Iodine

Why We NEED It

People who consume approximately 12mg of iodine daily are found to be in remarkably better health than those who don’t. They also have a reduced occurrence of diseases. These are the findings of dedicated physicians such as Dr David Bownstein and Dr Guy Abraham from their many years of clinical experience and several decades of worldwide study.

Iodine Deficiency

A considerable part of the reason for chronic ill health across a whole range of conditions can be attributed to whole body iodine deficiency. Every cell in the body needs iodine to function correctly, but just the ramifications of iodine deficiency on proper thyroid function alone are considerable .

The introduction of toxic chemicals to our water and food (especially the halogens, chlorine and fluorine in water and bromine added to bread) cause the body to flush out what little iodine was already there leaving chronically low levels of iodine and blocking iodine uptake. This leaves whole populations open to auto-immune disorders, arteriolosclerosis, thyroid malfunction and cancers, amongst other serious health conditions.

It is important to understand that most of us have what is termed sub-clinical hypothyroidism. Sub-clinical hypothyroidism reduces the energy and creative thinking ability of many of us, and leaves us open to diminished bodily functions and eventually disease and infection.

Is Iodine for everyone?

Merely eliminating chronic infections (known and unknown) with iodine can break the back of many serious, long term, chronic health disorders, especially if used as part of a holistic nutritional infection resolution program. Click here to read more about infections and the immune system

Iodine is beneficial for the entire hormonal system and the benefits of an improved hormonal system are wide indeed. Iodine affects every cell in the body and is essential for nerves/brain cells to function properly.

Selenium and Iodine work together to help normalise the metabolism via the thyroid gland and to enhance the Immune system. However, whilst Selenium is complimentary to Iodine, consumption of Selenium can increase the relative deficiency of Iodine. Therefore it is generally recommended when consuming Selenium to increase Iodine supplementation levels. Selenium is a powerful anti-oxidant, and therefore whilst often essential in a regimen including iodine, should not be taken at the same time (see later in this newsletter for further info)

In conjunction with Selenium, Iodine helps to remove mercury and other toxins from the system. Iodine is also important for the production of sufficient stomach acid and hence affects the digestive system. Low metabolic rate (one of the prime indicators of Iodine deficiency) leads to general under functioning of many body systems and a state of internal sluggishness. This can cause multiple problems slowly developing over the years. There are so many organs, glands and systems iodine facilitates, and so many biochemical processes it performs.

To download a short information sheet about the suggested levels of iodine use, and how to experiment with your own best dose, please right click on the icon below and select "save target as...." or simply click the icon to view in your browser.

Iodine Usage Guide

What are the health benefits of Iodine

Iodine supplementation is essential if we want optimum health. Even if you feel perfectly well, just 12 mg a day of iodine can help fight off infections so that the "latest" pandemic scare need not concern us. Of course, there are circumstances where more is required. this is discussed fully in the article and links online here be sure to look ta the further reading section.

The uses of iodine and the health benefits gained are many and very wide ranging, wider than is generally realised by people who have made a moderate study of Iodine. Just in the area of wiping out infection, including the chronic infections that are almost always present in all serious disease such as auto-immune disorders and even cancers. These can all be dealt with and of course prevented with Iodine supplementation. Cancer has been found to thrive in conditions of fungal overgrowth, such as the modern plague of Candida infection, dysbiosis and the related chronic fatigue. The use of Iodine may be the most elegant way to treat Candida and other infections. For a more thorough discussion of the subject of infection, and other options, please see the article here .

Some of these aspects are discussed in a small information article from Dr Truss and Walter Last here

Iodine/Selenium-Vitamin C (& Other Potent Anti-oxidant) 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.

Further reading and reference

Recommended reading: Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, by David Brownstein MD (ISBN 978-0-9660882-3-6)

NEW! 4th EDITION (A DVD is also available now) Website: https://www.drbrownstein.com/bookstore_Iodine.php

Dr. Brownstein has expanded and updated his book with all the latest information about iodine. The entire book has been updated with new case histories. In addition, there are two NEW chapters which provide information about:

Iodine and Detoxification
Children and Iodine
What iodine does in the body
Why autoimmune thyroid disorders form from a low iodine state
Why it is so important to ensure an adequate selenium intake

Other References

To download the book Iodine Remedies: Secrets From The Sea, by Dr. Chris Robin, in .pdf format, right click on the icon below and select "save target as..." or to view in your browser, simply click on the icon.

Iodine Remedies: Secrets From The Sea, by Dr. Chris Robin

To download the article Iodine - The Universal & Holistic Super Mineral By Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD, MD(H), DD, in .pdf format, right click on the icon below and select "save target as..." or to view in your browser, simply click on the icon.

Iodine - The Universal & Holistic Super Mineral By Dr. Gabriel Cousens

To read a document of extracts that draws from the vast body of research and clinical experience with Lugol's Iodine, including references to many specific health conditions, please click here

For additional information, extracts and links please click here

Safe levels of Iodine supplementation and medical misrepresentation please click here