Iodine

Are you iodine-deficient?

Reasons for iodine deficiency

Symptoms of iodine deficiency

Benefits of iodine sufficiency

Iodine as a chelating agent

Tests for iodine deficiency or excess

Sources of iodine

Iodine doseage

Optimal iodine absorption

Side-effects / contraindications / symptoms of excess iodine

References

Are you iodine-deficient?

Do you often feel tired, and have low energy? Do you have muscular and skeletal aches and pains? Brain fog, unenthusiastic or depressed? Tender breasts? Do you have a variety of allergies or intolerances? Are you prone to fungal and other infections? Digestion not what it used to be?

It is possible that you are iodine-deficient. Medical and scientific research tends to focus on those diseases that are caused by a critical shortage of iodine (goitre, cretinism and hypothyroidism). However, diseases that are caused by a less severe iodine deficiency are not just common - they are endemic.

A century ago, iodine was called the universal medicine. Iodine was the remedy and natural antibiotic that every doctor carried in their bag of medicines every day, and was regularly used to treat a wide variety of conditions and ailments (2, 5, 6, 10, 11). Iodine deficiency affects much more than the thyroid. For example, iodine supplements have been used to successfully treat fibrocystic disease (6).

Pressure from pharmaceutical companies and other commercial interests has led to the deliberate discrediting of iodine as a remedy. The recommended daily intake (RDA) for iodine has been set at a level that will prevent goitre, but is short of the level required for optimal health. In fact, if you get no more than the RDA of 150 mcg per day, you will be deficient.

In Australia and New Zealand, iodine deficiency even at the (low) RDA level is a widespread problem in the population. A dietary survey conducted in 2008 by the national food regulator (FSANZ) found that 43 per cent of Australians don't even get the low RDA level. 70 per cent of women of child-bearing age and about 10 per cent of children between the ages of two and three did not even meet the RDA.

Reasons for iodine deficiency

• Iodine-deficient soil. Australia, India and several African and European countries have geographical areas of severe iodine deficiency. They are usually located long distances from the sea. Deficiency may also be caused by erosion, desertification and soil overuse.
• Food sourced from inland areas with no access to sea-sourced foods. This particularly applies to poor people who cannot afford fish or seaweed in their diets.
• Eating a modern diet, high in processed foods. Iodine is usually added to salt in rich countries, and sometimes to other foods such as the flour used in baked goods, milk and breakfast cereals. However the tiny amount of iodine added is insufficient for optimal health, being merely enough to prevent goitre.
• Health diets. Many so-called health diets are very low in iodine. If you are a vegetarian you are at high risk. Sea salt contains virtually no iodine. If you (sensibly) avoid refined salt and other processed foods, it is important to include kelp, kombu or fish heads in your diet.
• Goitrogens. Goitrogens are substances that prevent the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland, and uptake in the rest of the body. Our exposure to goitrogens is much higher than 50 or more years ago. Their primary effect is suppressed thyroid function. Grasses such as millet (grass seed) and bamboo shoots are two of the most potent goitrogens. The two main food categories of goitrogens are cruciferous vegetables and soy beans. Crucifers include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, mustard, rutabagas, kohlrabi and turnips. Raw crucifers especially deplete iodine. Soy foods include soy milk, tofu, tempeh and TVP. Other goitrogenic foods include cassava, canola, corn, peanuts, spinach and sweet potato.
• Halogens in the water supply and environment are also prevalent goitrogens. Fluorides are added to the water supply, toothpaste and some medications in some countries, in the mistaken belief that they strengthen teeth. Research shows that fluorides lead to behavioural disorders, hypothyroidism, hip fractures, bone cancer and kidney damage. Bromine is used as a fire retardant in carpets and clothing, in the preparation of white baking flour, as an antibacterial agent, as a fumigant and pesticide, in the manufacture of some carbonated drinks, and in some pharmaceuticals. Chlorine is added to drinking water as a disinfectant and has been linked to heart disease and cancer.
• Nitrate and perchlorate salts that leach from fertilisers on the land and from use in industry and packaging.

Symptoms of iodine deficiency

• Cognitive decline, reduced intelligence, brain damage. (4) A reduction of up to 13-20 IQ points in infants and children, even when no other symptoms are present. Sufficient iodine is essential during pregnancy and lactation. Iodine deficiency also affects adult intelligence (up to 15 IQ points) and brain function. This size of IQ decline is enough to prevent problem solving, inhibit the ability to learn and study, change the kind of job a person can do, and totally affect your productivity and quality of life.
• Depression and a variety of other neuropathies and psychological problems.
• Fatigue - iodine deficiency can cause abnormal pituitary-adrenal function as well as low thyroid function.
• Fibromyalgia has many of the symptoms listed below, and is caused primarily by an excess of fluorides and other goitrogens in the body.
• Glandular and hormonal problems. With insufficient iodine the thyroid gland may develop autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease. However, these ailments can also be caused by excessive iodine - see contraindications below.
  
  An increased incidence of anti-thyroid antibodies may lead to subclinical infections, gluten intolerance or food allergies.
  
  Iodine is necessary for healthy breast and ovary tissue because it regulates estrogen. Iodine deficiency can cause excessive estrogen and heavy periods, breast cancer, ovarian cysts, polycystic ovary syndrome and fibrocystic breast disease (painful breasts with nodules and cysts which are more symptomatic prior to menstrual periods). Tender breasts, Fibrocystic diseases and ovarian cysts often reverse with sufficient iodine. (6)
• Infertility.
• Hearing loss, including if the mother is deficient during pregnancy.
• Aches and pains around the body, most noticeable in muscles and joints.
• Infections. Ongoing subclinical infections from a compromised immune system. Iodine plays a role in protecting against bacteria, fungi and protozoa. Fungal infections such as candida/thrush, tinea, nail infections, bacterial and protozoan infections in the gut, and a variety of other chronic infections.
• Build-up of fluorides, bromides and heavy metals (mercury, cadmium, lead). Iodine is one of a group of similar elements (halogens) including bromine, chlorine and fluorine. Halogens compete with each other in the body, particularly in the thyroid gland. Unfortunately bromine, chlorine and fluorine are toxic. When there is a deficiency of iodine, the other halogens build up, causing hypothyroidism. Most of us are deficient in iodine and in a constant state of halogen toxicity. The good news is that when sufficient iodine is present, the other halogens are excreted from the body, along with other toxic heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead.
• Irregular mood or metabolism.
• Indirectly, obesity and weight gain. Bromides make it difficult to lose weight once body fat starts to build up an accumulation of bromides, which are fat-soluble. Iodine displaces bromine, and having good iodine sufficiency makes it a lot easier to lose weight in this situation.
• Iodine assists with antioxidant activity. A lack manifests in faster aging and higher levels of disease.
• Cardiovascular diseases. Lipoprotein is a sticky substance as that produces arterial plaques from blood platelets, calcium and fibrin. Sufficient iodine can reverse this lipoprotein build-up.
• Cancers. Treatment of a wide variety of cancers. (17)
• Prostate disease.
• Hot flushes and other peri-menopausal symptoms.
• Lung diseases. Iodine has been used successfully for treatment of asthma, bronchitis, viscous phlegm and other pulmonary ailments. (14, 16)
• Dry skin with a decreased ability to sweat.
• Weak digestion and a variety of digestive problems. Lack of stomach digestive acid production (achlorhydria).
• A tendency for cysts and skin tags.
• Dry eyes.
• Dry mouth.
• Severe deficiency of the essential trace element iodine causes goitre - a swelling of the thyroid gland. Long-term deficiency causes cretinism - stunted growth, mental retardation and many other health problems. The introduction of iodised salt in the early 1900s, and the addition of iodine compounds to other foodstuffs such as flour and milk has reduced the incidence of severe iodine deficiency (goitre) in affluent countries. However, few people get enough iodine for optimal or even good health. Goitre-producing iodine deficiency is still a problem in many parts of the world, particularly in poorer nations and places where there is little iodine in the local food.

Benefits of iodine sufficiency

• Feeling of well-being.
• Mental clarity and lifting of brain fog. Achieving more in less time. Higher IQ measures at all ages.
• Increased energy.
• Feeling warmer in cold environments.
• Needing less sleep.
• Disappearance of muscular aches and pains.
• Stronger immune system and resistance to microbial infections, including bacteria, virus (18, 19) and protozoa pathogens.
• Protection against the harmful effects of radiation in the environment.
• Assists in the regulation of cholesterol, cortisol and bile. Insufficient iodine in the body can cause a variety of apparently unrelated diseases.
• Improved skin complexion.
• Regular bowel movements.

Iodine as a chelating agent

A study showed that after starting iodine supplementation, the levels of mercury, cadmium and lead measured in the urine of test subjects increased by several fold after just 24 hours (5). For aluminium, increased levels in the urine took a month or more to appear (5). Bromine and fluorine are also excreted at high levels (7), and may result in cloudy urine for several months and body odour for one or two weeks. Bromine can take up to two years for full removal (7).

Tests for iodine deficiency or excess

Iodine patch test. This is a quick, rough, simple, inexpensive test. Paint a 5 cm (2 inch) square of iodine tincture (such as Lugol's solution) onto your inner arm or thigh. If the stain disappears or almost disappears:

• In less than 5 hours, then you are almost certainly extremely deficient.
• In less than 10 hours, then you are probably deficient.
• In less than 24 hours, then you may be deficient.
• remains or only slightly lightens after 24 hours then your levels are considered normal.

You can repeat this test every couple of weeks to see when your iodine dose can be reduced.

Iodine urine test. Take 4 iodine tablets (12.5 mg each) or 8 drops of Lugol's solution in half a glass of water. You will need a laboratory or test kit to monitor the iodine in your urine during the next 24 hours. If you have sufficient iodine, 90% of the 50 mg dose will be excreted during the next 24 hours. If iodine is lacking the body retains most of it with little appearing in the urine.

Sources of iodine

Iodised salt contains about 100 mcg/gm. Even if you eat vast quantities of this salt, it is not enough to get your iodine level back to a healthy level. In addition, I strongly recommend that you do NOT use processed salt (supermarket salt). Rather use sea salt, though unfortunately it is not a good source of iodine.

Pure iodine is an easily-absorbed element that is very reactive with living tissue. For this reason it is preferable to get iodine from natural food sources rather than to take it as a supplement.

There are a few rich food sources of iodine, mainly foods coming from the sea. However, most fish, seafood and seaweed is not sufficient. Fish heads are best. Most seaweeds contain little iodine, though others (particularly kelp and kombu) are high in iodine. If you want to get sufficient iodine without supplementation, it is important to know which foods to use regularly.

Kelp or kombu seaweed is the richest food-derived source of iodine. Other brown and red-coloured seaweeds contain lesser amounts of iodine. Iodine from seaweed has good bio-availability.

Kelp/Kombu 1500-2500 mcg/gm of dried seaweed.

Hijiki 629 mcg/gm.

Dulse 72 mcg/gm.

Wakame 32 mcg/gm.

Nori 16 mcg/gm.

Other foods from the ocean provide iodine, particularly fish heads (they contain the fish's thyroid gland). Most societies value the fish's head above other parts of the fish. In the West, we often throw away the most nutritious part of our food. If you do not wish to eat fish heads, at least make a stock from them. Not only are they rich in iodine, but the best flavour comes from the heads.

Plants (particularly greens and sunflower seeds) are only a good source of iodine if they are grown in iodine-rich soils. As soils around the world are being depleted, even foods grown on the coast are iodine-deficient.

Lugol's iodine. In 1829 Jean Lugol developed an iodine solution that carries his name (Lugol's solution). It was in widespread use until the 1940's and 1950's, when many doctors successfully used it as a universal medicine. By 1950 doctors had been taught to prescribe a variety of pharmaceutical drugs rather than the very cheap and effective Lugol's solution, and there was an active campaign to discredit iodine because of its severe impact on pharmaceutical profits.

Lugol's solution consists of 5% (wt/v) iodine and 10% (wt/v) potassium iodide in distilled water. It has a total iodine content of 126.5 mg/mL, which is about 6.5 mg per drop. Lugol's solution is available in tablet form under the name Iodoral iodine. Iodoral tablets are not particularly expensive, but they still cost many times more than taking the same quantity of iodine in Lugol's liquid form.

Lugol's iodine has been used for many years as an antiseptic and disinfectant. It is rapidly absorbed through the skin. Lugol's solution may be used on the skin, though it stains clothing for a few minutes while it is wet, and it can sting when applied to open wounds.

In Australia, Lugol's iodine is available from many chemists under the name "iodine solution". Check that the ingredients are correct. In many other countries it is available from compounding chemists or can be purchased online.

Dilution warning. In several countries in Europe, and sometimes in the USA, the authorities have required retail Lugol's iodine to be diluted to one tenth or one twentieth of its proper concentration. After using this deceptively diluted iodine, many consumers think it does not work. If you buy Lugol's iodine, check the label for the correct concentration. If it is diluted you can still use it, but up the dose accordingly.

Nascent iodine is a liquid form of iodine that comes in a dropper bottle. It looks similar to Lugol's solution. The manufacturers describe it as more bio-available than other forms of iodine, because it holds an electromagnetic charge which is released when it is consumed. In this atomic (rather than molecular) form it is similar to the iodine already in the body. Nascent iodine is more expensive than Lugol's iodine. Nascent Iodine

Warning. Povidone iodine is a topical antiseptic. Povidone iodine is a mixture of olyvinylpyrrolidone (povidone or PVP) and elemental iodine. Povidone iodine should not be consumed (taken internally) because PVP is a toxic water-soluble polymer used as a wetting agent and stabiliser. A popular brand of povidone iodine is Betadine.

Iodine doseage

The conventional Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for iodine is 150 mcg (micrograms) per day. Many credible researchers say that larger doses are needed for optimal health, functionality, longevity and protection. (1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 13)

An examination of the iodine intake of the Japanese population led to the conclusion that the RDA is at least 100 (one hundred) times too low. (5) In addition, when iodine was widely used with such great success 50-100 years ago, the levels used were around one hundred times higher than the RDA. Sixty million Japanese consume about 14 mg per day of elemental iodine because of the high level of kelp in their diet. This is about 93 times the RDA. By many measures the Japanese are the world's healthiest nation, including in longevity, wellbeing and cancer statistics. (4, 5)

It is preferable to get iodine from food sources rather than taking it as a supplement.

You can supplement iodine by applying Lugol's iodine solution to the skin in the same way as doing a skin patch test. After many years of using iodine, this is the method that I prefer. I look for skin lesions, keratosis, moles and other skin blemishes and carefully apply iodine on them using a dropper or cotton bud. It is effective in treating all kinds of skin blemishes so you get this additional bonus while taking your iodine supplementation. I usually do it at night before bed, because brown patches will remain on your skin for several hours, depending upon your level of iodine sufficiency. As the iodine level in your body increases, you will find it takes longer to absorb through your skin. Sometimes the brown patch can last for a day or even longer.

The disadvantage of topical application is that it is difficult to measure the dose, it may be unsightly, and it stains clothing unless you wait a few minutes for it to dry.

If you take iodine internally in the form of Lugol's solution or nascent iodine, start with one drop per day mixed in a glass of water. Build-up to the doses shown below over a period of several weeks, depending on how you feel. If the iodine seems to have no effect on you after a few days, then gradually increase the dose to the high end of the values shown below.

When taking high-dose iodine, monitor your thyroid function by checking your temperature before getting up in the morning.

An antimicrobial dose is 6 to 8 drops of Lugol's solution per day in a large glass of water or juice for 3 weeks. You can divide this into several doses over the day.

For those adults suffering from severe iodine deficiency, or for recovery from a variety of degenerative diseases, take up to 10 drops per day. For most non-obese people on a non-goitrogenic diet, iodine sufficiency is reached after three months at this dose. (9, 12) However, if there are a high level of goitrogens in your food or environment, or you are obese, or you have a poor ability to absorb iodine, this dose may be needed for a year or more before iodine sufficiency is reached. To improve iodine absorption, see the section on Optimal iodine absorption below.

Maintenance dose. Most people do not need to supplement with iodine after sufficiency is reached. A diet with plenty of iodine-rich foods is best for maintaining iodine sufficiency. If testing shows that your level has still fallen after reaching sufficiency, then 1 to 2 drops of Lugol's solution or nascent iodine providing 6 to 12.5 mg elemental iodine per day should be sufficient. This applies to non-obese adults on a non-goitrogenic diet, with normal ability to absorb iodine. However, if iodine is completely deficient in your diet, or there are high levels of goitrogens in your food or environment, then a higher dose of up to 4 drops per day may be required but this should be done under the supervision of a healthcare practitioner.

Optimal iodine absorption

If you are iodine-deficient, your body will efficiently absorb the iodine in your diet. When iodine sufficiency is reached, excess is excreted in the urine. However, this is not an excuse to overdose. Any supplement should always be taken with care.

There is a synergy between iodine and selenium, which means that if one consumes too little selenium, the body uses iodine inefficiently (and probably vice versa, though there is no research that has been done to show this). Of all foods, Brazil nuts usually contain the highest level of selenium. If you eat one Brazil nut per day, you probably get sufficient selenium for good health, without overdosing on barium and radium, which are also very high in Brazil nuts. (15) Other food sources of selenium include kidneys, shellfish, fish and egg yolks.

Tin, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin B1 and vitamin C also assist with the absorption and use of iodine (8).

Side-effects / contraindications / symptoms of excess iodine

Research (2, 3) based on the experience of several thousand patients taking a high iodine dose for up to three years, has shown that approximately 1 - 3% of them experience side-effects. The side-effects reported are:

• Unpleasant brassy taste.
• Increased salivation and sneezing.
• Headache in the frontal sinus.
• Acne-like skin lesions.
• Reduced sex drive / libido. This is the opposite to what is reported in the few websites that discuss a connection between iodine and sexual function. In the 1950's through to 70's, a number of British studies found a connection between iodine (and other halogens, particularly bromine) and reduced sexual function.
• Insomnia in the form of an irritable excess energy. This only affects a few people. Some actually sleep better. Try not to take the iodine at night, rather, take the biggest part of the daily dose in the morning, and the remainder in the afternoon.
• A faster pulse than normal, with atrial fibrillation in the worst case. Iodine is a heart stimulant so if you are using thyroid medication or other stimulant drugs then that may be too much stimulation and heart palpitations may develop. In this case reduce the stimulants sufficiently to rectify the problem.
• Heat intolerance, increased body temperature without having a fever, excessive sweating.
• Cloudy urine and body odour are temporary effects as halogens are excreted from your body. In severe cases, the chelation of halogens, aluminium and heavy metals can make you feel ill. In this case, lower the dose.
• In rare cases, often related to breast disease / cancer, breast milk can turn yellow as accumulated bromides are excreted too quickly.
• Gut biome. Daily supplementation with orally-taken iodine for a period of weeks or longer will probably damage the gut biome, because iodine is a potent antibiotic. I could not find any research supporting this idea, but once again it is better to get your iodine requirements from food sources rather than from an oral supplement.

Many of these symptoms like headaches and skin eruptions are probably caused by the release of stored toxins in a Herxheimer reaction. During iodine supplementation, I recommend that you drink more water than usual to help remove the toxins being released. If any unacceptable side-effects persist, simply reduce the iodine dose.

Do not supplement with iodine if you suffer from Hashimoto's disease or other autoimmune thyroid disorders, as additional iodine may stimulate an attack on the thyroid. Those with symptoms of hyperthyroidism should not supplement with iodine.

Children and pregnant women should not supplement with iodine except under doctor's advice.

References

1. Orthoiodosupplementation: Iodine Sufficiency Of The Whole Human Body. Abraham, G.E., Flechas, J.D., Hakala, J.C., The Original Internist, 9:30-41, 2002

2. Clinical Experience with Inorganic Non-radioactive Iodine/Iodide. Brownstein, D., The Original Internist, 12(3):105-108, 2005

3. Orthoiodosupplementation in a primary care practice. Flechas, J.D., The Original Internist, 12(2):89-96, 2005

4. Iodine Deficiency and Therapeutic Considerations. Patrick, Lyn., Alternative Medicine Review, Vol 13, No. 2, 2008

5. Iodine, The Universal Nutrient. Guy E. Abraham., 2007

6. Iodine Replacement in Fibrocystic Disease of the Breast. Ghent, W.R., Eskin, B.A., Low., D.A., et al., Can. J. Surg., 36:453-460, 1993

7. Iodine Supplementation Markedly Increases Urinary Excretion of Fluoride and Bromide. Abraham, G.E., Townsend Letter, 238:108-109, 2003

8. Evidence that the administration of Vitamin C improves a defective cellular transport mechanism for iodine: A case report. Abraham, G.E., Brownstein, D., The Original Internist, 12(3):125-130, 2005

9. The safe and effective implementation of orthoiodosupplementation in medical practice. Abraham, G.E., The Original Internist, 11:17-36, 2004

10. Iodine in Medicine and Pharmacy Since its Discovery - 1811-1961. Kelly, Francis C., Proc R Soc Med 54:831-836, 1961

11. Optimum Levels of Iodine for Greatest Mental and Physical Health. Abraham, G.E., Flechas, J.D., Hakala, J.C., The Original Internist, 9:5-20, 2002

12. The concept of orthoiodosupplementation and its clinical implications. Abraham, G.E., The Original Internist, 11(2):29-38, 2004.

13. Iodide Goiter and the Pharmacologic Effects of Excess Iodide. Wolff, J., Am. J. Med., 47:101-124, 1969

14. Bernecker C. Intermittent therapy with potassium iodide in chronic obstructive diseases of the airways. A review of 10 years experience. Acta Allergol. 1969 Sep;24(3):216-25.

15. Margaret P. Rayman. Food-chain selenium and human health: emphasis on intake. British Journal of Nutrition (2008), 100, 254-268. doi:10.1017/S0007114508939830.

16. C Bernecker. Potassium iodide in bronchial asthma. Br Med J. Oct 25, 1969; 4(5677): 236. PMCID: PMC1629847.

17. Facebook page IODINE as at October 2019.

18. Maren Eggers, Torsten Koburger-Janssen, Markus Eickmann, Juergen Zorn. In Vitro Bactericidal and Virucidal Efficacy of Povidone-Iodine Gargle/Mouthwash Against Respiratory and Oral Tract Pathogens. Infect Dis Ther. 2018 Jun; 7(2): 249-259. Published online 9 April 2018. doi: 10.1007/s40121-018-0200-7. PMCID: PMC5986684, PMID: 29633177.

19. Fischer AJ, Lennemann NJ, Krishnamurthy S, Pocza P, Durairaj L, Launspach JL, Rhein BA, Wohlford-Lenane C, Lorentzen D, Banfi B et al. Enhancement of respiratory mucosal antiviral defenses by the oxidation of iodide. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 2011, 45: 874-881.