Nutrition News - 18 April 2024

Lugol's Iodine/Vitamin C (& Other Potent Anti-oxidants) Contraindication

We have always advised taking Lugol's Iodine apart from antioxidants by at least an hour. Lugol's Iodine is a mixture of Potassium Iodide (KI) and elemental Iodine (I). The reasoning behind keeping Lugol's and antioxidants apart is that when Lugol's is mixed with an antioxidant such as vitamin C (in orange juice for example), or mixed in the stomach with the same, then some or all of the iodine will be converted to iodide.

Does this matter?

Lugol got it right when he formulated his famous mixture as the body needs both forms, Iodine and Iodide; he also had the correct ratio between the two. Therefore converting more to iodide will invariably reduce some of the benefits of Lugol's supplementation.

So, we continue to advise taking Lugol's at least an hour apart from vitamin C or other potent anti-oxidants. Small amounts of vitamin C (such as contained in a very small glass of grape juice) will have a limited detrimental effect (but still some effect) but is still advised for those who find the taste unpalatable, however if this is not an issue then it is wisest to simply mix it with water.

Detrimental to health?

No! Whilst mixing with antioxidants will be detrimental to the efficacy of the Lugol's Solution, it is not detrimental to ones health. So for those who have used Lugol's solution alongside anti-oxidants; no harm would have been done, the Lugol's would just have been rendered less beneficial.

General Overview - Benefits of Lugol's Iodine

Facilitates removal of many toxic chemicals (such as fluoride, chlorine and toxic bromides) and also heavy metals (such as mercury); especially when used in conjunction with Selenium.
Eliminates harmful bacteria, viruses and fungal infections (including Candida).
Prevents cancer cell proliferation as it promotes apoptosis (the death of damaged cells and cells reverting to cancer). With the caveat that full body Iodine sufficiency must be maintained*

Iodine supplementation is one of the most potent things we can do to preserve our long term health. The bulk of the world's population is iodine deficient, as iodine used to be at much higher levels in the soil and therefore in our food.

Iodine is non-toxic (it has been used at levels up to 6g daily in clinical trials). There is much misinformation about iodine; details here. Once sufficiency is achieved, excess iodine will be eliminated from the body on a daily basis.

Lugol's Solution works synergistically with selenium, not just for thyroid health but generally. More information about Selenium can be found by following the link to the product to the right of this text.

It should be noted that some people will experience detoxification symptoms at some point after introducing Lugol's Solution; this is known as Herxheimer's Reaction amongst other names. This is a standard reaction as detailed in the article here. It is therefore often expedient (except in emergencies such as cancer and acute infection) to start at a low dose and gradually build the dose up gradually over a few weeks. Zell Immunocomplex and vitamin C aid the body through the detoxification phase of any new remedy regime causing such a reaction.

*Full body sufficiency ensures the best overall benefits of iodine. It is needed by every cell in the body for multiple bodily processes. This sufficiency typically takes about 3 months at 50mg daily (about 6 drops) to achieve. After sufficiency is achieved a regular maintenance dose of about 2 drops daily is usually sufficient for one to remain fully sufficient.

Read the extensive iodine literature in (and linked from) the further reading tab of the Lugol's Solution product page here