicely. SIBO might be very disruptive to your life, making it onerous to eat regular meals and making social interactions centered round meals extraordinarily troublesome. Carbohydrate-containing meals are notably troublesome to digest, resulting in loads of bloating and ache.
Why GLP-1 Medication Can Set off SIBO
GLP medication can assist you management your blood sugar. A technique they do that is by slowing down how shortly meals strikes by means of your intestine, and that is on goal. It prevents the blood sugar spikes after meals. However a sluggish intestine can also be the right atmosphere for micro organism to develop the place they do not belong.
A big 2025 research by Dr. Yan Solar and colleagues at Case Western Reserve College examined greater than 216,000 sufferers with diabetes. These taking GLP-1 medication had greater than twice the chance of creating SIBO in comparison with folks on different diabetes medicines. The researchers concluded that medical doctors ought to check sufferers for SIBO earlier than giving them these medication.
Now Add a Sluggish Thyroid
Your thyroid gland — a small butterfly-shaped gland in your neck — controls your metabolism. This contains how nicely your meals strikes by means of your intestine. When your thyroid is low, your complete digestive system slows down.
The muscular tissues that push meals ahead by means of your intestines (peristalsis) do not work very effectively in case your thyroid perform is low. That is the identical slowdown that GLP-1 medication trigger, and the analysis reveals that hypothyroidism (low thyroid perform) already considerably raises SIBO dangers by itself.
In a widely known research, Dr. Elisa Lauritano and colleagues in Rome discovered that 54% of sufferers with low thyroid perform had SIBO, in comparison with simply 5% of individuals with regular thyroid perform. Cease for only a second and take into consideration that. Greater than half of individuals with low thyroid perform had SIBO, however folks with regular thyroid perform hardly had it in any respect. So, low thyroid perform is a large threat issue for SIBO.
A 2025 research by Dr. Ming Wei and colleagues at Cedars-Sinai discovered comparable outcomes, with SIBO in almost one in three hypothyroid sufferers versus one in six within the management group. So that is confirmed in a couple of research. Low thyroid perform may be very a lot linked to SIBO.
And this is the stunning half: You do not have to have a severe thyroid downside on your threat to go up. A research by Dr. Biao Wang and colleagues discovered that girls with borderline low thyroid (a situation referred to as subclinical hypothyroidism that always goes undiagnosed and untreated) had SIBO charges of 57% versus 32% in these with regular thyroid ranges. Borderline thyroid issues are much more widespread than folks notice.
If a GLP-1 drug is already slowing your intestine, and your thyroid is including extra of the identical, these two issues are working collectively in a manner that might make your life very depressing very quickly.
It Goes Each Methods
The interplay goes each methods. SIBO would not simply consequence from thyroid issues; it may possibly additionally assist trigger them. Analysis by Dr. Sina Mehravar and colleagues at Cedars-Sinai discovered that individuals with SIBO had been 2.5 occasions extra prone to develop Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (an autoimmune thyroid situation) over the next six years. A struggling intestine seems to set off immune system dysfunction, which then assaults the thyroid.
The intestine and thyroid are linked in ways in which run in each instructions. You’ll be able to’t absolutely look after one whereas ignoring the opposite.
What You Can Do to Decrease Your Threat of SIBO
The excellent news is that you may help your thyroid perform naturally with meals and way of life. You do not normally want medicines.
Selenium
Selenium is crucial nutrient right here. A 2024 evaluate of 35 medical trials by Dr. Valentina Huwiler and colleagues at Bern College Hospital discovered that selenium diminished immune markers related to thyroid harm in Hashimoto’s sufferers. Brazil nuts are top-of-the-line pure sources — one or two a day is sufficient. Sunflower seeds and complete grains additionally present selenium.
Our Hallelujah Eating regimen Glutathione Promoter not solely has N-acetylcysteine in it, but in addition 200 micrograms of selenium per capsule, which may be very protecting on your thyroid.
Iodine
Iodine issues too, since your thyroid wants it to make the hormones that regulate your metabolism. However watch out with iodine dietary supplements when you have Hashimoto’s — an excessive amount of can really worsen the autoimmune response in some folks. Getting iodine from meals (like sea greens in average quantities) is protected for most individuals. Hallelujah Eating regimen Nascent Iodine might be diluted to protected ranges for most individuals as nicely. Test together with your supplier earlier than supplementing.
Anti-Inflammatory Eating regimen
Past particular vitamins, an anti-inflammatory, plant-based, whole-foods eating regimen helps each the thyroid and the intestine. Eliminating processed meals, consuming crops, and extra fiber immediately reduces the irritation that drives autoimmune thyroid illness, and helps preserve intestine micro organism the place they belong.
Two Easy Steps to Take Now
First, for those who’re on a GLP-1 drug, ask your physician to examine your thyroid. A fundamental TSH and free T4 blood check is all that’s wanted. Even borderline outcomes are value addressing, particularly if you’re already on a medicine that slows your intestine.
Second, when you have SIBO, make sure that your thyroid is a part of the dialog. The bacterial overgrowth is only a symptom of impaired intestine motility. Meals will not be shifting by means of quick sufficient, and that’s what must be addressed. The analysis has clearly proven that your thyroid perform is a serious participant in your intestine perform.
GLP-1 medication are a crutch, and they’re a robust one which many individuals try out. They offer folks hope that life might be totally different.
You continue to must make way of life and dietary modifications to maintain the burden off. Try our full information on wholesome weight reduction for extra concepts. You actually cannot keep on the GLP-1 medication eternally. However whilst you’re utilizing them, you wish to be sure you help your thyroid perform in order that you do not find yourself with SIBO. That might put you in a worse place than you began in.
At Hallelujah Eating regimen, our mission is to equip you in order that your well being empowers you to perform the mission that God has for you. Undecided how you can get began? Be taught extra proper right here.
References
Huwiler, V. V., Maissen-Abgottspon, S., Stanga, Z., Mühlebach, S., Trepp, R., Bally, L., & Bano, A. (2024). Selenium supplementation in sufferers with Hashimoto thyroiditis: A scientific evaluate and meta-analysis of randomized medical trials. Thyroid, 34(3), 295–313. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2023.0556
Lauritano, EC, Bilotta, AL, Gabrielli, M., Scarpellini, E., Lupascu, A., Laginestra, A., Novi, M., Sottili, S., Serricchio, M., Cammarota, G., Gasbarrini, G., Pontecorvi, A., 0. A. (20). Affiliation between hypothyroidism and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The Journal of Scientific Endocrinology & Metabolism, 92(11), 4180–4184. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2007-0606
Mehravar, S., Wei, M., Leite, G., Barlow, G., Rezaie, A., Naji, P., Pimentel, M., & Mathur, R. (2025). SUN-396 Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth related to greater threat of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Journal of the Endocrine Society, 9. https://doi.org/10.1210/jendso/bvaf149.2405
Solar, Y., Veccia, D., Liu, B. D. X., Tse, W., Fass, R., & Music, G. (2025). Diagnostic analysis of an elevated threat of creating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth related to glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and twin GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists: A world retrospective multicenter cohort evaluation. Diagnostics, 15(17), Article 2264. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics15172264
Wang, B., Xu, Y., Hou, X., Li, J., Cai, Y., Hao, Y., Ouyang, Q., Wu, B., Solar, Z., Zhang, M., & Ban, Y. (2021). Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in subclinical hypothyroidism of pregnant girls. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12Article 604070. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.604070
Wei, M., Mehravar, S., Leite, G., Naji, P., Barlow, G., Hosseini, A., Rashid, M., Sanchez, M., Fajardo, C., Pimentel, M., & Mathur, R. (2025). Relationship between hypothyroidism, threat of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, and duodenal microbiome alterations. The Journal of Scientific Endocrinology & Metabolism. Advance on-line publication.https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaf495
