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Iodine, the hidden deficiency epidemic.

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
I have been reading more, and more about iodine's uses recently and suprisingly the world wide deficiency that everyone has going on! Iodine is an extremely vital micro nutrient to proper thyroid function and excellent for proper cell aptosis, without proper cell death cancer can begin development.

There are many, many purposes to iodine and it is so crucial to have it in ones diet!

Here are a few sources that discuss it! Surprisingly enough by coincidence one article in the psychology today magazine actually talked about the role of iodine deficiency in CFS/FMS. here is a qoute of that article

"Connection to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Low iodine might also contribute to fatigue and CFS. A study showed that people with low body temperature and fatigue felt better and had more energy when they took a daily supplement of 1,500 micrograms (mcg) of iodine (the RDA is 150), though their temperature didn't rise. It's reasonable for those with unexplained fatigue, CFS or fibromyalgia to add an iodine supplement (6-12 mg) daily for three months to see if it helps. You'll often see a marked increase in energy within the first month.

Low iodine has also been associated with weight gain (see Less Iodine, More Likely To Gain Weight)."

"Bottom Line?
For those with CFS/FMS, unexplained fatigue, a low body temperature, difficulty losing weight or breast disease, it's reasonable to take an iodine supplement. Take one tablet a day for 90 days (6-12 mg a day is fine). After three months, if you feel much better you can stay on the supplement. Or you can stop it and see if your problems worsen, a sign that you still need it. (You may find that one bottle is enough to "fill your tank" and correct your deficiency.)

For those with breast cancer, I would suggest adding a somewhat higher dose supplement (12-13 mg) a day to your long-term daily regimen. You might also want to work with a holistic physician, taking even higher doses - but these higher doses require monitoring of thyroid function."


here are some good articles on it!

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=5559634

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...201108/iodine-deficiency-old-epidemic-is-back

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-QuickFacts/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/06/29/iodine-deficiency-risk.aspx
 

alex3619

Senior Member
Messages
13,810
Location
Logan, Queensland, Australia
Iodine deficiiency is common despite iodized salt. Commercial salt is not iodized. Not everyone eats bread. Iodine appears to do lots of things, but we don't really understand it. Thyroid function is only a part of it. Iodine seems to be important in suppressing viral infections.

I was tested some years ago and found to be deficient. I use iodized salt exclusively, not regular salt. Seaweed is a good source, as is sea salt and seafood.
 

Ayaju

Senior Member
Messages
160
Location
San Diego, CA
I can attest to supplementing with iodine for health. I had a thyroid cyst for several years that was starting to grow. Being me, I had no intention or desire to follow the endocrinologists' (plural) advice and get a biopsy. That's when I found Dr. Brownstein's work. I learned that almost everyone is deficient in iodine, and of course, it's a controversial subject that most doctor's won't even talk about. For one thing, it's difficult to test for. I started taking Iodoral, with the guidance of a teachable doctor I found at an Integrative Medicine clinic, and to my amazement, not only did the cyst stop growing it went away! It's completely GONE. That's because, apparently, iodine deficiency is the cause of many or most cysts and tumors anywhere in the body connected to the endocrine system.

I was dying to go back to the conservative endocrinologists and say, "Told ya so!" But I didn't!

Also, switching from the toxic Synthroid to NatureThroid, and eating up to 2 tsp. a day of Celtic Sea Salt contributed to the healing. Dr. B. recommends all of these things; and not iodized salt (I don't recall why).

His site: www.drbrownstein.com

Judy
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
Using iodine screwed up my health VERY badly. It gave me severe cardiac arrhythmia for several months and then crashed me. I would approach iodine with great caution.


It can cause issues like this in people with hashimotos or other auto immune type thyroid issues.. Definitely something to look into before starting if that is an issue for some.. That usually happens in the higher doses though, have you ever been tested for hashimotos or have an infection that is targeting your thyroid? Also what dose were you taking?
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
In my country iodine is added to salt and bread.


Most specialists state that the iodine added to salt and bread is already too processed of the essential bio available form of iodine so people still run deficient.. The issue today is that it is such a big deficiency but a lot of people don't understand with plenty of things including iodine salt, however it is because these versions of iodine are too reduced from the original source to reap benifit that it is an issue.
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
I can attest to supplementing with iodine for health. I had a thyroid cyst for several years that was starting to grow. Being me, I had no intention or desire to follow the endocrinologists' (plural) advice and get a biopsy. That's when I found Dr. Brownstein's work. I learned that almost everyone is deficient in iodine, and of course, it's a controversial subject that most doctor's won't even talk about. For one thing, it's difficult to test for. I started taking Iodoral, with the guidance of a teachable doctor I found at an Integrative Medicine clinic, and to my amazement, not only did the cyst stop growing it went away! It's completely GONE. That's because, apparently, iodine deficiency is the cause of many or most cysts and tumors anywhere in the body connected to the endocrine system.

I was dying to go back to the conservative endocrinologists and say, "Told ya so!" But I didn't!

Also, switching from the toxic Synthroid to NatureThroid, and eating up to 2 tsp. a day of Celtic Sea Salt contributed to the healing. Dr. B. recommends all of these things; and not iodized salt (I don't recall why).

His site: www.drbrownstein.com

Judy


Wow that is awesome Judy! So happy to hear that all cleared up for you!

Also if you look at my link to the T-nation article you will see why iodine salt is not recommended!

Hope you are feeling much better now!
 

Dreambirdie

work in progress
Messages
5,569
Location
N. California
It can cause issues like this in people with hashimotos or other auto immune type thyroid issues.. Definitely something to look into before starting if that is an issue for some.. That usually happens in the higher doses though, have you ever been tested for hashimotos or have an infection that is targeting your thyroid? Also what dose were you taking?

I don't have Hashimoto's. I took a very low dose, and it had a serious adverse effect within a couple weeks.

Some people just do not tolerate iodine well. I am in that category. Trace amounts in sea salt and seaweed are plenty enough for me.
 
Last edited:

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
I don't have Hashimoto's. I took a very low dose, and it had a serious adverse effect within a couple weeks.

Some people just do not tolerate iodine well. I am in that category. Trace amounts in sea salt and seaweed are plenty enough for me.


No doubt I think anything is possible and I am sorry to hear you had such a serious reaction! Usually the amount people can try in drops is the basic RDV value of a few mcgs, that should prevent really bad reactions in those cases.

I forgot to add earlier but selenium is a very important and useful thing to take along side the iodine, I don't remember all the intended purposes of it right now but always recommended.

Anyways yes, I think based off what you said people should approach with caution and start very slow and low if necessary!

Eating plenty of sea salt and seaweed should cover you for sure! It is the people that do not consume these things that can run into issues!
 

Ayaju

Senior Member
Messages
160
Location
San Diego, CA
Thanks, @Martial

I happen to have Hashimotos, which is why the doctor who is helping me was super hesitant at first to okay my taking Iodoral. But after she watched the DVDs I lent her that Dr. Brownstein made, she changed her mind! She checks my blood every 4 months to make sure all my many thyroid related numbers are okay; we're trying to heal the Hashimotos. I've since lowered my dose from 37.5 mgs. of Iodoral to 25 mgs. per her instructions (It's basically a guessing game; I can't get the iodine-loading test Dr. B. recommends). Dr. B. often puts his patients on up to 50 mgs. of Iodoral (iodine/iodide). My doctor has me take yeast-free selenium, N-Acetyl Cisteine (sp?), and L-Tyrosine. However, I have heard that tyrosine is a bad idea and stopped taking it. Will ask her about it when I see her this month.

Judy
 

deleder2k

Senior Member
Messages
1,129
I got results from my 24h urine test today. Iodine was measured to 0.3 while reference range is from 0.8-1.2. Anyone tried iodine after proven deficiency?
 

deleder2k

Senior Member
Messages
1,129
Interesting. I don't have low thyroid or Hashimotos though... Wonder if it will do any good with supplements. 0.3 is pretty low compared to a referance range of 0.8-1.2
 

Ayaju

Senior Member
Messages
160
Location
San Diego, CA
@deleder2k It was a while ago that I was into his research but I do remember that he said that most people are iodine deficient, that most doctors won't talk about it, that it's very hard to test for, and other things. He's been at this for half a century and studied thousands of patients. Do you know how to muscle test yourself on Iodoral?
 

Ayaju

Senior Member
Messages
160
Location
San Diego, CA
@deleder2k I just found this and I learned things I didn't know! I may have been doing it kind of wrong all these years! LOL. So, to test yourself on a supplement you'd hold it over your heart while someone muscle-tests your extended arm. If your arm stays locked, your body wants and needs that supp. You can also ask the body how much of the supp it needs. Have the person ask, "How many? One?" If your arm stays locked, that's a yes. "Two?" etc. etc. Lots of other videos on this page. Judy

 
Messages
18
When I started researching my non-problem (essentially when my doctors dismissed my concerns for the final time), iodine was one of the first things I tried. Lugol's in water, 50 mg/day. I had no issues with it. In the excitement of finding the b-12 protocol, I slacked off the iodine. I just realized that my psoriasis is starting to flare, and was disappointed. Stupid--so many gajillions of variables! So went back to the forums and found Eric's post on iodine. There's a protocol for iodine--who knew? Drink water with half tsp seasalt to flush toxins, then work up to 50 mg iodine/day. The book cited histories from some who took much more. I'm going to titrate up to 75 mg. Also been taking selenium, mg and other recommended co factors.

Iodine is good for many of the same symptoms as b-12. Tinnitus, brain fog, Thyroid, breast issues, cysts, hearing loss, depression, libido, ed, and on and on. I think they must be intimately linked. Perhaps some of the improvement I've experienced was due as much to iodine as b-12?

Seems to be perfectly safe for most, even hashi's, as long as reactions are moderated by the sea salt. Farrow says iodized salt is not enough because it begins precipitating out as soon as the package is opened. Concerns about seaweed are pollution, and radiation from Fukushima. Again, must be high enough quantity to block bromides.

Going to try the test above.
 

Martial

Senior Member
Messages
1,409
Location
Ventura, CA
When I started researching my non-problem (essentially when my doctors dismissed my concerns for the final time), iodine was one of the first things I tried. Lugol's in water, 50 mg/day. I had no issues with it. In the excitement of finding the b-12 protocol, I slacked off the iodine. I just realized that my psoriasis is starting to flare, and was disappointed. Stupid--so many gajillions of variables! So went back to the forums and found Eric's post on iodine. There's a protocol for iodine--who knew? Drink water with half tsp seasalt to flush toxins, then work up to 50 mg iodine/day. The book cited histories from some who took much more. I'm going to titrate up to 75 mg. Also been taking selenium, mg and other recommended co factors.

Iodine is good for many of the same symptoms as b-12. Tinnitus, brain fog, Thyroid, breast issues, cysts, hearing loss, depression, libido, ed, and on and on. I think they must be intimately linked. Perhaps some of the improvement I've experienced was due as much to iodine as b-12?

Seems to be perfectly safe for most, even hashi's, as long as reactions are moderated by the sea salt. Farrow says iodized salt is not enough because it begins precipitating out as soon as the package is opened. Concerns about seaweed are pollution, and radiation from Fukushima. Again, must be high enough quantity to block bromides.

Going to try the test above.

Do you mean mcg or mg? Because 75 mg of iodine is beyond even just "very high dose".