Episode 204: How The Microbiome Impacts Your health, Immune System, and Thyroid Physiology

Join Dr. Eric Balcavage as he explores the critical relationship between gut health and thyroid function with registered dietitian and microbiome expert Kara Siedman. This episode dives deep into how your microbiome - the collection of bacteria, fungi, and viruses living in your gut - directly impacts thyroid physiology and overall health. Kara breaks down the complex science into actionable insights, explaining how gut dysbiosis can trigger thyroid dysfunction through inflammatory pathways, intestinal permeability, and disrupted hormone conversion. You'll discover why digestive symptoms aren't always present even when gut dysfunction is driving thyroid issues, and learn practical strategies for supporting your microbiome through diet, lifestyle, and targeted interventions. Key topics include:

• The role of short-chain fatty acids,
• The truth about probiotic supplementation
• How to evaluate microbiome health
• The connection between GLP-1 production and metabolic function.

Whether you're dealing with Hashimoto's, hypothyroidism, or other chronic conditions, this episode provides the foundational knowledge you need to understand why gut health is often the missing piece in thyroid recovery.

Kara Siedman, RDN, CDCES is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist with over 15 years of clinical experience in inpatient care, outpatient program development, and integrative/functional nutrition. She earned her degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and completed her dietetic internship at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Kara’s work in a leading gastroenterology practice sparked her transition into functional nutrition, where she integrated root-cause approaches into GI care and became a mentor and key opinion leader in the field. Her passion for the gut microbiome evolved into a professional specialty, leading her to collaborate with biotech and microbiome-focused companies like Pendulum, Microbiome Labs, and now Resbiotic. As Director of Partnerships at resbiotic, Kara educates healthcare providers on microbiome science and the clinical application of targeted microbiome therapies. Known for her ability to simplify complex research, she brings clarity, credibility, and passion to gut health education.

https://resbiotic.com/