What You Need to Know about Iodine

Iodine has been in the news lately because of the radiation leaking from the earthquake-damaged nuclear reactors in Japan. Robert B. Kress, The Renegade Pharmacist, discusses what you need to know about iodine.

The devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan has led to fears of nuclear destruction and an increasing talk about iodine. It is important to understand that not all forms of iodine are the same, and different types of iodine will concentrate in different tissues and glands within the body.

In the event of a nuclear meltdown where radioactive iodine is released, potassium iodide is what is needed to protect the thyroid from the damaging effects of radioactive iodine. Potassium iodide has a strong affinity to the thyroid gland and will saturate the tissue preventing the absorption of the radioactive iodine. There are potassium iodide products that are made specifically for such a situation, which is why it is recommended to rely on such products and not to substitute with what could be far inferior products. One must use caution because the potassium iodide used for protection against radioactive iodine comes in an adult dosage of 130 mg (milligrams) tablets. Someone can mistakenly purchase a potassium iodide product off of a vitamin store shelf containing less than 200 mcg (micrograms), far less than what would be needed. Read more

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Posted in: iodine,nutrition

How Much Iodine Do We Need?

Mark Sircus discusses the dosages of iodine necessary to prevent and treat illness, overcome toxic fluoride, and stay healthy.

After testing over 500 patients, I found that 94.7% of my patients are deficient in inorganic iodine.
~ Dr. David Brownstein

There are several reference points we can use to plot out iodine dosages for a variety of disorders that beg for the use of iodine for successful treatment. In this chapter I will present different views and practices from present as well as from the long past when iodine was vastly more popular as a medicine than it is today. For whatever irrational reason, doctors and patients fear iodine thus en mass do not use to its fullest potential.

Humans tolerate large doses of iodine but the ultra high doses that were used many decades ago are not required to get the most out of iodine therapy. Just a little goes a long way, as the governmental iodized salt programs showed but this dosage level was only affective for goiter and its avoidance. It actually takes very little iodine to prevent this disease but no one ever said that was the only purpose and need for iodine in the body. Today people are more deficient then ever before because our need for iodine has increased in direct proportion to our toxic burdens especially of other competing halogens.

So effective is iodine that aerosols can be effective in sterilizing a room at levels not even detectable by humans. But Dr. David Derry of Canada says that, “Dietary iodine found in iodized salt is below the amounts needed to fill mucus defense roles. To protect themselves, people wishing to boost their defense against infections should supplement their diets with iodine.” Read more

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Posted in: iodine,nutrition

Iodine for Health

Iodine is not commonly taken as a dietary supplement, but people who do take iodine supplements report that they have a greater sense of well-being, increased energy, and a lifting of brain fog. They feel warmer in cold environments, need somewhat less sleep, improved skin complexion, and have more regular bowel movements.

There is growing evidence that Americans would have better health and a lower incidence of cancer and fibrocystic disease of the breast if they consumed more iodine. A decrease in iodine intake coupled with an increased consumption of competing halogens, fluoride and bromide, has created an epidemic of iodine deficiency in America.

People in the U.S. consume an average 240 micrograms (µg) of iodine a day. In contrast, people in Japan consume more than 12 milligrams (mg) of iodine a day (12,000 µg), a 50-fold greater amount. They eat seaweed, which include brown algae (kelp), red algae (nori sheets, with sushi), and green algae (chlorella). Read more

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Posted in: dietary supplements,iodine,Iodoral,Lugol's Solution