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Arturo Hernandez, 3,5-Diiodo-L-Thyronine (T2) in Dietary Supplements: What Are the Physiological Effects?, Endocrinology, Volume 156, Issue 1, 1 January 2015, Pages 5–7, https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2014-1933
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The high prevalence of obesity in developed and emerging countries is a serious health concern. Its consequences include a significant decrease in the quality of life and life expectancy of affected individuals, not to mention the stress it places on health care delivery systems that must treat the multiple comorbidities associated with it. There is little doubt that we need to reduce our girth for the sake of our health. In addition, the desire to reduce body fat is increasingly driven by esthetic concerns, as evidenced by the growing emphasis on fitness and body building.
Given the well-known metabolic effects of thyroid hormones (THs) (1), it is not surprising that a TH metabolite, 3,5-diiodo-L-thyronine (T2), has found its way into the formulations of a number of dietary supplements that claim to decrease body fat. They are available “over the counter,” and a quick internet search reveals that they are offered for sale using marketing verbiage such as “fat burner,” “appetite suppressant and fast fat annihilator,” “metabolic accelerator,” etc. Accompanying information may include inaccurate statements, such as “… T2 is a supplement designed to stimulate the thyroid gland,” and it does not always disclose appropriate warnings about potential side effects, nor provide precise directions about the total daily dose that is safe to use. The T2 content per pill may vary significantly among different supplements (50–300 μg), and in some cases, it is not explicitly stated. Oftentimes, T2 is combined with other compounds with complementary or overlapping biological effects, making it difficult to discern which of the metabolic outcomes is the specific result of T2 action. In these circumstances, there is significant risk of untoward effects.
