IODINE
The "Missing Mineral" for Thyroid, Heart,
Healthy Immunity and Cancer Protection
Iodine is a non-metallic essential trace element
in human nutrition. Currently considered in conventional medicine to be
primarily a thyroid nutrient (thyroid hormones T4 and T3 are composed largely of
iodine), Iodine is actually found in many organs and tissue in the body
including salivary, parotid, submandibular and pituitary glands, pancreas,
testis, breasts, prostate, ovary, adrenal gland, stomach, heart, thymus, and
lung. (1,2,3).
Iodine is required for normal thyroid hormone
production, it’s best-known role. But iodine also plays an important role in
immune function, cancer prevention (especially of breast, thyroid and prostate
cancer), diabetes prevention and reversal, atrial fibrillation correction,
overweight and obesity, “brain fog” (low energy), breast and ovarian cysts,
liver detoxification and menopausal symptoms.
Iodine is also an important anti-microbial and
can often relieve skin, lung, GI tract and other infections when antibiotics
fail. In fact, from 1900 to 1960’s, every US physician used iodine (as Lugol’s
solution) to treat low and high thyroid conditions, infections and many other
conditions with excellent results.
Here’s the “short course” on iodine.
- Studies show that we may need a LOT more
iodine than the current RDI of 150 micrograms, and that many if not most
Americans are iodine deficient.
- Conventional doctors are “iodine-o-phobic”
(afraid to recommend higher-than-RDA doses of iodine) because they are not
familiar with the vast body of research showing that higher iodine levels are
beneficial.
- Low iodine levels are associated with higher
rates of low and high thyroid function; breast and thyroid cancer
(and
possibly many other types of cancer); ovarian cysts (including polycystic
ovaries); fibrocystic breast disease; heart arrhythmias; lung and other
infections; fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue to name only a few.
- Because very high doses of iodine can cause
heart palpitations and excess thyroid function (both which resolve upon
stopping supplementation), initial
testing of iodine levels and monitoring by
an holistic physician may be the safest way to take iodine.
More Iodine information:
Iodine
Test (spot and 24-hour excretion test for total body iodine sufficiency)
Iodine Supplements
(concentrated source of high-potency iodine)
Modfilan (Seaweed
Source of Natural Iodine) (low dose, all-natural source of iodine)
References
1.) C. Spitzweg, W. Joba, W. Eisenmenger and A.
E. Heufelder. "Analysis of Human Sodium Iodide Symporter Gene Expression in
Extrathyroidal Tissues and Cloning of Its Complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acids
from Salivary Gland, Mammary Gland, and Gastric Mucosa." The Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 83, No. 5 1746-1751. (1)"Iodine in medicine and
pharmacy since its discovery-1811-1961," Proc R Soc Med, 1961:54:831-836.
2.) Dai G, Levy O, Carrasco N. 1996 “Cloning and characterization of the thyroid
iodide transporter.” Nature. 379:458–460.
3.) Smanik PA, Ryu K-Y, Theil KS, Mazzaferri EL, Jhiang SM. 1997 “Expression,
exon-intron organization, and chromosome mapping of the human sodium iodide
symporter. Endocrinology.” 138:3555–3558.
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