Iodine Deficiency: More Prevalent Than Ever Before

Why Iodized Salt Isn't Enough

You may have heard that goiters were commonplace before iodine was added to our table salt. In fact, the midwest, especially the Great Lakes regions, had exceptionally high incidences of goiter. Today many people use iodized salt to prevent goiter and maintain healthy iodine levels.

Although we may not see many people with goiters, that doesn't mean that iodized salt eliminates all iodine deficiencies.

Our modern lifestyle exposes us to a number of chemicals that prevent iodine binding in the body. Fluoride in city water (or fluoridated products) as well as chloride can inhibit iodine binding. Perchlorate, a component of rocket fuel, is increasingly found in our water supplies and also inhibits the proper use of iodine in our bodies.

Bromated flour, commonplace in commercial baked goods in this country, contains the carcinogen bromine. Bromine prevents the thyroid from converting iodine into a useable form. Bromine also binds to iodine receptors in the breast, leading to breast cancer.

So inspite of the addition of iodine to our salt, our bodies can only process a small portion correctly. Subsequently, many people are still iodine deficient.

Iodine deficiency is much more widespread than we think. Correcting the deficiency improves the immune system and prevents certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer and thyroid cancer.

Iodide is essential to proper thyroid function, yet it is estimated that 20% of all women over 60 have a sluggish thyroid. That doesn't mean that the thyroid is in a diseased state (a sluggish thyroid is not flagged on most thyroid tests) but it is not functioning at an optimal level and may eventually become diseased.

How Much Iodine Does the Body Need?

The RDA of 150mcg/day is grossly inadequate, with 13mg/day being a more realistic goal.

At 6mg per day, the thyroid is the largest consumer of iodine. The breasts come in at 5mg/day in a 110lb woman (larger women will need more, and men, with their smaller breasts, need less).

Large amounts of iodine are stored in fat and muscle cells, so an obese individual will require larger quantities of iodine.

What role does iodine play in the body?

Proper levels of iodine are essential for optimal function throughout the entire body. Iodine deficiency leads to an imbalanced hormonal system as well an an inability to detoxify the body of heavy metals and bromine, chlorine & fluoride.

Iodine also plays an essential role in the destruction of infected cells and cancer cells. Iodine is also an expectorant, an antibacterial, and antiparasitic.

Why treating hypothyroidism without including iodine can increase the incidence of breast cancer

Hypothyroidism causes the body functions to slow down--reducing the metabolic rate. Thyroid hormones increase the metabolism, which in turn, produces more body heat, overturns fatigue and enhances weight loss.

An increased metabolism also increases the body's need for iodine. In an iodine-deficient patient, the tissues that require large concentrations of iodine, such as the thyroid and the breasts, must find a way to compensate for their iodine-starved state.

An abnormal increase in the number of cells ensues and the breast and thyroid may become enlarged, a precursor of cancer.

Why the Japanese have a low rate of goiter & breast disease

With a daily intake of 13.8mg of iodine per day (100 times the RDA rate), mainland Japan sees much lower incidences of breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers, as well as fibrocystic breast disease.

When those same mainland Japanese women move to the United States, their percentage of mortality from those same cancers increases dramatically.

The same holds true for Japanese men and prostate cancer.

How do you test for iodine deficiency?

The test is simple: you paint a square of iodine on your leg, stomach or arm and observe how long it takes for your body to absorb it completely. The result will help your health practitioner determine how much iodine you need.

Conditions That Respond to Iodine Treatment
Metallic poisonings
Breast Disease
Goitre
Fibrocystic Breasts
Cysts
Headaches
Migraines
Haemophilia
Vaginal Infections
Thyroid Disease
Aneurism
Thyroid Disorders
Fatigue
ADD
Excessive Mucous Production
Arteriosclerosis
Dupuytren's Contracture
Low Stomach Acid
Hemorrhoids
Peyronie's
Asthma
Angina Pectoris
Gout
Syphilis
Bronchitis

References

• Iodine for Health by Donald W. Miller, Jr. MD (2006)

• Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It by David Brownstein, MD (2nd edition 2006) Westbloomfield, Michigan: Medical Alternatives Press. • Breast Cancer and Iodine by Dr David M. Derry, MD, PhD (2001) Victoria, BC: Trafford Publishing • Iodine: The Universal Nutrient by Dr Guy E Abraham (2005)