How To Test If Your Thyroid Is Toxic

You’re likely aware that there are toxins in our environment (especially if you’ve been reading my previous articles). They’re in our air, water, and food. In addition, electromagnetic frequencies, or EMFs, from cell phones and WiFi, may act as toxins when our bodies are exposed to them.

Toxic substances can also come from the inside, as a result of normal metabolism and, sometimes, from stress.

This can severely impact the health of the body’s organs, not the least of which is the thyroid gland. When the thyroid gland is intoxicated, it’s function is often impaired. Since this gland is so important to your health, it’s crucial to find out what may be making it toxic, so we can properly detoxify it.

Assessing the function of the thyroid and the thyroid system often requires multiple methods, such as physical tests, temperature tracking, symptom evaluation, and laboratory testing.

Lab testing is also useful to help determine if the thyroid is toxic, by quantifying the amounts of toxins in the body that may impair its function. It would be useful to our understanding of how to assess thyroid toxicity to consider the different ways to test for thyroid toxins.

Before we get into the testing, let’s first review some of the major substances that can contribute to a toxic thyroid.

Thyroid Toxins

You may be wondering: what exactly can make the thyroid toxic? There are so many factors in our environments which can interfere with thyroid function. Here is a short list of some of the most important ones:

• Heavy Metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum)
• Halogens (fluorine, bromine, chlorine)
• Endocrine disruptors (in consumer products and pesticides)
• Medications
• EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies)

For a summary of how these various toxins negatively impact the thyroid, have a look at my previous article: here.

Removing these toxins from the body is a requirement to restoring healthy thyroid function. A thyroid-specific detoxification program is often helpful. However, knowing which thyroid toxins are affecting you the most can help you tailor a detox program to your specific needs.

Testing For Thyroid Toxins

Laboratory methods of testing for thyroid toxins come in many forms, depending on the toxins being tested. Let’s review some of the best ways to test for the different categories of thyroid toxins.

1. Heavy Metals

Toxic metals, like arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium, and aluminum, can severely impair thyroid function. But they’re not always the easiest to test for.

Blood testing for certain toxic metals, like lead and cadmium, is useful if the exposure is short-term (3 months or less)¹. For exposure to small amounts of toxic metals over time, blood tests are not the best choice.

Metals can build up in bones and the fatty tissues of the body, especially the brain, where they may be stored for long periods, slowly dispensing into the rest of the body and damaging it over time.

This means that testing for a toxic metal in the blood may not reflect cumulative exposure, since the blood may only contain a fraction of what is stored elsewhere in the body.  Fortunately, there are other testing methods that better estimate the long-term tissue burden of a toxic metal.

Hair

Hair element analysis is a relatively quick and easy way to evaluate toxic metal levels in the body. Most metals that are toxic to the thyroid may be tested this way.

Depending on how quickly your hair grows, a hair sample can give you a snapshot of your metal exposure over several months.

One downside to hair analysis is that, for some forms of mercury, like the inorganic form found in some dental fillings, it’s not the best way to test. However, organic methyl-mercury found in some fish, can be readily detected in the hair, if present.

Hair element analysis is also susceptible to contaminants from hair care products, hair treatments, unfiltered water, and cigarette smoke.

Untreated hair from the nape of the neck is the best place to take the sample from.

Urine

Testing urine is useful for determining short-term exposure to some toxic metals, like arsenic and inorganic mercury¹.

Urinalysis is also an option for assessing long-term accumulated levels of toxic metals. When used for this purpose, it’s necessary to employ an intravenous chelating agent that binds to toxic metals in the body and “pulls” them out of storage. They are then processed by the kidneys and sent into the urine.

DMPS is an example of a chelating agent that’s best suited to detect mercury, while EDTA is useful for finding aluminum and lead in the body.

It’s useful to perform a pre- and post-challenge urine test to compare the baseline toxic metal levels to those found after the chelating agent is administered. Relatively high post-challenge levels of a metal suggest a high body burden.

If you’re considering urinalysis as a method for detecting toxic metals in your body, be sure to consult with a qualified health practitioner who is trained in intravenous chelation.

Feces

Fecal analysis is used to detect recent dietary exposure to toxic metals. Because the stool is one of the body’s primary routes of detoxification, it can also give an estimate of chronic, long-term metal exposure.

Stool testing for heavy metals is an option for children or those who have kidney problems. For others, urine testing and even hair analysis may offer a more accurate reflection of the body’s burden of certain toxic metals.

It’s important to remember that no one test can accurately determine one’s overall body burden of toxic metals. However, a hair element analysis is often a good starting point to detect if you’re carrying thyroid-toxic metals in your system.

2. Halogens

The thyroid gland requires iodine to make thyroid hormones, like T4 and T3. Iodine is part of a chemical group on the periodic table of elements known as the halogens (or halides if they are in their ionized forms), which also includes bromine, chlorine, and fluorine. Since they are chemically very close to iodine, these other halogens can interfere with iodine’s function, including the production of thyroid hormones.

Bromine is found in commercially prepared breads, citrus-flavoured soft drinks, hair care products, pool disinfectants, and in flame-retardants.

Fluorine is present in its ionized form, fluoride, in consumer products, like toothpaste and mouthwashes, in dental treatments, and in the tap water of many municipalities.

Chlorine is used as a disinfectant in bleach, swimming pools, and drinking water and is also present in many pesticides.

Urine

Luckily, bromine and fluorine are relatively easy to test for in urine. However, it’s often useful to test their levels along with that of iodine. This way, we can determine if the body’s iodine levels are low while checking if the other halogens are high, which often occur together.

As with heavy metal urine testing, a pre- and post-challenge test is useful². In this case, rather than using a chelating agent, the challenge is simply done by administering iodine (and/or its ionized form, iodide).

Bromine, fluorine, and iodine are first tested in a random urine test. Then, after the iodine/iodide load is taken, a 24-hour urine sample is done to assess post-load levels of all three halogens.

Low iodine excretion in the post-load sample may indicate low body iodine levels as the body retains most of the administered iodine. High bromide and/or fluoride often indicate high body stores of these toxic halides.

Unfortunately, chronic chlorine exposure is not easily detected in body fluid samples since it gets converted quickly into chloride, an abundant electrolyte. High chloride levels in the blood (hyperchloremia) may be due to several other factors, like dehydration and kidney problems.

It may be more fruitful to check for chlorine that is incorporated into some members of the next group of thyroid toxins, endocrine disruptors.

3. Endocrine Disruptors

There is a class of synthetic chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, that can mess up the delicate hormonal balance of the body, including the thyroid. They are especially problematic because they are everywhere – in plastic water bottles, pesticides, cosmetics, sanitizers, household cleaners, and some pharmaceuticals.

The simple solution is to minimize or eliminate the use of these products. But how do we know how much our bodies have already accumulated?

Because of the wide variety of chemicals that can act as endocrine disruptors and their different modes of distribution in the environment and inside the human body, it can be a challenge to test for them all³.

However, it is possible to directly test for some of the more common environmental contaminants, including endocrine disruptors, in body fluids. Keep in mind that the quantity of endocrine disruptors detected in urine may not fully estimate the negative impact they are having on the body.

Convenient, indirect tests also exist which can measure the effects on the body after long-term exposure to these endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These effects may be assessed partly through the measurement of “biomarkers”, molecules that the body itself makes that correlate with exposure to toxic substances, like endocrine disruptors.

As the liver is one of the main pathways for the detoxification of these substances, measuring certain liver biomarkers may be helpful.

Urine

By testing the urine for various environmental toxins and their metabolites, we can get a good idea of one’s long-term exposure to certain endocrine disruptors. Several private laboratories offer urine testing for a number of endocrine disrupting chemicals, like Bisphenol A, parabens, perchlorate, and phthalate^{4, 5}.

D-glucaric acid is produced when the liver engages its Phase I of the detoxification process. We can use the value of this biomarker in urine to estimate the levels of pesticides, fungicides, petrochemicals, drugs, and other potential endocrine disruptors which the body has been exposed to⁶.

Urinary levels of mercapturic acids, products of Phase II liver detoxification, can also be tested and compared to D-glucaric acid levels to estimate the liver’s ability to eliminate endocrine disruptors and other environmental contaminants.

4. Medications

Several medications are potentially toxic to the thyroid. The primary reason a person would be exposed to them is because they have been prescribed.

Thyroid modulating medications, like levothyroxine for hypothyroidism, or methimazole for hyperthyroidism, can become toxic to the thyroid if they are over-prescribed or if the condition of the thyroid changes without a matching alteration of the prescribed dose.

Medications prescribed for other conditions, like amiodarone for heart irregularities, lithium for bipolar disorder, and hydrocortisone for inflammation, may alter thyroid hormone production and/or metabolism. Some cancer medications may also negatively impact thyroid function.

It’s unknown how much trace amounts of these medications, found in municipal water, for example, can affect the thyroid.

Testing for some of these medications can be done using similar urine testing methods to those used for the endocrine disruptors mentioned earlier.

Since it’s a metal, it’s possible to test for lithium with the various testing methods used for other toxic metals. If it’s being prescribed, a lithium blood test can be employed to monitor body levels to prevent overdose⁷.

5. EMFs

Electromagnetic frequencies, or EMFs, are everywhere these days. Because they are invisible, you may be surprised by the level of exposure you are getting.

Cell phones, smart watches, computers, tablets, WiFi routers, televisions, microwave ovens, medical devices, nearby power lines, and even wall sockets emit waves that, research confirms, have harmful effects on the body, including the thyroid⁸.

Testing for these frequencies inside the body is extremely difficult if not impossible. Even if we measure their effects on the body, it may be a challenge to definitively attribute these effects to harmful EM frequencies.

So, it may be better to test for the EMFs in your local environment – that is, in and around your home – to estimate your overall exposure. Luckily, you can do this yourself in most cases.

Buying a hand-held EMF meter is a straight-forward way to test for low and high frequency non-ionizing radiation in your home. The cost of these readers ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the sensitivity and frequency range of the EMF meter.

Use the EMF meter in your office, bedroom, kitchen, and living room and anywhere else you spend a lot of time. Be sure to check in and around any computers, phones, televisions, kitchen appliances, and electrical meters. The meter will indicate if any areas of a room have more than the normal background levels of EMF.

A low-cost alternative is to get an “EMF app” for your smartphone. Although they’re not considered as accurate as most EMF meters, an app may be a good starting point for locating radiation “hotspots” in your house.

If you’re unsure where to start, consider hiring a company who does EMF testing on a professional basis. They may be able to find hotspots of radiation in your home that you never even thought of.

In any case, once you’ve located the sources of EMF radiation in your home, it’s critical to take measures to minimize your exposure. There are many EMF shields and similar devices available for purchase with varying levels of effectiveness.

The best method is to keep the sources of the radiation away from your body as much as possible. For example, if you’re not using your cell phone, place it at least an arm’s-length away from you.

Final Words

As we’ve seen, there are numerous environmental factors that can cause your thyroid to be toxic. And that doesn’t include one of the top negative influences on your thyroid – stress!

Finding the best way to detoxify your body depends heavily on what toxins you’re being exposed to. If your thyroid isn’t right and you suspect that toxic exposure may be a cause, consider testing for some of the thyro-toxic substances mentioned above.

Speak with a qualified health practitioner to learn what tests may be most appropriate for you.  As always, if you have a chronic health condition and you’re considering a detox program, check with your primary health practitioner.

Take special caution if you are on medication: always consult with your health practitioner before embarking on a detox program since detoxification may alter the effects of the medication on your body.

If your thyroid does need a detox, lab testing may help you to find the best program for you.

 

1. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Deann_Liska/publication/13653312
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02977789
3. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21824-kidney
4. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidneys-how-they-work
5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5735979/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513247/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470577/
8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1187676/

Book An Appointment With Nardini Naturopathic

Are you interested in testing to find out which toxins may be affecting your thyroid?

Or perhaps you’d like a review of your overall diet to see where you could be doing better.

Maybe you have food allergies or intolerances and worry you aren’t getting enough nutrients because of your restricted diet.

I’m Dr. Pat Nardini, a naturopathic doctor who offers nutritional counseling services to help ensure all of those gaps in your diet are filled, and that you’re getting enough of all the important nutrients which your body needs to function at its best.

Contact me today for more information, or book a free 15-minute consultation where I will help you understand how naturopathic medicine can help you.