Barnes Thyroid Test

“He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors.” Chinese Proverb

When your thyroid hormones are too low to support your daily activities, it is known as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is much more common than most people think and is becoming another one of America's epidemics. Western medicine has a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) test. If the amount is high then it means the pituitary gland is trying to tell the thyroid to make more hormones and it is not responding. However, thousands of medical doctors have proclaimed that by itself the test is inadequate for diagnosis. Much more accurate is the basil body temperature test one takes in the morning upon rising.

This test is an excellent way to determine thyroid function using basal body temperature (the body's temperature at rest). If the thyroid is running low, the body's temperature will drop below normal while the body is at rest or asleep. This test is performed by measuring the underarm temperature upon waking after a night's sleep. For accuracy, the test is conducted five mornings in a row and then the average is calculated. The test is performed with a basal (or ovulating) thermometer; the instructions for performing the test are as follows:

• The night before, shake down the thermometer (an oral glass thermometer only) and set it on the nightstand next to the bed.


• Immediately upon waking, without raising your head from the pillow, place the thermometer under the arm.


• Leave thermometer under arm for 10 minutes.


• Move as little as possible in this process; you must remain flat on your back during this entire time - otherwise the thyroid gland will be activated and a false reading will be taken.


• After 10 minutes, remove thermometer and record temperature.


• The test is invalidated if you expend any energy just before recording the temperature, i.e. getting up for any reason, shaking down the thermometer, etc.