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Summary#
47553
Topic:
Iodine Supplementation May Improve Cognition In Mildly Iodine-Deficient Children
Keywords:
COGNITION – Iodine
Reference:
“Iodine supplementation improves cognition in mildly iodine-deficient children,” Gordon RC, Ruffman T, et al, Am J Clin Nutr, 2009; 90(5): 1264-71. (Address: Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand).
Summary:
In a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study involving 184 mildly iodine-deficient children, aged 10-13 years old, results indicate that iodine supplementation may improve cognition. The children were randomized to receive a daily tablet containing either 150 microg iodine or placebo for 28 weeks. Cognitive performance was evaluated at intervention end. Children in the iodine group showed significant improved scores in picture concepts and matrix reasoning, compared with children in the placebo group. Thus, the authors of this study conclude, “Iodine supplementation improved perceptual reasoning in mildly iodine-deficient children and suggests that mild iodine deficiency could prevent children from attaining their full intellectual potential.”
The Iodine Allergy Myth
Some people that have a history of allergy to shellfish, a history of a previous reaction to IV iodinated contrast, or a history of a reaction to a topical iodine solution, have been told that they have “iodine allergy.” This is actually not correct. “Iodine Allergy” doesn’t really exist. Iodine is a substance essential to life and is found throughout your body like within thyroid hormone or in amino acids, your body’s basic building blocks. The reactions experienced in each of these situations do not have to do with the presence of the iodine. Instead, in each case the reaction is to another substance. In the case of shellfish, the reaction is to tropomyosin, a muscle protein. In the case of iodinated contrast, it is the other portion of the contrast molecule, not the iodine. In the case of topical iodine solution, it is to other substances in the solution, not the iodine itself.
Shellfish allergy is not a contraindication to iodinated contrast because the allergy is entirely unrelated. This is a longstanding myth even within the medical community and is difficult to dispel. To some degree, asthma will increase the possibility of a contrast reaction. Sensitivity to Betadine® and other Iodine-containing solutions is unrelated to reactions to iodinated radiographic contrast agents.
From the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology:
“Once a person has one contrast reaction they are at very high risk for more unless treated. The reactions do tend to be worse in people who are dehydrated (dried out) when they are given the contrast in their veins. These reactions are not caused by iodine and are not more common in people with shellfish or any other true allergy. They can be minimized by pretreatment with antihistamines and oral steroids and/or using non-ionic contrast material that, interestingly, still has iodine in it.”
Bromides are a common endocrine disruptor. Because bromide is also a halide, it competes for the same receptors that are used in the thyroid gland (among other places) to capture iodine. This will inhibit thyroid hormone production resulting in a low thyroid state.
Iodine is essential for your body, and is detected in every organ and tissue. There is increasing evidence that low iodine is related to numerous diseases, including cancer. Various clinicians and researchers have found iodine effective with everything from goiter to constipation.
Bromide can be found in several forms. Methyl Bromide is a pesticide used mainly on strawberries, found predominantly in the California areas. Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) is added to citrus drinks to help suspend the flavoring in the liquid.
Potassium Bromate is a dough conditioner found in commercial bakery products and some flours.
Dr. Mercola’s Comments:
If you are like most people, you probably haven’t spent much time thinking about how much bromine you’re absorbing from your car upholstery or your Mountain Dew. But bromine toxicity is a definite danger from some surprising sources, and it can wreak havoc on your health.
Bromines All Around You
Bromines are common endocrine disruptors, and are part of the halide family, a group of elements that includes fluorine, chlorine and iodine. What makes it so dangerous is that it competes for the same receptors that are used to capture iodine.
If you are exposed to a lot of bromine, your body will not hold on to the iodine that it needs. And iodine affects every tissue in your body — not just your thyroid.
You are already exposed to far too much chlorine and bromine. Bromine can be found in a number of places in your everyday world, including:
- Pesticides (specifically methyl bromide, used mainly on strawberries, predominantly in California)
- Plastics, like those used to make computers
- Bakery goods and some flours often contain a “dough conditioner” called potassium bromate
- Soft drinks (including Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Sun Drop, Squirt, Fresca and other citrus-flavored sodas), in the form of brominated vegetable oils (BVOs)
- Medications such as Atrovent Inhaler, Atrovent Nasal Spray, Pro-Banthine (for ulcers), and anesthesia agents
- Fire retardants (common one is polybromo diphenyl ethers or PBDEs) used in fabrics, carpets, upholstery, and mattresses
- Bromine-based hot tub and swimming pool treatments
According to van Leeuwen, who has extensively studied the effects of sodium bromide on thyroid function:
“Although the bromide ion is widely distributed in nature, the main route of exposure in humans stems from bromide residues in food commodities as a result of the abundant use of bromide-containing pesticides, like methylbromide and ethylene dibromide, for soil fumigation in intensive horticulture and for postharvest treatment.”
One clinical consequence of overexposure to bromine is suppression of your thyroid, leading to hypothyroidism, which will be discussed shortly. Another is bromide toxicity.
Bromine — The Bully of the Halide Group
When you ingest or absorb bromine, it displaces iodine, and this iodine deficiency leads to an increased risk for cancer of the breast, thyroid gland, ovary and prostate — cancers that we see at alarmingly high rates today. This phenomenon is significant enough to have been given its own name — the Bromide Dominance Theory.
Aside from its effects on your endocrine glands, bromine is toxic in and of itself. Bromide builds up in your central nervous system and results in many problems. It is a central nervous system depressant and can trigger a number of psychological symptoms such as acute paranoia and other psychotic symptoms.
In fact, in an audio interview, physician Jorge Flechas reported that, between 1920 and 1960, at least 20 percent of all hospital admissions for “acute paranoid schizophrenia” were a result of ingesting bromine-containing products.
In addition to psychiatric problems, bromine toxicity can manifest as the following:
- Skin rashes and severe acne
- Loss of appetite and abdominal pain
- Fatigue
- Metallic taste
- Cardiac arrhythmias
Baby Boomers might recall a popular product from the 1950s called Bromo-Seltzer. These effervescent granules, developed by the Emerson Drug Company of Baltimore, were used to treat heartburn, upset stomach, indigestion, headaches and hangovers.
Bromo-Selzer’s original formula contained 3.2 mEq/teaspoon of sodium bromide — hence the name. The sedative effect probably explained its popularity as a hangover remedy. Bromides were withdrawn from the American market in 1975 due to their toxicity.
Bromo-Selzer is still on the market, but no longer contains bromide.
Bromines in Your Bread Box: Potassium Bromate
The ban on bromines have not prevented them from sneaking into your foods and personal care products.
You probably are not aware of this, but nearly every time you eat bread in a restaurant or consume a hamburger or hotdog bun you are consuming bromide, as it is commonly used in flours.
The use of potassium bromate as an additive to commercial breads and baked goods has been a huge contributor to bromide overload in Western cultures.
Bromated flour is “enriched” with potassium bromate. Commercial baking companies claim it makes the dough more elastic and better able to stand up to bread hooks. However, Pepperidge Farm and other successful companies manage to use only unbromated flour without any of these so-called “structural problems.”
Potassium bromate is also found in some toothpastes and mouthwashes, where it’s added as an antiseptic and astringent. It has been found to cause bleeding and inflammation of gums in people using these products.
Sodium Bromate and BMOs
Mountain Dew, one of the worst beverages you can drink, uses brominated vegetable oil as an emulsifier. Not only that, it contains high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate, more than 55 mg of caffeine per 12 ounce can, and Yellow Dye #5 (tartrazine, which has been banned in Norway, Austria and Germany.)
A weapon of mass destruction — in a can.
Even drinking water can be a source of bromide. When drinking water containing bromide is exposed to ozone, bromate ions are formed, which are powerful oxidizing agents. Such was the case in 2004 when Coca Cola Company had to recall Dasani bottled water.
Sodium bromate can also be found in personal care products such as permanent waves, hair dyes, and textile dyes. Benzalkonium is used as a preservative in some cosmetics.
Finally, bromine and chlorine were the most common toxic elements reportedly found in automobiles, according to the blog of David Brownstein, MD (March 2007). They showed up in the seats, armrests, door trim, shift knobs and other areas of the car.
Think about how much time you spend enclosed in your outgassing Chevy… windows up with no air circulation.
The United States is quite behind in putting an end to the egregious practice of allowing bromine chemicals in your foods. In 1990, the United Kingdom banned bromate in bread. In 1994, Canada did the same. Brazil recently outlawed bromide in flour products.
What’s taking us so long? Another case of our government protecting big industry — instead of protecting you.
Iodine Levels and Cancer Risk
Iodine levels have significantly dropped due to bromine exposure; declining consumption of iodized salt, eggs, fish, and sea vegetables; and soil depletion. In the U.S. population, there was a 50 percent reduction in urinary iodine excretion between 1970 and 1990.
What’s this doing to our country’s health?
The Japanese consume 89 times more iodine than Americans due to their daily consumption of sea vegetables, and they have reduced rates of many chronic diseases, including the lowest rates of cancer in the world. The RDA for iodine in the U.S. is a meager 150 mcg/day, which pales in comparison with the average daily intake of 13800 mcg/day for the Japanese.
There is a large body of evidence suggesting that low cancer rates in Japan are a result of their substantially higher iodine levels. Iodine has documented antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties.
A strong case can be made that your iodine RDA should be closer to what the Japanese consume daily, if breast cancer rates are any indication. Low iodine can lead to fibrocystic breast disease in women (density, lumps and bumps), hyperplasia, and atypical mammary tissue. Such fibrocystic changes in breast tissue have been shown to reverse in the presence of iodine supplementation after 3-4 months.
If you are interested in being tested for iodine deficiency, the urine iodine challenge test is the best way to assess your iodine level.
Bromine and Your Thyroid
Adding to the negative health effects of bromine, the damage to your thyroid health deserves special mention.
As stated in the first part of this article, bromine exposure depletes your body’s iodine by competing with iodine receptors. Iodine is crucial for thyroid function. Without iodine, your thyroid gland would be completely unable to produce thyroid hormone.
Even the names of the different forms of thyroid hormone reflect the number of iodine molecules attached — T4 has four attached iodine molecules, and T3 (the biologically active form of the hormone) has three–showing what an important part iodine plays in thyroid biochemistry.
Hypothyroidism is far more prevalent than once thought in the U.S. The latest estimates are that 13 million Americans have hypothyroidism, but the actual numbers are probably higher. Some experts claim that 10 to40 percent of Americans have suboptimal thyroid function.
Many of these folks may actually have nothing wrong with their thyroid gland at all — they may just be suffering from iodine deficiency.
Seven Tips for Avoiding Bromine and Optimizing Iodine
Trying to avoid bromine is like trying to avoid air pollution — all you can do is minimize your exposure. That said, here are a few things you can do to minimize your risk:
- Eat organic as often as possible. Wash all produce thoroughly. This will minimize your pesticide exposure.
- Avoid eating or drinking from (or storing food and water in) plastic containers. Use glass and safe ceramic vessels.
- Look for organic whole-grain breads and flour. Grind you own grain, if possible. Look for the “no bromine” or “bromine-free” label on commercial baked goods.
- Avoid sodas. Drink natural, filtered water instead.
- If you own a hot tub, look into an ozone purification system. Such systems make it possible to keep the water clean with minimal chemical treatments.
- Look for personal care products that are as chemical-free as possible. Remember — anything going on you, goes in you.
- When in a car or a building, open windows as often as possible, preferably on opposing sides of the space for cross ventilation. Utilize fans to circulate the air. Chemical pollutants are much higher inside buildings (and cars) than outside.
Avoid Unfermented Soy
Another major contributor to thyroid dysfunction that I did not discuss above is unfermented soy. Soy isoflavones can wreak havoc on your thyroid.
Kaayla Daniel’s groundbreaking book, The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America’s Favorite Health Food is a powerful exposé that reveals the truth about the soy myths that have infiltrated our culture.
It’s ironic that soy has become so accepted as a health food when, as Dr. Daniel states, thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid- and hormonal dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility–even cancer and heart disease.
So if you want to keep your thyroid healthy, you’ll definitely want to avoid unfermented soy products of all kinds, including soy milk.
EU ban will end walkers’ use of iodine
John McHale, Reporter
Thursday 13 August 2009 12:44 PM GMT
Generations of walkers and backpackers have used iodine to treat water taken from mountain streams
Generations of walkers and backpackers have used iodine to treat water taken from mountain streams
Iodine, for many years used by walkers and mountaineers to disinfect water, will be banned in the European Union from autumn.
The ban means that, from 25 October retailers will no longer be allowed to sell or supply for use the substance. Some equipment manufacturers will also need to modify their gear in response to the ban. Chlorine tablets will still be available for the purpose.
The ban affects all 27 EU countries and was taken in response to US Center for Disease Control advice which says iodine should only be consumed in controlled doses for no more than a few weeks.
Pregnant women and those with thyroid problems were always advised against using the substance.
Generations of outdoors enthusiasts, military personnel and travellers have used iodine, producing its telltale yellow colouring, to kill bugs in drinking water. Alternatives include, as mentioned, chlorine tablets, though these produce a strong ‘swimming bath’ taste in treated water; boiling and devices using ultra-violet light and filtering.
The main risks from drinking untreated water come from bacteria, viruses and parasites such as giardia and cryptosporidium. There may also be chemicals present in water, though this is less likely in high mountain streams.
Industry insiders said the move could be followed by the United States and other countries.
Pa. company works to make fireworks greener
By Karen Knee
Inquirer Staff Writer
Tonight, the fireworks arcing over the Ben Franklin Parkway will be a little bit greener.
The colors in the display will be as bright and varied as ever, but with less environmental impact. That’s because Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, the company staging the show, is working to reduce – and eventually eliminate – the pollutant perchlorate from its fireworks.
Zambelli Fireworks, based in New Castle, Pa., is one of the largest pyrotechnics companies in the country. This year alone, it is staging more than 800 Independence Day shows, including one atop Mount Rushmore.
But the company’s chairman, George R. Zambelli Jr., said, "Being the largest isn’t the main point. We want to be the safest, the most creative, the most innovative, and on the cutting edge."
One way to keep on that edge is to cut out perchlorate. This oxidizing chemical releases oxygen and speeds combusion in fireworks and flares. But the smoke it produces can irritate lungs, and toxic residues can linger in water long after the Fourth of July’s colorful sparkles have faded from the sky.
Smoke and ashes from spent fireworks shower perchlorate on surrounding land and water. Also, chemicals from "duds" can leach into groundwater.
Most commercial and professional fireworks contain perchlorate. If people ingest it – by, say, drinking contaminated water – it can prevent the thyroid from absorbing iodine, a necessary nutrient.
In one Oklahoma lake, perchlorate increased to 1,000 times background levels after a fireworks display, and took 10 weeks to return to normal. And after a Fourth of July show in Long Island, concentrations in rain spiked to 18 times their previous level.
Only recently have governments begun to look at perchlorate in fireworks as an environmental concern. The Pennsylvania and New Jersey Departments of Environmental Protection do not regulate fireworks. Zambelli said his company had never been required to comply with specific air or water quality regulations to get a permit in any state.
Nonetheless, for the last three years, the Zambelli company has been working with its manufacturers in China to make cleaner fireworks, reducing the amount of perchlorate in many conventional fireworks by up to 50 percent. The company has also developed a line of perchlorate-free shells, some of which will be featured in the Philadelphia show.
It turns out that silver and gold are the new green.
When the Zambelli company began experimenting with perchlorate-free pyrotechnic recipes, these colors were relatively easy to get right.
"When we switched to a different oxidizer, we didn’t get those intense blues, reds, and greens. It’s going to take some more development," Zambelli said.
Pa. company works to make fireworks greener | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/04/2009
Replacing perchlorate in fireworks makes them safer for environment
By Meredith Cohn | meredith.cohn@baltsun.com
July 4, 2009
As millions of Americans head out for their annual Fourth of July fireworks, they might not realize the chemical that makes the shows so bright also poses an environmental threat. But researchers are developing new, greener pyrotechnics that already are being used at Disneyland and some indoor concerts.
The new fireworks use alternatives to perchlorate, a salt that provides oxygen to the combustible elements in fireworks so they can burn.
The chemical is considered particularly harmful to pregnant women and small children because of its ability to block absorption of iodine in the thyroid, a gland that controls metabolism and growth. The threat isn’t considered sufficient for the government to ban the mostly Chinese-made pyrotechnics that use it, but the Environmental Protection Agency is studying the impact and plans to develop regulatory standards.
"It’s definitely a problem," said John Conkling, an adjunct professor of chemistry at Washington College in Chestertown and an industry consultant. "How big a problem, no one can say. We need some more good science."
In the past five years, researchers have discovered that perchlorate can concentrate not only in the ground and water where fireworks are made, but also where they are launched. Duds can pose a particular problem, Conkling said, because properly working fireworks burn much of their perchlorate.
One recent study published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science & Technology found after fireworks displays from 2004 to 2006 on a lake in Oklahoma that perchlorate was found in the lake, fish and groundwater. It only dissipated in surface water, and only after several weeks.
Rest of the story>>> Red, white and blue — also green – baltimoresun.com
For some reason wordpress won’t let me embed this presentation but it is an interesting overview
http://www.scribd.com/doc/1959949/IODINE-Solution-to-Healthproblems
The rocket fuel component, perchlorate, has been found in baby formulas, according to scientists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Perchlorate has been linked to thyroid disease.
USA Today reported that a study of 15 powdered infant formulas revealed perchlorate contamination with cow’s milk formula and lactose-based formula containing higher levels than soy-based; lactose-free; and so-called “elemental” formulas, which contain synthetically manufactured amino acids for babies unable to digest other formulas. According to a report in USA Today, brand names of the baby formula tested were not released by the CDC.
Years ago, the military and missile makers dumped perchlorate into the ground where it has since spread into wells and rivers nationwide. According to a prior SFGate piece, perchlorate contamination can be found in at least 35 states and 153 public water system. Worse, pointed out the Boston Phoenix, also from a prior piece, the former Bush Administration blocked a multi-year Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative to limit perchlorate in the nation’s drinking water.
Perchlorate is one of a group of toxins called endocrine disrupters, which can alter hormonal balances and impede human reproduction and development. Although the EPA has said that based on laboratory and epidemiological studies, perchlorate is dangerous in drinking water at levels above one part per billion (ppb); at the national level, it had been looking into formally determining that setting a perchlorate standard in drinking water was unnecessary. According to USA Today, the new administrator for the EPA—Lisa Jackson—has reportedly pledged to act quickly to address and reduce the toxin’s contamination in drinking water.
The baby formula studied was mixed with perchlorate-free water, according to the research, which was published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, last month. The Associate Press (AP) pointed out that if the formula were to be mixed with perchlorate-contaminated water, babies would likely receive formula exceeding what is currently deemed to be safe levels of the poison; the study is receiving renewed attention due to an Environmental Working Group press release issued yesterday on the CDC study. Study authors said infants should be fed a diet containing sufficient iodine, which is known to offset some of the toxin’s effects, reported USA Today. The authors also called for a study to measure perchlorate levels in infants to determine exposure rates.
The EPA had long ignored the need to remove perchlorate from public water supplies; however, it has since announced it is reevaluating its original determination and has said that its initial report should have used a cumulative risk assessment for perchlorate, among other chemicals, and should have also looked at iodine in the American diet. In other words, the EPA erred in its original reporting.
The AP reported that earlier this year, the EPA said it was considering setting new perchlorate limits for drinking water, with a few states setting their own limits. Meanwhile, said the AP, the EPA analyzed 4,000 public water supplies, which serve in excess of 10,000 people each, and found that about 160 measured with detectable perchlorate levels and 31 measured with levels exceeding the new safety levels being looked at by the EPA.
from http://www.breastcancerchoices.org/iodineindex.html
Iodine Index
Annotated Reference Pages – Iodine
Iodine Loading Test Information
Dr. David Brownstein’s Iodine video Clip
Source for Iodoral Iodine
Iodine Protocol
Iodine-Related Bromide Detox Symptoms
Exploring The Perfect Storm Theory of Breast Cancer
Iodine Literate Practitioners Directory
Bromide Dominance
Salt Loading Protocol
IODINE IS VITAL FOR GOOD HEALTH
By Dr. James Howenstine, MD.
http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james37.htm
Clinical Experience with Inorganic Non-radioactive Iodine/Iodide
David Brownstein, M.D.
http://optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-09/IOD_09.htm
Orthoiodosupplementation in a Primary Care Practice
Jorge D. Flechas, M.D.
http://optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-10/IOD_10.htm
The Safe and Effective Implementation of Orthoiodosupplementation In Medical Practice
by Guy E. Abraham, MD
http://optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-05/IOD_05.html
Iodine: Its Role In Health and Disease Some New Exciting Concepts
Michael B. Schachter, M.D.
http://www.mbschachter.com/iodine.htm
The historical background of the Iodine Project
Guy E. Abraham, M.D.
http://optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-08/IOD_08.htm
Iodine Publications
http://optimox.com/pics/Iodine/opt_Research_I.shtml
Iodoral Iodine pills
http://optimox.com/pics/Iodine/opt_Iodoral.htm
Iodoral at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Iodoral-Tablets-Iodine-Testing-Coupon/dp/B000X843VG/ref=pd_sim_hpc_1
Dr Brownstein’s Book
Iodine: Why You Need It Why You Can’t Live Without It. (2nd Edition, 2006)
http://www.amazon.com/Iodine-Need-Cant-Live-Without/dp/B001EE40K2/ref=pd_sim_hpc_5
You can’t buy the lugol’s 10% solution for internal use in the united states so the iodoral is the best way to supplement iodine in my opinion. It is in the same ratio of iodine/iodide as the Lugol’s solution. if you get some lugol’s it will be 2 or 5% and you need to adjust the amount of drops you use accordingly, as the original literature on lugal’s is assuming a 10% solution. Kelp gives you almost nothing in terms of iodine (micrograms when therapeutic use is in milligrams) and it may give you added fluoride and other stuff you don’t need, so it is a waste of money in that respect.
IODINE FULFILLMENT THERAPY
From “Health Alert” Newsletter by Dr. Bruce West, December 2005, Volume 22, Issue 12]
To subscribe to “Health Alert” Newsletter: http://www.healthalert.com/
From 1900 to the 1960s almost every single U.S. physician used Lugol (iodine) supplements in his or her practice for both hypo- and hyperthyroid, as well as many, many other conditions-all with excellent results. In fact, iodine was considered a panacea for all human ills. (1) Today a phobia-generated by medical misinformation against iodine therapy-has caused physicians to avoid this powerful treatment like the plague. (2)
By avoiding iodine therapy, you could be missing out on the very link that could get you well. Today we know that total body iodine fulfillment or sufficiency can finally resolve tough, stubborn problems that resist all other treatments. Called orthoiodosupplementation, this treatment employs elemental iodine supplements until the thyroid gland and all other iodine-sensitive sites in the body have reached iodine sufficiency.
The most commonly difficult problems for which this therapy has been called a panacea are fibrocystic breasts, polycystic ovary syndrome, hypo- and hyperthyroid (with or without goiter), brain fog, constipation, obesity, diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), and even some heart problems-most notably irreversible arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation.
Why Iodine is Important
Iodine is detected in every organ and tissue in the body. It is found in high levels in the thyroid gland, liver, lung, heart, and adrenal glands. It is found in the highest concentrations in fat and muscle tissue. It is depleted out of the thyroid gland and other tissues when thyroid hormone medications are prescribed. Iodine has been considered so important that up until 20 years ago, it had been routinely added to bread as a supplement. Now because of politics and fear of iodine, the thyroid-toxin bromine has taken its place as a bread supplement. And in the past 20 years there has been an increased prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, as well as more thyroid and breast cancers.
According to Guy E. Abraham, MD, perhaps the world’s most knowledgeable expert on iodine and the thyroid, “Medical iodophobia has reached pandemic proportions. It is highly contagious and has wreaked havoc on the practice of medicine and on the U.S. population. More misery and death in the U.S. may have resulted from [medicine's unwarranted fear of iodine] than from both World Wars combined.”
That is quite a statement from a former professor of Endocrinology and a man who pioneered ways to assay iodine and minute quantities of hormones in the body. This man in the past 35 years has received more biochemistry, diagnostics, clinical chemistry, and hormone and iodine research awards than anyone I know of. And he has studied iodine therapy in high doses in over 4,000 people-publishing his findings in a document titled “The Iodine Project.” These findings once and for all dispelled the medical myth and fear of iodine therapy.
Whole Body Iodine Sufficiency
Thyroidologists like Dr. Abraham have learned of the tremendous benefits of what they call whole body iodine sufficiency-when the body is saturated with sufficient iodine to supply all the tissues. Along the way, they have also discovered some amazing things about current thyroid treatment, thyroid drugs, and iodine. The very first thing discovered is that iodine is the treatment of choice for hypo- and hyperthyroid problems-with or without goiter.
Doctors could get as high as a 90% cure rate with hyperthyroid (overactive thyroid) by using what would be considered high doses of iodine daily. Doses of six to 37 mgs daily seemed equally effective in resolving cases of hypothyroid (underactive thyroid). These doses, once considered normal, are now considered high by most people in the medical profession.
Whole body iodine sufficiency is also a critical means to counter the side effects of thyroid hormone medications (Synthroid, etc.). Long-term use of these drugs is associated with depletion of thyroid and tissue iodine levels, as well as increased rates of cancer. Fluorescent scanning of the thyroid clearly shows how drug and other medical thyroid therapies deplete the gland and body of critical iodine.
Therefore, Synthroid or thyroid-destructive therapies should never be taken without iodine therapy-something you will never hear from your endocrinologist. If all Thyroidologists and endocrinologists were forced to fluorescence scan their patients’ thyroid glands, they would then have to fact up to the damages they are causing to these glands and their patients!
In addition to thyroid therapy, all thyroid patients should be on iodine therapy, with the goal to reach a whole body iodine sufficiency. When this state is reached, the following results (gathered using sophisticated lab testing, fluorescence screening, clinical measurements, and a host of other high-tech medical testing procedures) have been observed:
- Goiter is reduced or eliminated.
- Stress on the pituitary gland with resultant high TSH readings is eliminated.
- Increased excretion of thyroid poisons and heavy metals occurs via the kidneys.
- The liver’s detoxification mechanisms are enhanced.
- Obesity is more easily overcome-in fact, iodine therapy may be a critical and unknown factor in obesity.
- Diabetes and high blood pressure are more easily controlled.
- Breast tissue normalizes with decreased occurrences of fibrocystic breast disease.
- Menopausal symptoms are improved.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome can be cured.
- Brain function is better, with less brain fog.
- Heart function is better, with reduced arrhythmia problems.
- And cancer rates, especially of the thyroid and breast, are reduced.
Additionally, through the Iodine Project studies, Dr. Abraham discovered that even patients with complete thyroidectomy (removal of the whole gland) benefited from iodine therapy. Therefore it became known that iodine not only improved the thyroid gland, but the other target areas of the body where iodine and thyroid hormone are active.
The doctors in the Project found that patients who achieved iodine sufficiency were often able to resolve diabetes problems without insulin. They could normalize blood pressure without medication. Goiters were resolved. And those taking thyroid hormone medication could greatly reduce or completely eliminate these drugs.
Heart, Arrhythmias, Fibrillation
As you have read over and over in Health Alert, there is an epidemic of cardiac arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation in this country. Expert Thyroidologists like Dr. Abraham are convinced that the medical iodine phobia has a great deal to do with this phenomenon. Adequate stores of iodine are necessary for a smooth heartbeat.
Amazingly, while medicine shuns iodine therapy, their most popular anti-fibrillation drug, Amiodarone, actually is iodine in a toxic, sustained release form. This drug can produce a smooth heartbeat when the body has accumulated about 1.5 grams (1,500 mgs) of iodine. This is exactly the same amount of iodine retained by the human body when iodine sufficiency is achieved by natural iodine supplementation.
The problem with Amiodarone is that this form of iodine (which the medical profession has a penchant for) is extremely toxic. The side effects are most often too great for patients to regain a normal heartbeat. Therefore it only makes sense to try to achieve iodine sufficiency with the natural form of iodine instead. That is why I always recommend iodine (in the form of either Cataplex F and/or Prolamine Iodine from Standard Process) with my arrhythmia and fibrillation patients.
Caution!
If you are about to try to achieve iodine sufficiency with slowly increasing doses of Prolamine Iodine, you must note that this is to be done in place of Amiodarone-not simultaneously with it. So you will need to have your doctor stop the drug therapy when you start the iodine therapy. Therapy usually starts at 1 tablet of Prolamine Iodine daily for a week. If no problem arises, the dose increases slowly (every week to 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 tablets daily). If there are no problems along the way, and especially if your heart begins to function more normally, you would stay at 5 or 6 tablets daily for three to six months. Or you might need three months of 12 Prolamine Iodine tablets per day to achieve full iodine sufficiency levels. This is, of course, in conjunction with your current heart protocol of phytonutrients.
Types of Iodine and Doses
For decades Lugol iodine has been used by expert Thyroidologists. But liquid iodine has problems-it tastes bad, can upset your stomach, and can stain your clothes. There is a Lugol tablet on the market called Iodoral. This is the type of iodine Dr. Abraham uses. It is the inorganic form and each tablet contains 12 mgs of iodine. Iodoral is sold only to physicians, but you may be able to buy it on the Internet by doing a Google search for Iodoral.
We use Prolamine Iodine, which is the organic form. Each tablet contains 3 mgs of iodine. Iodoral is less expensive, and some studies (at least with fibrocystic breast disease) show it to be more effective than Prolamine Iodine. Our results with all conditions show them to be equally effective.
Exactly what dose is best for you is difficult to determine. But we now know that what were formerly considered high doses of the right form of iodine are safe and effective. Some iodine-deficient people only need a tablet or two daily. For people with more serious iodine deficiency problems, iodine sufficiency must be achieved. This is accomplished with a daily dose of around 37 mgs for three months: four Iodoral or 12 Prolamine Iodine tablets daily.
And this dose should be achieved slowly-starting with one Prolamine Iodine tablet daily, increasing one to two tablets daily each week. Without side effects, the dose should be increased weekly until the iodine sufficiency dose of 12 daily is achieved. With Iodoral, start with one tablet daily and increase by one tablet each week until you are taking four tablets daily. Either way, after achieving the full iodine sufficiency dose, it should be maintained for three months.
We now know that it is possible for some people to eliminate their need for medical thyroid drugs after achieving iodine sufficiency. We also now know that anyone taking thyroid drugs like Synthroid should also be on iodine therapy. At the very least, iodine therapy can decrease the need for thyroid hormone drugs.
We are just beginning to discover the amazing curative powers of iodine. While it may not be the panacea that old-timers have claimed, it is indeed critical. It is often the missing factor in “incurable” conditions like obesity, diabetes, breast disease, polycystic ovaries, thyroiditis, hypothyroid, autoimmune thyroid problems, and more.
While some doctors claim that no one is really allergic to iodine, I have seen sensitivities. If you do not know if you are allergic to iodine, then you are not. Those who are truly allergic know it and carefully avoid shellfish, iodized salt, most fish, kelp, and other foods that contain iodine.
The Iodine Test
If you are one of those who would like more proof that your body needs or does not need iodine, let me share a simple test. But a bottle of Tincture of Iodine at the drug store and paint a 2″ square spot on your inner arm. If it disappears in less than eight hours, you desperately need iodine. If it disappears in 24 hours, you also need iodine. If it simply stays on your arm and begins to slowly fade in color after a full 24 hours, you have already reached iodine sufficiency.
You can retest yourself every one to two weeks while on therapy. And you can use the test to help you judge your individual dosage need for iodine. Remember that contrary to current medical opinion, the real thyroid experts have proven that most patients who need iodine therapy require from three to 37 mgs/day. And that means from one to 12 Prolamine Iodine tablets daily. Always start out slowly. Judge your results, monitor your symptoms and any side effects, and use the thyroid patch test to help you along the way.
Proceed Slowly
As discussed, some people are sensitive to the iodine metal. That is why all iodine therapy must be accomplished with a good degree of caution. Use the patch test to help you determine dose. Always start out at a low dose of one Prolamine Iodine tablet daily. Increase your dose slowly-by adding one or two tablets daily each week. If you experience problems or side effects, stop your therapy. If you are like most people and continue to improve, your therapy is effective.
Side effects among sensitive individuals include skin irritation; watery eyes, nose, and saliva; nervousness or headache. Some sensitive people can experience tachycardia (racing heart). While iodine therapy has been shown to be a great aid to those with atrial fibrillation, if you experience a racing heart, you must stop iodine therapy immediately.
So use the patch test, start slowly, increase your dose slowly and only by one tablet a week (some people need only a tablet or two while others require six to 12 tablets daily). Iodine sufficiency (all tissues with adequate iodine) can require 12 Prolamine Iodine tablets daily for three months. After three months reduce your dose to three per day for a month, then one per day. Watch for problems, watch for improvements, and see for yourself if iodine therapy is the missing link in your stubborn health problems.
NOTES
(1)”Iodine in medicine and pharmacy since its discovery-1811-1961,” Proc R Soc Med, 1961:54:831-836.
(2)”Iodine therapy,” Health Alert, Vol. 21, No. 3.
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Randy
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