The thyroid depends upon iodine to create the thyroid hormone thyroxin, and the thyroid gland has a specialized system to concentrate a large amount of iodine relative to its size. In the absence of iodine, thyroid hormones have been found to produce abnormalities in breast cells--more often than estrogen-produced abnormalities. Breasts are one of the body's main storage and utilization sites for iodine, and adequate iodine levels are vital for the development and maintenance of "normal breast architecture." It has been reported that Vitamin D deficiency and iodine deficiency are two of the biggest causes of breast cancer. This is good news, because these two deficiencies are easy to fix!
Following are more important benefits of iodine:
- Eliminates heavy metals like lead and mercury from the body
- Has anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-viral, and anti-cancer properties.
- Improves breast health and prevents fibrocystic breast disease.
- Improves thyroid function.
- Provides for optimal functioning of the entire endocrine system.
- Increases energy levels, body temperatures, and improves circulation.
- Stops cancer cell reproduction and may kill cancer cells (apoptosis).
- Protects from radiation exposure.
- Assists in detoxification.
- Lowers blood pressure.
- Lowers the risk of diabetes and helps control weight. (Dr. Daniel Nuzum claims that it is impossible for Type 2 Diabetes to exist if there is adequate iodine.)
- Essential during pregnancy for proper brain development of the baby.
Do we get enough iodine from our diets? No; it is reported that today, 96% of Americans are deficient. We need 12-25 mg of iodine per day; the U.S. recommended amount of iodine is only in micrograms not milligrams--and that is only enough to prevent goiter.
Iodized table salt is a poor source of iodine. First of all, we would need about 20 teaspoons of it per day! Secondly, table salt in the U.S. contains only iodide not iodine, and our bodies require both iodide and iodine in combination. While all tissues and organs utilize iodine, they don't necessarily utilize the same form of it. Thirdly, if you recall, I wrote a previous article on how toxic and nutrient-deficient table salt is. In that article, I also shared how salt is required for proper use of iodine and recommended natural salts such as sea salt, pink Himalayan salt, and Real Salt brand salt. (Selenium is also necessary for iodine to work properly.)
In America's past, iodine was actually added to bread and other baked goods, but in the 1970s, iodine was replaced with bromine. Bromine, chlorine, fluorine, and iodine are from the same family of elements, so they can all fill the iodine receptors in our cells, pushing out what little iodine may be present. Americans are ingesting large amounts of these toxic chemicals while getting very little of the vital iodine. Think about all the brominated baked goods we consume, the chlorinated water which we drink and use for bathing and swimming, the chlorinated "bleached" products we use and ingest, and the fluoridated water supply. It would be wise to decrease or eliminate our use, consumption, and exposure to bromine, chlorine, and fluoride. Admittedly, this may be a difficult task, but adequate levels of iodine will push these other chemicals out, helping the body detoxify from them.
Seaweed and kelp are excellent sources of iodine, but the Fukushima fallout in Japan has irradiated the oceans, contaminating nature's best sources. There are some foods known to contain iodine, but the amount is directly dependent upon the iodine levels of the soil in which they are grown. Since most soil is depleted of many nutrients, including iodine, again, these food sources would not provide sufficient iodine.
So, how do we get enough iodine? I suggest purchasing iodine supplements such as Ioderal (tablets) or Lugol's Solution (liquid drops).
While some express concern that excessive amounts of iodine may have adverse effects on the thyroid, if one takes into consideration the iodine deficiency epidemic in America and the prevalence of thyroid conditions and diseases in America due to iodine deficiency, it seems unlikely that overdosing is an urgent problem. Once iodine sufficiency is achieved in the body, the amount of iodine absorbed is quantitatively excreted in the urine as iodide--protecting the body against iodine overload.
I very recently had my iodine and heavy metals levels tested. As expected, my iodine was low (70% saturation when 90% saturation is the goal), and I had a slightly elevated mercury level. The doctor who reviewed the results with me recommended I take 23-25 mg of iodine per day for three months and then re-test. He also said that as my iodine levels increased, the iodine would push out the mercury--but that would take a full year, so I should retest the heavy metals in one year.
Dr. David Brownstein and Dr. George Flechas are two of the leading researchers on iodine, and I would highly recommend looking up their work. Also, the organization I used to do my testing is www.breastcancerchoices.org
They offer free iodine testing to breast cancer patients who are willing to be part of their study, and they raise funds to do that by selling iodine supplements, other supplements, and books and publications on the research. Their website is a wealth of information on thyroid issues, breast cancer, and more.
