Iodine – Fear NO More

Iodine is very feared today in the general population.  But it is also one of the most needed elements.  Just like Calcium, magnesium and potassium, our body requires iodine for many reasons, for proper thyroid function, and the production of all other hormones in our bodies. It is necessary for an optimum immune system, and is found in all of the body’s cells. Iodine also has properties that kill parasites, fungus, viruses and also an iodine rich body prevents the growth of cancer cells.

Although iodine is a relatively rare element – it is very important to our optimum health. In fact in Dr. David Brownstein’s book “Iodine: Why you need it, Why you can’t live without it” – he states that “Iodine deficiency is a worldwide problem.” 

How did this happen:

If you remember the periodic table of the elements from high school, there is a section called the halogens - they include chloride/chlorine, fluoride/fluorine, bromide/bromine, and iodide/iodine.  Unfortunately all of these are molecularly heavier than iodide. So what happens is, when you get exposed to them they interfere with iodine absorption and pull or bind iodine out of your body, making your body deficient in iodine.

What is really scary is the drop in iodine levels seen in pregnant women of over 50% from 1971 to 2000.  This may help to explain post-depression, birth defects, and infertility in many women.

You may say - well I don't get exposed to those things - and I would say - yes you do!  There is chlorine in all the water from your shower/bath - unless you have a filter - and last time I heard, heated chlorine makes chlorine gas - that is toxic - coming out of your shower each day. There is fluoride in all the water in your shower and that you drink as well unless you have a filter that pulls that out.  And don’t you use fluoride toothpaste?

And all flour products contain bromine – in the 1960’s they added iodine to all the baked goods we eat here in the U.S. as a dough conditioner.  But 20 years later it was replaced with bromine. So every time you eat a bagel, bread or doughnuts, you are putting bromine in your body.  Bromides are also in pest control substances used in agriculture.

In addition to that, unfermented soy, which is in so many products today, prevents your body from absorbing iodine properly. As if that isn’t enough, many drugs including statins, many inhalers, and aspirin also prevent absorption.  Mercury also robs the body of iodine.  Mercury is in many people’s mouths, inside fillings, in seafoods, in many types of environmental pollutions and in all vaccines.

Deficiencies of iodine

Deficiency in iodine can cause depression, colon problems, breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, exhaustion/fatigue, weight gain, thyroid problems and a whole host of illnesses.

Types of iodine

Remember when you were little (for those of you over 40) and your mom used to put iodine on your boo boo’s?  It was in a little brown bottle, and stung a little when she put it on.  She put it on to help kill infections and to help the wound heal – and it stained your arm. The iodine that she used was most likely the one discovered by Dr. Lugol in 1829.  Dr. Lugol discovered that mixing 5% iodine and 10% potassium iodide together with water increased the solubility of the iodine. So basically, Dr. Lugol discovered that taking iodine, was best absorbed when it was taken in a reduced form (iodide).  Unfortunately this stuff tastes awful – like eating a pan, and the dosages can be unpredictable, and it is messy and can stain.

There are different types of iodine you can purchase today. It is important to remember if you are going to start taking iodine that you be sure to take one that has iodide and iodine combined together as this is considered “water soluble”, meaning your body can flush it out naturally which prevents a toxic build up.

Test available

The most accurate way to test your iodine levels is through a 24-hour urine test that is available through FFP Laboratories.  Their phone number is 1-877-900-5556 or contact your health professional to have them assist you as they can help you interpret the results. 

To purchase iodine, you will need to contact a licensed professional, such as a Naturopath, Acupuncturist, etc.  They can determine how to best help you with dosages.  They can also recommend supporting products such as for adrenals, other thyroid products or products to help with detoxing, which typically happens when you first start taking iodine.

Detoxing

When you start taking iodine, sometimes people have cleansing responses.  These can include headaches or sinus headaches, rashes, colon changes, heart palpitations, nausea, lung issues and runny nose.  These are not serious but show how that it is actually working in moving the other toxic elements out of your body, typically the bromine.  These symptoms often only last a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on how toxic the person is.  Once the cleansing happens, our customers report a fog that has now lifted, sleeping much better, weight loss, tons of more energy, and many illnesses, such as cancer making improvements.  The symptoms listed for iodine reactions are actually where iodine is displacing bromine so you are actually getting the symptoms from the bromine not the iodine.

Why take Iodine

So why would you want to take this stuff in the first place?  There are many reasons people may want to start taking Iodine: for thyroid issues, colon issues, osteoporosis, Candida/fungus problems, weight loss, mental clarity/ADD, insomnia/fatigue, breast health, hemorrhoids, headaches, and a whole host of other issues we have seen.  If nothing else, just to replace the iodine that is being sucked out of our bodies at an alarming rate from normal every day life.

For best results Iodine supplementation should be used for about 6-9 months then the body should be able to maintain on it's own.  Over the course of 6-9 months eating habits should change so that the body remains balanced.  Primarily the foods and water that contain fluoride, chlorine, and bromine need to be removed from consumption.  However, if the diet is not changed, and if you are swimmer, or are being exposed to the toxic sources mentioned, supplementation may need to be continued

Natural forms of iodine include seafood, sea vegetables, some meats and dairy, if it is properly added to the feed of animals. It may also be found in asparagus, dulse, garlic, lima beans, mushrooms, sea salt, sesame seeds, soybeans, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, and turnip greens. Herbs that are high in iodine include kelp, black walnut, chaparral, and dulse.  Some foods actually block the uptake of iodine into the thyroid gland when eaten raw in large amounts. These include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, peaches, pears, spinach, and turnips.

Salt is not enough:

So many people think if they just take salt they will get enough iodine.  The FDA put iodine in the US salt source to help prevent goiters, and the amount they put in was enough to prevent goiters, but not to prevent the depletion of iodine that is going on today.  This is explained more in Dr. Brownstein’s book. You can purchase this book and learn more about this at www.drbrownstein.com.

For people interested in learning more, there is a very good video on Iodine available from Dr. Kimberly Balas and Steven Horne. It can be purchased at www.treelite.com.