The powerful benefits of iodine

Photo by Edi Libedinsky on Unsplash

Iodine is very feared today in the general population. But it is also one of the most needed elements. 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 an iodine-rich body that prevents cancer cells’ growth.

Although iodine is a relatively rare element – it is essential 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 global 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 chlorine, fluoride, bromide, and iodine. These first three elements rob the body of iodine. 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 postpartum 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 – 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 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 iodine absorption. Mercury also robs the body of iodine. Mercury is in many people’s mouths, inside fillings, in seafood, in many types of environmental pollutions, and in vaccines.

Deficiencies of iodine

Iodine deficiency can cause depression, colon problems, breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, exhaustion/fatigue, weight gain, thyroid problems, and many other illnesses.

Types of iodine

Remember when you were little (for those of you over 40), and your mom used to put iodine on your injuries? 

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 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 with water increased the iodine’s solubility. Dr. Lugol discovered that taking iodine was best absorbed when it was used 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 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 available through FFP Laboratories. Their phone number is 1-877-900-5556, or contact your health professional to 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 help you with dosages best. 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 starting to take iodine, sometimes people have cleansing responses. These can include headaches or sinus headaches, rashes, colon changes, heart palpitations, nausea, lung issues, or runny nose. These are not serious but show how the iodine 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, customers report a fog that lifts, sleeping much better, weight loss, more energy, and many illnesses, such as cancer, showing improvements. The symptoms listed for iodine reactions are actually when iodine displaces bromine, so you are actually getting the symptoms from the bromine, not the iodine.

Why take Iodine

So why would you want to take iodine 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, to replace the iodine that is being sucked out of our bodies at an alarming rate from normal everyday life.

For best results, Iodine supplementation should be used for about 6-9 months then the body should be able to maintain on its 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, or if you are swimmer or are being exposed to the toxic sources mentioned, supplementation may need to be continued.

Natural forms of iodine are in seafood, sea vegetables, some meats and dairy if properly added to animals’ feed. It is also found in asparagus, dulse, garlic, lima beans, mushrooms, sea salt, sesame seeds, 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 eat 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 in small girls, but not to prevent the depletion of iodine that is going on today in the average person. This is explained more in Dr. Brownstein’s book. You can purchase this book and learn more about this at www.drbrownstein.com.

If you are interested in learning more, there is an excellent video on Iodine available from Dr. Kimberly Balas and Steven Horne at www.treelite.com.

Getting enough iodine has helped many of my customers with their health. I hope it can also help you!

About the Author

Kasara is educated as a Mental Health Therapist, Master Herbalist, Traditional Naturopath and Energy Worker with over 35 years of helping thousands of clients find alternative health options that work. She writes articles on Medium, and on her website http://truhealth.com. You may subscribe to her Medium account or her newsletter to stay connected.