Toxic and Essential Elements - Urine Profile

The Toxic & Essential Elements - Urine Profile allows clinicians to see if an individual has too little, or too much, of the essential nutrients iodine and selenium or the trace elements bromine and lithium, or if they have been exposed to too much of the toxic elements, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium. Iodine is an essential component of T3 and T4, so its deficiency has a serious impact on thyroid hormone synthesis, while selenium is a component of the selenoproteins, including the deiodinases that convert inactive T4 to active T3, and glutathione peroxidase, an important antioxidant. Arsenic and mercury reduce selenium’s bioavailability and disrupt thyroid health. Arsenic, mercury, and cadmium represent 3 of the 4 most toxic heavy metals according to the CDC. Lithium is important for brain health in trace amounts but is toxic when used in excessive amounts pharmacologically.