Your doctor looks at the results of your blood tests and notices that your thyroid is not working very well. He then takes out the prescription pad and goes to the pharmacy. The problem is that his doctor may be putting his health at risk due to a surprisingly little-known fact, that his low thyroid activity may be helping him. In fact, very few are aware of the fact that stimulating the thyroid through the use of drugs like Synthroid or more natural thyroid stimulants like Westthyroid or Amour can be very detrimental to a person’s health if they are toxic to the environment. The reason is so basic that it is perhaps too simple, that many in the health care industry may simply be overlooking the obvious.

So why would increasing metabolism be a bad thing when so many people have a low metabolism which can inherently lead to fatigue and obesity? The answer comes from experiments done in animal research and duplicates in humans. When a mammal is exposed to environmental toxins, it naturally slows down its metabolism to avoid the effects of the toxins, be they petrochemical, heavy metal, or other. Body temperature drops, metabolism slows, and the body can better handle the toxin. By increasing metabolism, we can override the protective mechanism that is innate in our bodies and cause further damage to our health.

It is best to assess your toxic load by using two laboratory tests. The first one everyone should take is the Environmental Pollutants Biomarker urine test from US Biotek in Seattle, Washington. Look for metabolites (byproducts) of petrochemicals such as benzene, xylene, toluene, and others, as well as markers for phthalates (a common plasticizer) and the preservative paraben. If you have elevated levels, your report will guide you in developing a detoxification protocol and sources of exposure as well.

The other test I would recommend would be a whole blood element test from Doctor’s Data in Chicago, Illinois. It will not only report circulating levels of heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, but also levels of critical minerals like zinc, magnesium, and chromium.

The key here is that if your system is toxic, your metabolic rate will drop and you won’t be able to lose weight. The toxins actually block your ability to convert food into energy. Detox or gain weight. It’s your decision.