
Hyperthyroid, in Aajonus's framework, is a condition where the thyroid is described as overproducing hormones, but this definition requires immediate recontextualization within his broader understanding of what the thyroid actually does and what "overproduction" actually means in the body.
Aajonus's Definition
Hyperthyroid, in Aajonus's framework, is a condition where the thyroid is described as overproducing hormones, but this definition requires immediate recontextualization within his broader understanding of what the thyroid actually does and what "overproduction" actually means in the body.
Aajonus is explicit and emphatic that the thyroid gland's primary and true function has been systematically misrepresented by the pharmaceutical and medical industries. He states flatly: the thyroid does not regulate weight, does not regulate hair growth or hair loss, does not regulate daily energy levels, and does not regulate the adrenal glands in any meaningful primary capacity. All of these claims, he says, are pharmaceutical industry fabrications designed to exploit human vanity, particularly fears about weight gain and hair loss in women and men, in order to sell thyroxine supplements.
What the thyroid actually does, according to Aajonus, is protect the heart and the lungs. The thyroid is an emergency gland. It and its backup system, two thyroids, four parathyroids, and even the thymus as a tertiary backup, exist for one primary purpose: to restart the heart and lungs when they stop functioning due to physical trauma or injury. He describes this as the only gland system in the entire human body with five full backups, and he regards that redundancy as the clearest possible anatomical evidence of the function it serves.
Aajonus explains that the six glands (two thyroids, four parathyroids) all exist to maintain heart and lung function during emergency situations. The thymus, positioned along the bronchioles, serves as yet another layer of protection for the lungs and heart. The parathyroids on each side of the thyroid can produce as much thyroxin in a short period as the entire thyroid itself, functioning as instantaneous backup reserves.
Hyperthyroid, therefore, is in his framing not simply the thyroid malfunctioning in isolation. It is the thyroid, or more precisely, the entire complex of thyroid and parathyroid glands, being called into action at a rate and frequency that it was never designed to sustain on a daily, continuous basis. In a truly healthy individual living in a clean environment eating raw food, the thyroid would only fire in genuine emergencies, such as when a person falls from a tree, gets knocked down in a physical collision, or otherwise has their heart and lungs temporarily stopped by trauma. The thyroxin levels observed in football players after being hit by multiple opponents, described by Aajonus as "off the roof" and "astronomical", represent what normal, healthy thyroid output looks like in its intended context.
When the thyroid is "overproducing," Aajonus's interpretation is that the body is in a state of near-constant emergency due to toxicity, nutrient deficiency, cooked food consumption, and pollutant exposure. He says: "We are in emergency state almost all the time, so our bodies are using these glands on a daily basis, sometimes hourly, just so we can function." This is not a healthy state; it is a reflection of how sick and depleted the modern body is.
In the specific case of hyperthyroid following illness, which is the most directly addressed scenario in the Q&A sources, Aajonus describes the thyroid as having been exhausted by the detox process of a cold or flu, then becoming dysregulated afterward.
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Root Cause
Aajonus identifies multiple root causes for hyperthyroid, and they operate at different levels.
Primary Cause, Post-Illness Exhaustion: In the most specific Q&A exchange on hyperthyroid, Aajonus states directly: "Hyperthyroid usually follows a cold or flu because the thyroid may be exhausted following that type of detox." The thyroid has been taxed by its involvement in managing the detoxification process during a severe illness, and following that illness, it has not yet rebalanced. The flu or cold itself is understood in his framework as a detox event, not a pathogenic infection in the conventional sense, and the thyroid becomes depleted and dysregulated as a result of its participation in managing that emergency detox.
Secondary Cause, Chronic Toxicity: At a broader level, the root cause of any thyroid dysfunction, including hyperthyroid, is the chronic state of emergency the modern toxic body lives in. Because people consume cooked food, are exposed to environmental pollution, absorb toxic metals, and lack the raw fats and proteins needed to sustain healthy glandular function, the thyroid and parathyroids are continuously firing when they should only rarely fire. This creates glandular exhaustion, dysregulation, and ultimately disease conditions. He says explicitly: "We are so debilitated. We are in emergency state almost all the time, so our bodies are using these glands on a daily basis, sometimes hourly, just so we can function, and this is not a healthy state."
Nutrient Deficiency as Underlying Foundation: Aajonus explains that hormones are "60, 80% fat, about 15% protein." When the body is fat-deficient and protein-deficient, which is the near-universal condition in people eating cooked food, the glands cannot produce healthy hormones efficiently. The thyroid is forced into overdrive to compensate for what the normal metabolic functions of a well-nourished body should be providing without glandular involvement at all.
Thyroxin Supplementation as an Accelerator of Damage: Aajonus is emphatic that taking any form of thyroxin supplementation, whether synthetic (like Synthroid) or natural (like Armour thyroid), will cause the thyroid to atrophy and shut down. He draws a direct parallel: "If you take any kind of thyroxin, T3 or T4 supplement, thyroid is not going to do anything. It's going to start atrophying. It's going to shut down. Just like pancreas' when you take the insulin. You will never get that pancreas back together if it's deteriorated completely." This means that the conventional medical treatment for hyperthyroid, or for any thyroid condition, actively destroys the organ it claims to be helping.
Hashimoto's as Misunderstood Detox: Though Hashimoto's is technically a hypothyroid-related autoimmune condition rather than hyperthyroid, Aajonus's explanation of it illuminates his entire framework for thyroid disease. When asked about Hashimoto's, he laughs and says: "Attacking! Detoxing the thyroid gland." He elaborates that the body shuts down the thyroid while it takes it apart and cleans it out, the antibodies being generated are part of the cellular debris removal process, not a self-destructive attack. He compares it to liver damage cases where liver cells appear in the blood and doctors panic, not understanding that the body is simply clearing dead cells.
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Why This Happens
Hyperthyroid sits at the intersection of several of Aajonus's foundational philosophical frameworks:
Terrain Theory / Root Cause: The condition originates in the body's internal environment, its toxicity level, nutrient deficiency, and the downstream effects of cooked food consumption. Hyperthyroid is not caused by an external pathogen but by the degraded internal terrain forcing emergency glands to work overtime.
Detoxification: The specific trigger of hyperthyroid following a cold or flu places it squarely in Detoxification. The flu itself is a detox event, and the thyroid's exhaustion following it is a consequence of that detox process. The symptoms of hyperthyroid, rapid heartbeat, agitation, trembling, insomnia, heat, sweating, are, in Aajonus's framing, "indications of intense healing," not of a disease process needing suppression.
Cooked Food: The chronic background condition enabling thyroid dysfunction is cooked food consumption. Without adequate raw fats and proteins, the body cannot produce clean hormones efficiently, the thyroid is perpetually in emergency mode, and glandular atrophy or dysregulation becomes inevitable.
Sovereignty / How to Live: Aajonus explicitly argues against medical intervention for thyroid conditions. The pharmaceutical industry's framing of thyroid function, connecting it to weight, hair, energy, is described as a deliberate manipulation of human vanity to sell medication. Taking that medication results in glandular atrophy. Sovereignty over one's own body means refusing thyroxin supplementation and supporting the thyroid's natural recovery through raw food.
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Symptoms Reframed
The person who wrote to Aajonus describing their hyperthyroid listed these symptoms: - Rapid heart beat: 90+ beats per minute at rest - Feeling hyper/agitated - Extreme fatigue - Trembling - Severe insomnia - Heat and sweating
Aajonus does not pathologize these symptoms. His response is: "Some of those symptoms are indications of intense healing."
This reframing is consistent with his broader framework. The rapid heartbeat, agitation, and trembling are the body actively working to restore thyroid balance. The heat and sweating are detoxification, the body pushing toxins out through the skin. The insomnia and fatigue paradox (feeling hyper but extremely fatigued) reflects the glandular exhaustion he describes: the thyroid has been depleted by the flu detox and is attempting to reconstitute, which requires energy and produces dysregulated output in the process.
His comparison to infants is instructive: "As with infants, lots of sleep and frequent naps helps the healing process." When the body is doing intensive reconstruction work, as an infant does during growth, as a sick person does during recovery, sleep is when the most profound healing happens. The insomnia symptom, then, represents an obstacle to healing that needs to be supported rather than suppressed with medication.
The conventional medical interpretation, that the thyroid is malfunctioning and needs suppression through medication, is the opposite of what Aajonus recommends. The thyroid, in his view, is not malfunctioning but reconstituting. Interfering with that reconstitution through thyroxin supplementation will cause the thyroid to atrophy.
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Food Protocol
Aajonus provides a specific, detailed food formula for hyperthyroid recovery:
Primary Hyperthyroid Formula: - 5 ounces of raw chicken eaten simultaneously with: - 3 ounces of raw fish - 1/4 teaspoon of royal jelly
He states: "Eating 5 ounces of raw chicken at the same time as eating 3 ounces of fish with 1/4 teaspoon royal jelly helps the thyroid regain its composure."
The timing is explicit, these three items must be eaten at the same time, not separately at different meals. This combination is what he specifically designed to help the thyroid rebalance.
Why Raw Chicken with Raw Fish: The rationale, consistent with his broader food philosophy, is that the thyroid is a glandular meat. In training contexts, he explains that raw thyroid tissue, when eaten, should be eaten with other meat because "thyroid is a meat. And the body will carry it. The body will already be dealing with the protein in the meat tissue and its chemicals, everything is geared for that." The combination of white meat (chicken) with fish provides a complementary set of proteins and fats that the thyroid specifically needs to rebuild.
Royal Jelly: Royal jelly is a glandular secretion and is understood in his framework as a hormonal primer. The 1/4 teaspoon quantity is specific and modest, enough to stimulate glandular activity without overwhelming the system.
Sleep and Rest: Aajonus specifically prescribes rest as part of the healing protocol: "As with infants, lots of sleep and frequent naps helps the healing process." This is not incidental advice. He treats sleep as a therapeutic intervention equivalent in importance to food choices during the recovery period.
General Dietary Support for Thyroid Function: For broader thyroid health, including conditions where salt craving indicates poor thyroxin production, Aajonus recommends the following foods as providing the minerals necessary for the thyroid to produce thyroxin: - Raw deep sea fish: tuna, salmon, swordfish - Raw oysters - Raw scallops - Raw clams - No-salt-added raw cheese - Unripe melons with an equal quantity of raw fat - Plenty of raw tomatoes - Fresh raw celery
He also notes that raw glandular thyroid supplements are helpful in some cases: "Raw glandular thyroid supplements are helpful, enabling the thyroid to relearn the chemical structure of thyroxin so that it can produce it." However, the critical distinction is between raw glandular supplements (which teach the thyroid) and pharmaceutical thyroxin (which shuts the thyroid down).
Raw Calf Thyroid Protocol (for deep glandular support): Aajonus describes his personal practice and that of his clients regarding actual raw glandular thyroid consumption: "I will get a thyroid of a calf or something and I will take the thyroid and cut it up into three parts and I'll blend it with milk and it tastes like clam chowder. Put a little red onion in and blend it together so it's like clam chowder. I only have to eat that once every year and a half to once every two years and it takes care of me for that whole time. My clients that way too. It only takes eating one whole thyroid once every year to year and two years."
The preparation: blend one whole calf or buffalo calf thyroid with milk, with a little red onion, for approximately 50 seconds in a blender, producing a texture and flavor resembling clam chowder.
Frequency: once every one to two years is sufficient to support the thyroid gland's function for the entire period.
When Using Raw Thyroid Supplements (tablet form): In training context, Aajonus gives a protocol for raw thyroid tablet supplementation: - Take four tablets for four days with a meat meal - Wait three weeks - Take four tablets for four days again - Continue repeating this cycle, four tablets for four days, three weeks off, for approximately one year - The tablets must be taken with a meat meal because "thyroid is a meat. And the body will carry it. The body will already be dealing with the protein in the meat tissue" - He notes this protocol was used in a specific case to clear up brown discoloration and support thyroid function - He adds that vanilla extract (specifically organic) will also stimulate the thyroid and was recommended alongside this protocol
Butter Rub for Lymphatic Support (related goiter/enlarged thyroid): For an enlarged thyroid with nodules, addressed in a separate Q&A, Aajonus prescribes: - Rub no-salt raw butter into the neck - This supports lymphatic function to help dissolve dead cells causing the enlargement
Apple Cider Vinegar for Lymphatic Support: - Raw apple cider vinegar daily, up to 2 tablespoons - Must be eaten with cheese regularly to prevent mineral deficiency from the vinegar - Best consumed in his "Sport Formula"
Pineapple for Lymphatic Clearing: - 1/2 cup pineapple at least 3 days weekly but no more than 4 days weekly - This supports the lymphatic system's ability to dissolve dead cells contributing to enlarged thyroid tissue
Nut Formula for Glandular Support (mentioned in context of thyroid/parathyroid rebuilding): - Half a cup of nuts (walnuts, pecans, or pine nuts) - Two tablespoons of honey - Three ounces of peanut oil, or three to four ounces of raw cream or coconut cream - Blend for about 50 seconds - Have once or twice a week - This was specifically recommended in a case where thyroid was beginning to heal and parathyroid needed support
Fish and Beef for Thyroid Focus: In one reading where the thyroid was beginning to heal, Aajonus prescribed: "For about a six-week period, not much chicken, focus on fish and beef. And liver as part of the beef." This suggests that the fish-and-red-meat combination may be preferable for active thyroid rebuilding, with liver specifically included.
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What to Avoid
- iThyroxin Supplementation of Any Kind:
This is the most critical avoidance. Aajonus is absolute: any thyroxin supplement, synthetic (Synthroid) or natural (Armour thyroid, organic pharmacy thyroxin), will cause the thyroid to atrophy and shut down. He states: "If you take any kind of thyroxin, T3 or T4 supplement, thyroid is not going to do anything. It's going to start atrophying. It's going to shut down." The analogy he uses is insulin for the pancreas: once the pancreas has deteriorated completely from dependence on exogenous insulin, it cannot be recovered.
- ii
This applies even to patients who have been on a "small dose" of a natural or organic thyroxin. The principle is that the gland will not function when the hormone it produces is being supplied externally. The body reads the presence of the hormone and suppresses the gland's own output, leading to progressive atrophy.
- iiiCooked Food Generally:
Since the underlying cause of chronic thyroid stress is cooked food consumption and the resulting toxicity and nutrient deficiency, continuing to eat cooked food will perpetuate the condition by keeping the body in a state of chronic emergency requiring ongoing thyroid activation.
- ivExcess Water:
Aajonus is emphatic in multiple readings that excess water consumption dissolves glandular tissue. He says: "Water dissolves things when it rains. It dissolves rock so plants can eat. So you can imagine what to do in the human body." In cases where thyroid is deteriorating, he has attributed the dissolution to water damage. He notes that until around 1960, nobody drank water in significant quantities, only three sips a day was typical, and the modern prescription of eight glasses a day has caused widespread glandular damage.
- vExcess Fruit:
In one reading with thyroid deterioration, Aajonus identifies excessive fruit consumption as pulling protein from glands: "If it can't find it in the blood, it'll go into your glands. That's what I say. It's eating away 50% of this particular gland." Fruit causes the body to seek protein from glandular tissue when blood protein is insufficient, leading to glandular atrophy including thyroid deterioration.
- viSalt:
For conditions involving water retention and thyroid-related imbalances, Aajonus prescribes eliminating salt entirely: "You need to stay away from salt like it's the plague." Poor thyroxin production is linked to salt craving, and salt itself can worsen the fluid imbalances that compromise glandular function.
- vii
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Recovery Timeline
Aajonus provides a specific recovery timeline for hyperthyroid:
"The thyroid usually reconstitutes and rebalances within 3 months if thyroxin supplementation is not taken."
This three-month timeline is conditional on one critical factor: no thyroxin supplementation. If thyroxin is taken during this period, the natural recovery process is interrupted and the thyroid begins atrophying instead of reconstituting.
The phrase "reconstitutes and rebalances" suggests a two-part process: the gland must first rebuild its cellular structure (reconstitute) and then re-establish normal hormonal output patterns (rebalance). Three months is the expected window for this to occur naturally when the body is supported with the right foods and allowed to rest.
The rest protocol, "lots of sleep and frequent naps", is presented as an active component of the recovery, not merely a comfort measure. This mirrors his comparison to infant healing, where sleep-dominated rest periods correspond to the most rapid and complete reconstruction of tissue.
For the raw thyroid supplement tablet protocol, the timeline is approximately one year of cycling (four tablets for four days, three weeks rest, repeat) before significant improvement is observed in thyroid function.
For the raw calf thyroid blended protocol, a single whole thyroid consumed once provides support that Aajonus says lasts "a whole year to year and a half to two years."
In cases of more severe glandular deterioration, where the thyroid and parathyroids are described as significantly atrophied, shrunken, or non-functional in his iridology/hand readings, the recovery process is longer and requires broader dietary rebuilding including focused attention on fish, beef, liver, and glandular tissue supplements alongside the full Primal Diet.
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Questions Aajonus Answered
- Q&A Exchange 1, The Core Hyperthyroid Question (April 12, 2002):
A person wrote to Aajonus describing that they had recently developed hyperthyroidism, triggered (by western medical thinking) by a severe and lengthy flu from February 18th through approximately March 25th. They noted that approximately 10% of such cases are associated with a virus causing thyroiditis that creates hyperfunctioning of the thyroid. They described following Aajonus's book as best they could but being "pretty debilitated" by symptoms including: rapid heartbeat (90+ beats per minute at rest), feeling hyper/agitated and yet extremely fatigued, trembling, severe insomnia, heat, and sweating.
- Aajonus's complete response:
"Hyperthyroid usually follows a cold or flu because the thyroid may be exhausted following that type of detox. The thyroid usually reconstitutes and rebalances within 3 months if thyroxin supplementation is not taken. Eating 5 ounces of raw chicken at the same time as eating 3 ounces of fish with 1/4 teaspoon royal jelly helps the thyroid regain its composure. Some of those symptoms are indications of intense healing. As with infants, lots of sleep and frequent naps helps the healing process."
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Q&A Exchange 2, Hashimoto's and Thyroid Readings:
- A person wrote: "I just wanted to clarify my thyroid issue. Last time I saw you (Sept 2010) you had said I did not have any thyroid problems, but different blood tests have shown that I have Hashimoto's, and I am sure I have had it for years. Why would that not have shown up when you looked at my eyes and hands? Have you had other clients with this, and get over it with the right nutrition?"
Aajonus's response: "I must assume that you have not watched my DVD lecture. In it, I explain how the endocrine glands are for emergency purposes only. Because people are so toxic and low on nutrients, their bodies produce hormones for everyday help and not just for emergencies. Normally, the thyroid protects the heart and lungs. If you are in an accident, wherein your heart and lungs stop, thyroxines are produced to jump-start the heart and lungs. The thyroid does not normally have any relationship to normal energy or well being, however the medical profession profits enormously from their false claim that we need certain levels of hormones."
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Q&A Exchange 3, Enlarged Thyroid, Goiter, and Nodule:
- A person wrote describing that a doctor had found a nodule on their thyroid (1.35 cm), an enlarged thyroid typical of Hashimoto's with a goiter, and lots of small extra lymph nodes on it. The doctor said the TSH was 3 and "anything over 2 shows the body is overworking." The doctor said the body was attacking its own thyroid and would need Synthroid. The person asked: "I know you say my thyroid is fine but what about my enlarged thyroid/goiter and the nodule on it? How do you account for that? Does that worry you? Should I have a biopsy?"
Aajonus's response referenced the lymphatic system as the cause of the enlargement, the dead cells being processed. He prescribed: - Rub no-salt raw butter into the neck - Raw apple cider vinegar daily up to 2 tablespoons (consumed in his Sport Formula) - Cheese eaten regularly alongside the vinegar to prevent mineral deficiency - 1/2 cup pineapple at least 3 days weekly but no more than 4 days weekly
- He attributed the enlarged thyroid and nodule to the body's lymphatic system processing dead cells, not to cancerous or inherently dangerous tissue.
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- Q&A Exchange 4, Training Session on Thyroid Supplementation:
In an early training session, a practitioner asked: "And generally someone with a thyroid problem, would you have them use their raw thyroid?" A person had been on Armour thyroid and then switched to an organic natural thyroid from a specific pharmacy in Marin.
- Aajonus confirmed: "Yes", use raw thyroid to stimulate the thyroid. But he immediately clarified the critical distinction: "To stimulate the thyroid. If you take any kind of thyroxin, T3 or T4 supplement, thyroid is not going to do anything. It's going to start atrophying. It's going to shut down. Just like pancreas' when you take the insulin. You will never get that pancreas back together if it's deteriorated completely."
He gave the tablet protocol: four tablets for four days with a meat meal, wait three weeks, repeat, for approximately one year. He specified that the tablets must be taken with a meat meal because "the body will already be dealing with the protein in the meat tissue and its chemicals, everything is geared for that."
- He also specified vanilla extract (specifically an organic brand, "That's the only one I know of that's organic") as something that "will stimulate" the thyroid alongside this protocol.
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- Q&A Exchange 5, Hashimoto's Explained as Detox (Training Context):
Practitioner: "Because Sally had Hashimoto's at one point." Aajonus: "I don't know what that is." Practitioner: "Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease of the thyroid, the name, where the body is attacking the thyroid gland." Aajonus: (laughing) "Attacking! Detoxing the thyroid gland." Practitioner: "For some reason. But it's actually building up antibodies against the thyroid, shutting down the thyroid." Aajonus: "Yes. Well, it shuts it down while it takes it apart and cleans it out. They used to do that with my clients who had liver damage and all of a sudden they would find all of these liver cells in the blood and freak out and then freak my clients out. It had nothing to do with the fact that it was getting rid of the dead cells. Of course it's going to do that!"
- This exchange reveals Aajonus's complete reframing of autoimmune thyroid disease: it is not self-attack but self-cleaning. The body shuts down the thyroid to disassemble and clean it, just as it sends liver cells into the blood when cleaning the liver. The antibodies represent the cleanup process, not a destructive pathology.
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How this condition connects to the rest of the platform
The Root Cause, and Raw Food.