Why Don't Real Doctors Talk About the Thyroid?

Recently, I was reading a Facebook forum about the thyroid (yes, doctors read those sometimes) and there was a comment asking, "why don't real medical doctors create content about the thyroid?"

So this post is to address that and also to provide some options of where you could get some medical info about the thyroid from doctors with an MD.

First of all, there is some really good content that has been created by people who are not medical doctors. I collaborate with these people, and do podcasts, and learn quite a bit from their opinions and ideas. BUT... I can't vouch for all of it or even provide links at this time. Why not? Because all of that really good content is sandwiched around some stuff that is definitely NOT scientifically appropriate. There is lots of good info, but there is so much about supplements and vitamins and which hormones to test... and very little of that is scientific. That idea often applies to many of the naturopathic doctors. I'm not saying that I disagree with what they are saying... I'm just saying that I don't agree with all of it. Sensational ideas generate clicks. Sound science is usually slow and boring.

And, sadly, there is an incentive for influencers to be sensational and to sell products that are less proven.

What does that mean? What if these influencers cite evidence or papers or examples or anecdote? If they are selling you something, be wary. Caveat emptor.

Let's just look at the example of selenium, a common supplement that is vital for thyroid function. If you don't have enough of it, you are more likely to have thyroid problems and maybe even thyroid cancer. In populations where they don't get enough selenium, adding this supplement may prevent cancer and thyroid problems in general. That is not applicable for almost ANYONE in North America, however. Despite that, however, the online community has made a huge push to increase consumption of Brazil nuts and other supplements that include lots of selenium. Doctors don't jump into this space, because the vast majority of patients don't need these supplements. It is unusual for a real doctor with unbiased science to be pushing supplements or quick fixes (although GLP1s are close to that, and are nearly miraculous IMO).

The second reason that doctors don't talk as much about the thyroid is because the thyroid is not always the cause of your problem. It can sometimes be affected by other problems, but it is rarely the part of your body that needs to be treated. At times like that, surgeons and endocrinologists are your go-to experts for sure. But you will usually need to find them in person.

So if you can't turn to online influencers, what about all of the other ideas and options that are available? Fortunately, there are a few experts who provide valuable information about the thyroid. Much of this is provided via the websites of large academic institutions such as those at Johns Hopkins (I wrote a bunch of those and revised their library a few years ago!), Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, etc. These will have the most accurate and relatable information for most patients, and include only offerings that are scientifically proven and applicable to most patients. It is true that this information will be less likely to include the most "up to date" treatment offerings. The reason for that is again that doctors are very particular about what we put online- we do our best to be accurate and include a balanced consideration of the options.

The big problem is that it's not usually sensational information. It's more quiet and almost boring as we consider the options in a measured way. Yes, there are some exciting new breakthroughs that have been proven to be effective (scarless thyroid surgery, parathyroid autofluorescence, thermal ablation technologies such as RFA, nsPFA, microwave, cryoablation, etc), but even those are generally appropriate for some patients and not all patients.

So if you're looking for good information that is not sensational but is up to date, where can you turn? Well, here are a couple. (and none of these people are selling anything, which is part of why I included them here!!)

A personal favorite of mine is Dr Malini Gupta, who uses art and fruit to describe the thyroid in a very fun and innovative way. https://www.instagram.com/g2endo/?hl=en

Dr Rashmi Roy is a fellow Johns Hopkins grad who now works at the Clayman Cancer institute. She's very personable and her YouTube channel is quite popular. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClNSSpznq3_utPMhEK3W8fg/videos

Another instagram persona who does some good thyroid commentary is Dr Jason Cohen https://www.instagram.com/thethyroidguy/?hl=en in Los Angeles.

There are a number of other endocrinology experts who seem great but I don't know well enough to comment other than to say that they are well-trained and board certified: Dr Salas Whalen, Dr Arti Thangudu, Dr Jonathan Leffert, Dr Ian Orozco are just a few (and I know I'm leaving some out). And don't forget the American Thyroid Association or ThyCa and their information, which are probably a couple of the best sources ever.

And finally, I hope you will check out our stuff- https://www.instagram.com/jonrussellmd/?hl=en or even our new podcast at https://www.youtube.com/@RussellCenter

Happy Learning!