Why low T3 could be the reason your bloating, fatigue, and gut issues won’t go away

You’ve cut out gluten.
You’re drinking the green juice.
You’ve tried the low FODMAP diet, the gut repair powders, the digestive enzymes, and the probiotics that Instagram swears will fix it all.

You’re doing “everything right.”

And still…
You’re bloated.
You’re tired.
Your digestion feels off.
You swing between constipation and urgency.
And you can’t shake the nagging feeling that your body just isn’t healing the way it should.

Maybe you’ve even had your thyroid checked. Your doctor ran some labs, shrugged, and told you everything looks “normal.”

But what if it’s not?

What if your gut symptoms aren’t just about food or bacteria or inflammation—
What if they’re rooted in a missing hormone your gut lining desperately needs to repair itself?

That hormone is T3—and it may be the most overlooked link between your thyroid and your gut.

What Is T3 and Why Should You Care?

T3 (triiodothyronine) is your active thyroid hormone. It’s what actually enters your cells and turns the dial up on energy production, metabolism, mood, and—yes—gut repair.

Here’s what most people don’t realize:
T3 isn’t just about weight or energy. It plays a massive behind-the-scenes role in the development, maintenance, and repair of the gut lining, specifically the epithelial cells of the intestinal mucosa.

These gut lining cells:

• Absorb nutrients
• Secrete digestive enzymes
• Defend against pathogens
• Maintain the tight barrier that keeps inflammation in check

In short: They’re the frontline of your digestive and immune health.

And they take orders from T3.

When T3 is present, those cells grow, repair, and function.
When T3 is low?
The gut lining weakens. Nutrient absorption drops. Inflammation rises.
And your digestion suffers.

Think of T3 Like the Contractor on a Gut Construction Site

Every day, your body is repairing microscopic damage in your gut lining. It’s replacing old cells, patching weak spots, and building new ones. But none of that happens without a foreman—someone to oversee the process.

That foreman is T3.

T3 tells intestinal cells when to:

• Grow and divide
• Specialize into digestive or absorptive cells
• Replace damaged tissue

Without enough T3, it’s like the construction crew shows up… but no one’s in charge.
The materials don’t get used.
The job stalls.
The site gets messy.
And nothing gets fixed.

That’s why low T3 can lead to:

• Leaky gut
• Constipation or diarrhea
• Food sensitivities
• Nutrient deficiencies
• Inflammation
• Bloating after every meal

If you’ve been treating your gut with all the right protocols and still not getting better, your thyroid could be the missing piece.

Meet Katie: A Real-Life Example

Katie is 34. She works full-time, has two kids, and came to us exhausted, inflamed, and confused.

“I eat healthy, but I’m bloated all the time. My digestion is all over the place. And I’m so tired by 2 p.m. that I feel like I need a nap just to pick my kids up from school.”

Her doctor told her everything looked normal. TSH? In range. T4? Fine.
But when we ran a full panel, we found that her free T3 was barely above the bottom of the reference range. And that mattered.

Here’s why:
Without enough T3, her gut lining couldn’t repair.
Brush border enzymes weren’t being produced.
Her motility was sluggish.
She couldn’t fully absorb her food, no matter how “healthy” it was.
And she was stuck in a cycle of inflammation, fatigue, and feeling like her body was working against her.

What Causes Low T3?

Let’s be clear: T3 isn’t just made by your thyroid.

In fact, most of your T3 is created when your body converts T4 (inactive thyroid hormone) into T3—a process that happens mostly in the liver and gut.

And that process is… picky.

It depends on:

• Specific nutrients
• Healthy gut bacteria
• Stable blood sugar
• Restorative sleep
• Low inflammation
• And a liver that isn’t overloaded

Which means if you’re stressed, undernourished, inflamed, or running on coffee and protein bars, you may be blocking your own T3 production.

So How Do You Actually Improve T3?

1. Feed the Conversion Process

T4 → T3 conversion is nutrient dependent.
Your body needs:

• Selenium – cofactor for deiodinase (the enzyme that makes T3)
  → Brazil nuts, eggs, sardines
• Zinc – supports enzyme activity + hormone sensitivity
  → Red meat, oysters, pumpkin seeds
• Iron – required for thyroid peroxidase and conversion
  → Liver, beef, spinach
• Magnesium – supports energy and reduces inflammation
  → Leafy greens, dark chocolate, avocado

If you’re not eating enough of these, your conversion slows.

2. Reduce Reverse T3

When your body is inflamed, underfed, or overstressed, it takes T4 and turns it into reverse T3—a “brake” hormone that blocks T3 activity.

What causes high reverse T3?

• Not eating enough (especially carbs)
• Overexercising or chronic cardio
• Gut infections or chronic inflammation
• Sleep deprivation
• Emotional or physical stress

What helps?

• Eating balanced meals every 4–5 hours
• Prioritizing protein + whole food carbs
• Swapping high-intensity workouts for walking or strength training
• Addressing gut pathogens (hello, GI-MAP testing)
• Supporting nervous system regulation (breathwork, minerals, sleep)

3. Heal the Gut = Heal the Thyroid

Here’s the wild thing: gut and thyroid function are a two-way street.

Not only does T3 help repair the gut—but the gut helps convert thyroid hormones.

About 20% of your T3 is created by bacterial enzymes in the gut.

To support this:

• Feed good bacteria: fiber, chia, flax, cooked veggies, resistant starches
• Identify and reduce triggers: food sensitivities, sugar, alcohol, ultra-processed foods
• Consider probiotics (like Lactobacillus plantarum or Bifidobacterium infantis)
• Use gut-repair nutrients: zinc carnosine, L-glutamine, collagen, colostrum

4. Support Your Liver

Your liver does a big chunk of your T4 → T3 conversion, and it works hardest while you sleep.

To support your liver:

• Eat adequate protein to fuel detox and enzyme production
• Include cruciferous veggies (broccoli, arugula, cabbage) to support estrogen + hormone clearance
• Hydrate (aim for half your body weight in ounces per day)
• Get plenty of B vitamins (especially B2, B6, B12, folate) to activate enzyme pathways

If you’re not sleeping, under-eating, or skipping protein, your liver can’t keep up.

This Isn’t Just About Chasing Labs

It’s about how your body feels.

If you:

• Eat “healthy” but are constantly bloated
• Struggle with constipation or unpredictable digestion
• Feel tired no matter how much you rest
• Have symptoms of low thyroid but are told “you’re fine”

…it’s time to look deeper.

It’s time to ask: What’s my T3 doing?

Not just on paper—but in my cells. In my gut lining. In my energy, my inflammation, my mood, and my digestion.

Here’s the Good News

T3 isn’t just something you have or don’t have.
It’s something we can support strategically.

You don’t need more restriction.
You don’t need another generic gut protocol or a random supplement you saw on social media.

You need someone who knows how to connect the dots.

That’s what we do.

We run the labs most providers don’t.
We look at the patterns your symptoms are showing us.
And we help rebuild your gut and thyroid health from the root.

Because when you give your body what it actually needs—
The healing finally happens.

Ready to Rebuild?

If you’re stuck in the “my labs are normal but I feel terrible” cycle…
If your gut is inflamed, your energy is flat, and nothing seems to be working…
There’s likely more to uncover.

📲 Apply to work with our team.
We’ll help you understand what your symptoms are really telling you and build a personalized plan to support your thyroid, your gut, and your life.

Because you deserve to feel better than just “fine.”

EMAIL:
hello@chewsfoodwisely.com

VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS ONLY
Business Mailing Address:
2525 Robinhood Street
Houston, Texas 77005