Thesis
Application
Events
About us
home page forums

Iodine

Notes (and videos)

General Information

Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between iodine intake and breast health, both in women and laboratory animals. The minimum amount of iodine required for breast health is equivalent to 0.1 mg/kg body weight/day. For example, for a 50 kg woman, the daily amount of iodine would be 5 mg. The thyroid gland needs iodine to function properly. The original study done 80 years ago in adolescent girls used 9 mg iodide daily.

During the early 1900's, the iodine/iodide solution called Lugol solution was used extensively, effectively and safely in medical practice, for both low activity and above normal activity of the thyroid gland. The recommended daily intake for iodine supplementation was from 0.1 to 0.3 ml of Lugol solution containing 12.5 to 37.5 mg total iodide. That amount was mentioned as lately as 1995 in a book on Pharmaceutical Sciences. Several investigators have shown convincing evidence connecting adequate iodine intake and breast health. Japanese women living in Japan consumed a daily average of 13.8 mg total elemental iodine and they have one of the best track records for breast, ovarian, and uterine health. In the 1960's, one slice of bread in the USA contained the full RDA of 0.15 mg iodine. Then, over a period of two decades, iodine was replaced by bromine in the bread making process. Bromine blocks thyroid function and may interfere with the health effects of iodine.

The RDAs for vitamins and minerals were established after World War II. One of the last essential elements included in the RDA system was iodine, established in 1980 and confirmed in 1989. The RDA for iodine was based on the amount of iodine/iodide needed to prevent goiter, extreme stupidity and hypothyroidism. The optimal requirement of the whole human body for iodine has never been studied. Therefore, the optimal amount of this element for physical and mental well-being is unknown. Based on demographic studies, the mainland Japanese consume an average of 13.8 mg daily and they are one of the healthiest people on planet earth. Lugol solution is a time-tested preparation with a proven track record for over 150 years. Two drops contain 12.5 mg iodine/iodide, and amount very close to the 13.8 mg average intake of mainland Japanese.

Rationale for the Iodoral ® formulation

Administration of iodine/iodide in liquid solution is not very accurate, may stain clothing, has an unpleasant taste and may cause gastric irritation. Iodoral ® is a precisely quantified tablet form containing 5 mg iodine and 7.5 mg iodide as the potassium salt. To prevent gastric irritation, the iodie/iodide preparation was absorbed unto a colloidal silica excipient; and to eliminate the unpleasant taste of iodine, the tablets were coated with a thin film of pharmaceutical glaze.

Suggested Use

Work with your physician on any iodine program, particularly if you have any history of thyroid surgery and/or radiation, chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (Hashimoto), and any previous problem with your thyroid. Be aware that iodine enhances the response of your body to thyroid hormones. You will need to cut down the amount of thyroid hormones if you experience palpitation, anxiety, increased sweating and intolerance to heat. That is because iodine decreases your need for thyroid hormones.

To test whole body sufficiency for iodine, one tablet of 50 mg is ingested (or 4 tablets of 12.5 mg), followed by 24 hr. urine collection. The more deficient a subject is in iodine, the more iodine is retained in the body and the less excreted in the urine. Sufficiency is achieved when 90% or more of the ingested amount is excreted in the urine. In most subjects tested, 3-4 of 12.5 mg tablets were required to achieve whole body sufficiency within 3 months and the body retained approximately 1.5 gm iodine at sufficiency. Check with your physician for more information about the loading test.

Companion nutrients

Where to buy

It is cheaper to buy the 50mg variety instead of the 12.5mg variety of Iodine which is a popular one being sold. If you plan to consume 12.5mg, just cut the 50mg tablet into four (4) parts and consume it that way. Please note: There is a physician who recommends that you not consume more than 3mg per day (see video "Iodine Supplements Warning" at the top). You might consider cutting back to that amount after the initial 3-month period of getting to sufficiency (see underlined above), then consume one 50 mg tablet every two weeks to maintain sufficiency.

Notes

  • Dr. Flechas: Questions and Answers: https://www.curezone.org/forums/am.asp?i=1546857
  • A new study from Duke (I think it's there?) showed that 80% of the bromide is excreted in the first 2 weeks of iodine supplementation so detox reaction should lessen tremendously after this. Also increasing salt, water, Vit C, selenium should help.
  • May need Niacin (vitamin B3) to organify iodine, if the person is niacin deficient. To fix the problem, take 1000 mg/day of non-flusing niacin for about a year. (This niacin protocol can also help problems of low libido and high triglycerides.)
  • Obese people will need more. And high fat diets (many people have quit their low carbohydrate diets) require more iodine since iodine is used to protect fats.
  • The goitrogens -- e.g., perchlorate, fluoride, and bromide -- block the NIS receptor and interfere with iodine organification. It may be that it takes longer now to accumulate iodine because our goitrogen levels are higher.
  • Vitamin C improves the NIS, enhances absorption of iodine.
  • Traditional medical literature indicates that patients who have thyroid nodules or thyroid goiter may have the potential to develop hyperthyroidism when supplementing with iodine. Hence, before commencing iodine supplementation, it would be advantageous for a person to have their primary care doctor order a thyroid ultrasound to rule out the possibility of pre-existing goiter or thyroid nodules. The primary care doctor should also order thyroid lab work (to be used as a baseline) before prescribing iodine therapy and this lab work should be repeated and followed at regular intervals during the patient's iodine therapy. However, please note: The presence of pre-existing thyroid nodules or goiter does not preclude the patient from iodine supplementation therapy. In fact, in the extensive research with iodine therapy done in my office, I have seen many case of pre-existing thyroid nodules and goiter shrink in the presence of iodine therapy.

Fluoride