DINE ON IODINE - PART II - IS IT JUST FOR THYROID HEALTH?

 

 

Wow, what a controversial subject. From patient forums to medical experts to holistic practitioners to nutritionists, many disagreements and dare I say it, wishy-washy stances on iodine. I have never seen so many not on the same page when it comes to something this essential to the body.

The controversies surrounding these chemical conversations, caused me to want a drink –a frozen margarita lined with iodized salt.

 

At the end of the last blog post (part one in the series), I ended with the question, “Why has iodine deficiencies increased?” This concern is not as controversial. Majority of the experts in the field agree that we are. Here is what has slowly occurred from the 1970’s until now.

·       Foods that used to be fortified with iodine, like milk and bread have been replaced with bromine. Some pesticides, flame-retardants and pharmaceutical drugs have bromine in them (Bromine also depletes the body of iodine)

·       In 1924, the government added iodine to salt, but because of the National Heart Association’s campaign stating that excess salt causes heart disease, many consumers have gone to low-salt diets

·       Salt companies have quietly gone away from iodizing all their product lines and began introducing other salt options without iodine -as iodizing was a strong government recommendation, not a mandate

·       Increased use of fluorinated prescription medication – Fluoride depletes iodine from the body

·       Fluoride added to water. This occurred in the U.S. in 1960, soon after Iodine deficiencies started to increase...hmmmmmm

·       Chlorination to our water supply – Chlorine deplete iodine

·       Poor farming techniques, the soils are depleted of iodine, which means the foods we eat, will also be deficient of this mineral

Bromine, chlorine, fluoride and iodine are all in the same chemical family called halogens.  Since bromine, chlorine and fluoride are in abundance, in just about everything we consume, the body thinks it is iodine and accepts it into body receptors. It thinks it is the essential element iodine because of their similar chemical make-up; meanwhile, the body has bromine, chlorine, and fluoride hanging out in these receptors that it has no business being in; in excess, they are toxic. Thus, not only are they bad for you, they are kicking out what actually needs to be there -iodine

Dr. Edward F. Group, an expert on nutrition, author of the book, The Green Body Cleanse believes the increase of thyroid related conditions, breast and prostate cancers are because of our decreased consumption of iodine.

Plus, with those three aforementioned bullies that are everywhere, environmentally and in most of our food sources, it is apparent we are in an iodine crisis.

To make matters worse, we cannot deny the increased use of prescription medication, some have bromine and fluoride in them.

Medications that deplete Iodine

Anesthetics (general)	Anti-fungal antibiotics	Appetite suppressants
Antacids	Antihistamines	Arthritis (rheumatoid)
Anti-anxiety	Antilipemics (cholesterol lowering)	Psychotropic (anti-psychotics)
Antibiotics (Fluoroquinolones)	Anti-malarial	Steroids/anti-inflammatory agents
Antidepressants	Antimetabolites (chemotherapy)

 

I have seen reports of anywhere from 10 to 75 percent of the U.S population has an iodine deficiency.  I would be more inclined to believe it is on the higher side.

Therefore, because of all the things out there that are kicking iodine out, sometimes your multi-vitamin supplement isn’t enough to push that evil bromide out and get the amount of iodine you need. 

Guess what, it is not technically the thyroid who is in charge of metabolism - it is iodine. Iodine is the big boss directing the thyroid hormones what to do. Iodine and the thyroid work very closely together. In fact, thyroid autoimmune conditions like Graves and some Hashimotos were once treated with iodine and quite successfully. (For Hashis people they had to be treated with iodine plus selenium). OK, so, if I were a doctor, the first thing I would do, when a thyroid patient dons my doorstep would be to check their iodine levels. The crucial chemical that controls it. Why is there a knee-jerk reaction, then to give medication or offer extreme, radical procedures? That was a rhetorical question, you don’t have to answer that...we both know the answer to that question.

Now we have the options to test on our own, we don’t have to rely on MD’s (who, chances are, won’t perform an iodine test). The best way to see if there is a problem, is test for it...right? Sidebar: For the life of me, I cannot understand, why, when a patient complains of heartburn, a doctor automatically prescribes antacids, without testing. Heartburn is also a symptom of low stomach acid...ummm, doc “So, why aren’t you running tests to check a person’s acid levels in their stomach first before prescribing?” By the way, antacids deplete iodine from the body.

Common symptoms that can occur with prolonged iodine deficiency include:

• Constipation
• Depressed mood
• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Goiter (enlargement of the thyroid, creating a mass in the neck)
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Menstrual cycle abnormalities
• Protrusion of the eyes
• Thickening of the skin
• Fibrocystic breasts
• Thinning and brittleness of the hair and nails
• Unintended weight gain
• Weakness
• Cysts
• Mental Impairment – Brain fog
• Decreased Concentration
• Difficulties losing weight
• Fibroid tumors
• Fibromyalgia

Serious symptoms that might indicate a life-threatening condition

In some cases, iodine deficiency can be life threatening. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms including:

• Being a danger to oneself or others, including threatening, irrational or suicidal behavior
• Bleeding while pregnant
• Change in level of consciousness or alertness, such as passing out or unresponsiveness
• Change in mental status or behavior change, such as confusion, delirium, lethargy, hallucinations or delusions
• Chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure, palpitations
• Respiratory or breathing problems, such as shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, labored breathing, wheezing, not breathing, or choking

http://www.localhealth.com/article/iodine-deficiency/symptoms

 

Iodine tests:

Simple self-test for iodine deficiency:

To check whether you have enough iodine on board, you can try this safe self-test at home. Simply dip a clean ball of cotton in inexpensive red-tinged USP tincture of iodine from any drugstore. Paint a 2-inch circle of tincture of iodine on soft skin tissue, such as the inner arm or thigh.

Now wait – if the yellow-orange stain takes more than 6 hours to disappear, you are likely to be replete with iodine. If the stain is absorbed quickly (within 1–3 hours), your body may need a higher iodine intake.

Other methods of testing

http://iodineresearch.com/ortholoadingtest.html

http://hakalalabs.com/testing.html

You can also go to your local independent lab to purchase an iodine test.

 

NEXT WEEK

 

Dine with iodine -Part III

I will address these main topics:

Supplementing iodine for people with autoimmune diseases.

What if I don’t have a working thyroid should I take iodine?

Taking iodine and the sickness (detox) that may follow.

How much iodine do I need?

And finally, iodine is not just for thyroid health

 

I am going for that margarita now, see ya

CTL

Again, I will post references at the end of the series (next week) I also emailed experts and they were nice enough to email me back with answers; I will have their responses next week.

 

 

DINE ON IODINE - IS IT JUST FOR THYROID HEALTH?

French chemist Bernard Courtois discovered iodine in 1811; little did this Frenchmen know, that subsequent to his discovery, this chemical element would have many uses in the years to come.

The early nineteenth century was the official discovery of iodine and its importance, however, ancient hieroglyphs illustrate how seaweed and other iodine enriched sea life was used to treat goiters (an enlargement of the thyroid gland).

Other uses for Iodine:

 

Iodine 123– Is the isotope of choice for nuclear medicine imaging of the thyroid gland.

Iodine 131- Is used to administer to humans only in very high doses, which will destroy all tissues in the body that accumulate iodine. This iodine isotope is used principally for the treatment of Graves Disease and certain thyroid cancers.

Iodine-127 - In a number of convenient forms (tablets or solution), this treatment may be used to saturate the thyroid gland's ability to take up further iodine, and thus protect against accidental contamination from iodine-131. Which can be produced by nuclear fission  accidents, such as the Chernobyl Disaster and more recently the Fukushima nuclear accident.

 Additional important uses:

·        A sterilizing Agent

·        Goiter prevention

·        Boosts metabolism

·        Fights harmful organisms

·        Aids Breast, Neurological, Skin, Eye, Reproductive and   

           Hair Health

 

    ·        Powerful antioxidant

·        Iodine douches are great for vaginitis

In the 1830’s, cases of goiters starting increasing due to the beginning stages of iodine depletion in our soil. By the 1920’s government decided to step in as more cases of goiters in the areas of the Great Lakes, Appalachia and the Northwestern region of the U.S were being reported. These areas were nicknamed the “goiter belt." In Michigan alone, the goiter endemic reached as high as 64 percent. These cases began to affect military drafting as those afflicted did not pass physicals for active duty. 

Ah ha, a threat to national security gets the government off their collective butts to do something about public health.

Resulting from this alarming health scare, on May 1, 1924, the U.S. government designed the Iodine Supplementation Program. They decided to supplement through salt as this was - at that time - the easiest, cheapest and most broadly used food source. The implementation efforts were a success as cases of goiters and thyroid-related conditions decreased. Also, during that time, Iodine could also be found in breads and milk. 

Yay!

But wait, it is happening again, Iodine deficiencies are, according to some experts silently becoming an epidemic again.

Find out why, next week - Dine on Iodine, is it just for thyroid health? Part II

Will show references at the end of this blog series.

CTL

DR. JECKYLL AND MR. THY…PERSONALITY CHANGES WITH THYROID DISEASE

Last week a co-worker emailed to me a link with one of those personality tests. This particular test is called “How Emotionally Intelligent Are You”.  She must have read my mind, somehow knowing I needed a little workday intermission. From time to time, any distraction is welcomed, especially during those times when you are heading into a comatose-can’t-concentrate-anymore moment. Getting up to sign for a FedEx package or doing the vending machine stare down (even though you aren’t going to purchase anything)…these are office respite techniques, helpful for resting the eyes and hopefully getting back into focus.

Although I have done a ton of personality tests – in high school, college, for jobs, and for fun it dawned on me, after receiving her email, that I had never done one post thyroid disease.

Some experts say that our personalities do not change significantly throughout our lives. My guess is that these so-called experts have never tracked subjects pre, mid and post thyroid dysfunction. I do not know what the scientific definition of personality is. To me, with CTL simplicity,  it means how we behave ourselves. The years while at the peak of my thyroid dysfunction, my behaviors changed dramatically.

I became extremely insecure, confused, argumentative, irritable, intolerant, fearful, pessimistic and on my really really bad days – apathetic. On those bad days, I wanted nothing to do with the human race. Interaction was kept to a minimum; I hid from the FedEx man.

The mental and physical changes occurring in people with thyroid disease are sometimes hard to fathom, even doctors don’t truly understand what all is going on in our body.

I wrote a little bit about my ten year saga in the previous blog post; looking back, though, I wish I would have taken several personality tests, doing my own informal study – perhaps, doing one each year, keeping a diary of any drastic changes as I battled to achieve optimal to remission.

I’m not sure, where you are with your healing journey, below is the link to the personality test, make sure you read the entire bottom portion after getting to your results. This could be an eye opening experience to those who haven’t made the thyroid/personality connection.

Tell me what you think. Do you think your personality has changed, due in part to thyroid disease?

How Emotionally Intelligent Are You

CTL

THYROID DISEASE DIAGNOSIS - MORE THAN 10 YEARS LATER

I must admit, I have come a long way from being clueless and confused to cognizant and competent, since my autoimmune-thyroid-disease diagnosis more than ten years ago. My approach to taking on this disease has evolved over the years.

Through my thyroid autoimmune disease struggle, here are four things I have learned:

1.      It is MY body and I have to live in it –Finally, I realized no more putting up with doctors who are excessively conventional and lackadaisical in their approach of helping me with my healthcare. I also came to the realization that I should not have to apologize to anyone for not feeling well enough to do the things I could do previously...I cannot help you move, probably won’t be able to babysit your three toddlers all day, Hubby and son, you have to fend for yourself for dinner, Umm…I’m gonna say “no” to the all night kegger.

 

2.      Living a healthier lifestyle– A mal-functioning, diseased body needs extra care.  This only makes sense, but I have to tell you, I went along with this truth kicking and screaming. Don’t get me wrong, I did not completely make poor health choices, before diagnosis. I exercised regularly, but I never paid attention to how much gut health plays a MASSIVE role in healing and regulating the body. Some of my favorite foods (yet not fit for human consumption) processed meats, Gummy bears, funnel cakes, most of the items at McDonalds…had to bid them a not so fond farewell. And now I feel great!...(OK, I still eat gummy bears from time to time)

 

3.      Kept educating myself– So little is known about autoimmune diseases, and so few seem to know about the thyroid as well. It dawned on me one day…Hey, I need to figure a lot of this out myself, by listening to my body, instead of putting all my stock into a medical professional who may not grasp the full understanding of autoimmune thyroid healing. I was asking them questions they couldn’t answer. It took me awhile to realize the “answers” I was getting were actually “non-answers” (I think they thought I wouldn’t notice).

 

And, finally, one thing that’s remained the same over the last ten years is my ability to Go Crazy!

Conserve

Restore

Adding

Zest

In

You

Go crazy my thyroid family