Are you getting enough Iodine?

[Volcano]

Excerpt taken from:
http://www.healthsalon.org/274/iodine-dr-guy-e-abraham-md/​

Iodine: The Universal Nutrient



Written by Guy E. Abraham, M.D.
In textbooks of medicine, endocrinology and thyroidology, the essential element iodine is mentioned only in connection with the most severe forms of deficiency of this nutrient: cretinism, iodine-deficiency induced goiter and hypothyroidism. Due to thyroid fixation, inhibitors of iodine uptake and utilization by target cells are called goitrogens, that is, substances causing thyroid enlargement, implying that iodine inhibitors only influence thyroid function. Perhaps, there is a restraining order preventing iodine inhibitors from interfering with iodine in extrathyroidal target organs. Many physicians would be surprised to learn that more than a hundred years ago, iodine was called “The Universal Medicine”, and was used in several clinical conditions. Nobel Laureate Albert Szent Györgyi,1 the physician who discovered Vitamin C in 1928, commented:
“When I was a medical student, iodine in the form of KI was the universal medicine. Nobody knew what it did, but it did something and did something good. We students used to sum up the situation in this little rhyme:
If ye don’t know where, what, and why
Prescribe ye then K and I.

Our medical predecessors, …were keen observers and the universal application of iodide might have been not without foundation.”

Recent research on the medical applications of this essential nutrient may prove indeed that iodine is a universal medicine, or more appropriately, a universal nutrient.2-13 Only 8 years after the discovery of iodine from seaweed by French chemist Bernard Courtois in 1811, Swiss physician J.F. Coindet who previously used successfully burnt sponge and seaweed for simple goiter, reasoned that iodine could be the active ingredient in seaweed. In 1819, he tested tincture of iodine at 250 mg per day, an excessive amount by today’s standard, in 150 goiter patients with great success. He published his results in 1820.14 Coindet was the first physician to use the newly discovered element iodine in medical practice. Since then, the collective experience of a large number of clinicians from the U.S. over the last century has resulted in the recommended daily amount of 0.1 to 0.3 ml of Lugol, containing from 12.5 to 37.5 mg elemental iodine, for iodine/iodide supplementation.5,15 The Lugol solution was developed by French physician, Jean Lugol in 1829 for treatment of infectious diseases using oral ingestion of his preparation.16 The Lugol solution contains 5 percent iodine and 10 percent potassium iodide in water. Iodine is not very soluble in water, with aqueous saturation at 0.33 gm iodine/L. The addition of potassium iodide to an aqueous solution of iodine stabilizes the iodine by forming a complex triodide I3- and increases the aqueous solubility of iodine in the form of a triodide complex 150 times. The range of daily intake of Lugol solution for iodine supplementation based on clinical observation of the patient’s overall well being turned out to be the exact range of iodine needed for whole body sufficiency, based on an iodine/iodide loading test developed recently

And now what thread isn't complete without an anecdote?

October 3, 2013​

I had just picked up 100mL of Lugol's Solution for $15 which has roughly 15g of iodine dissolved. Each drop is 7.5mg and painting the skin with it yields ~10% iodine absorption.

The first day I took 2 drops in water and had a noticeable difference in body temperature. My hands and feet would normally be very cold however they turned warm.

Day two was 4 drops in water and 8 drops on the skin during the day. Roughly 36mg of iodine was to be absorbed. I felt like superman all day. High energy, focus, alert, stamina. When I woke the next morning the sleep had been far more refreshing (I have anemia and always felt tired with brain fog even after 8 hours rest).

As the days progressed the routine settled on 2 drops ingested daily and 4-8 drops painted. 21mg of iodine daily has been sufficient for myself.

In the second week my sleeping pattern changed drastically. From sleeping at 1 am and getting up mid-morning, to sleeping at 10pm and waking at 5 am. BMs are progressively becoming formed. What this means is that the first stage of a BM is solid and the proceeding BM is loosely formed.

Since this I have resumed going to the gym and put on 3lbs of quality weight, not to mention muscle strength has improved immensely.

Further reading. This thread is what piqued my interest a mere 3 weeks ago.
http://www.davidicke.com/forum/showthread.php?t=108824

I appreciate your taking the time to read this and would enjoy some community feedback.

-Matt

 

[shamrock15]

I would like to see you keep updating the post - placebo effects are really common, and the hope that a new treatment will do something really can make us feel better. Please let us know how this goes long-term. I know that I had similar concerns at one point, and had a difficult time getting a doctor to treat it seriously. With some more time behind this, I would consider supplementing iodine.

 

[jjk308]

Iodine deficiencies are pretty rare these days as there's a lot more in our food than in the days before foodstuffs were transported thousands of miles. If you don't get goiters then don't worry.

 

[Volcano]

It's been a month since I started the regime. Since then I have switched to 3 topical applications daily and the improvements are definitely NOT placebo. I should mention that I have been drinking digestive tea (pepperment, fennel, chamomile, ginger) with every meal as well.

Bowel movements are formed and smooth now, well-being and alertness is maintained, body temperature, circulation, blood pressure all in check. Full energy from sleeping as little as 6 hours (up to 8), to work 10 hour days and hit the gym 3-4x weekly. Weight is up 5lbs total.

I should mention the RDA for iodine in Canada/USA 400mcg. Only enough to prevent goiters but NOT enough for good health. The only source of iodine in your diet, jjk308, is seaweed, or iodized salt. The salt is terrible for your health and I doubt you eat enough of it to yield 10mg+. Doctors are telling patients to cut out salt due to high blood pressure. Now your diet has NO iodine. Ever.

 

[shamrock15]

Thanks for the update - glad it's working, and please keep updating!

 

[PokerFace]

I have suspected thyroid issues for a while now so I bought some of this. I will update this thread with my results in case anyone is interested. Thanks for the info, I really liked the style of your post!

 

[bensif]

It's good to see someone else reading about this, trying it and doing.

Iodine deficiencies are rampant in western diets. Iodine plays a key roles in the body and supplementing 12-15mg per day can make a huge difference to your health.

Iv been using iodine for a while now amongst other things and concur that it does make a difference. Sadly I'm very badly flared at the moment but that's not to say it isn't still helping.

 

[armen]

You should be aware of the correlation between iodine and selenium deficiency. "Researchers also believe selenium deficiency may worsen the effects of iodine deficiency on thyroid function, and that adequate selenium nutritional status may help protect against some of the neurologic effects of iodine deficiency," reads a 2004 research published in EmaxHealth and provided by NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

 

[bensif]

You should be aware of the correlation between iodine and selenium deficiency. "Researchers also believe selenium deficiency may worsen the effects of iodine deficiency on thyroid function, and that adequate selenium nutritional status may help protect against some of the neurologic effects of iodine deficiency," reads a 2004 research published in EmaxHealth and provided by NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.

Selenium I supplement at 400mcg per day. It makes for very interesting reading when you realise what these tiny deficiencies actually mean for the body. I also supplement molybdenum, zinc, magnesium and coconut oil (lauric acid).

 

[Volcano]

I eat wild caught fish almost daily, with Brazil nuts for my selenium. Thank you for mentioning it as selenium is highly important to anyone supplementing iodine.