Iodine – Thyroid & Brain Function
Iodine is a mineral, just like zinc, selenium and magnesium are all minerals. Iodine I have found with my clients is often confused with iron. Iron (Fe) is also a mineral, but a completely different mineral. Iron is needed to produce red blood cells. In red blood cells, iron forms part of a protein called haemoglobin, essential for oxygen carrying. Iodine (I) on the other hand, is needed for all metabolic functions in the body and paramount for the healthy functioning of the thyroid gland. It is actually a requirement for the metabolic functioning of every cell of the our body.
Table salt that has added iodine should be avoided. Table salt is usually coloured with bleach to make it white and during this refining, it is also filtered, and stripped of naturally occurring minerals. They then add iodine, but this does not make it a healthier option for you, it is still a highly processed food to be avoided and the iodine added is minimal. My favourite salt which I recommend, is finely ground Celtic Sea Salt – it also contains trace elements of potassium, magnesium and iodine etc all with minimal processing.
Iodine is an essential mineral for the normal growth and development of the brain. TSH released by the pituitary gland in the brain stimulates the thyroid gland in the neck to product T4, and T4, needs to convert to T3. It is T3 that gets us out of bed in the morning, not T4. And iodine is one of the key essential factors needed for this conversion to take place. Without it we experience lethargy, low mood, weight gain and brain fog as well as slowed thinking speed. In young children there is a rise in autism and behavioural difficulties. 90-95% of children I see with these issues are iodine, zinc and magnesium deficient.
Lugol’s iodine delivers the most potent absorbable iodine in the world. If you’re not sure of your iodine requirements book an appointment with Miriam Young here.
So how do I test for iodine? I test through a wonderful gadget made in Belgium called the Oligoscan. It tests the stored levels of iodine, zinc, magnesium, zinc, chromium, and many more minerals, in the actual tissue. As well as key vitamins. This takes the guess work out of taking supplements as you can supplement specifically for actual deficiency. The interesting thing is is that the Oligoscan also tests for heavy metals. And some heavy metals such as mercury, actually block the absorption of iodine. Fluoride is also a concern when it comes to the thyroid, as it blocks iodine absorption, as fluoride sits in the receptor sites in the thyroid and blocks it. So you could be taking a wonderful dose of iodine every day, yet very little is actually being absorbed.
Drinking purified water is essential, but unfortunately fluoride, like mercury will not magically disappear overnight, even if you switch to purified water, and the accumulation over a lifetime will need to be consciously removed. This can be easily and painlessly achieved with certain supplements as well as dietary support.
I often meet people who are surprised by their mercury levels, stating that they only have a small mercury filing or that they had their mercury removed from their mouths years ago! Unfortunately, mercury needs to be detoxed safety and consistently, otherwise it just stays fast, blocking our cells, glands and internal organs – sadly, it doesn’t just disappear.
Blood tests for iodine only report on the circulating levels of iodine for that particular day. For instance I had sushi the day before (seaweed and fish) therefore the morning I get my bloods drawn – my iodine is going to be nice and high. When in actuality my stored iodine may be far too low in order to have an effectively functioning thyroid gland. Hence my weight gain, brain fog and depression; despite what my doctor tells me is my ‘normal’ iodine levels.
An Oligoscan costs $145 during a consultation and simply scans your hand using light spectrometry. It take a matter of seconds and is painless. I usually repeat this every 4-6 x months to monitor effectiveness of treatment. All I need is your weight, height and blood type.
With Hyper (high or over-functioning thyroid) or Hypothyroid is I’d say 70% of the time it is a deficiency rather than a disease. Hypothyroid is certainly NOT a thyroxine deficiency. We need to dig deep and find the cause. The other 30% when we move into areas such as Graves and Hashimoto’s – the cause is an excessive viral load in the system, poor gut microbiome, reduced liver function and then of course very importantly we need to address adrenal fatigue and stress levels. This takes time and comprehensive blood testing is always beneficial to look at the facts. Not all doctors are willing to do this with their patients (no fault of their own as they are governed by medicare) and I use a private pathology company which clients are willing to pay for given they will be able to access hassle free comprehensive results – exactly the ones that we need to work with.
Iodine supports the healthy metabolism and energy levels of an individual. It is also involved in the maintenance of healthy skin and hair. Iodine supports mental development and is crucial during pregnancy for proper foetal brain development. There is a pandemic of iodine deficiency just as rife as iron deficiency on the planet, possibly more so. But very few know about it and doctors certainly don’t prescribe iodine to their hypothyroid (low functioning thyroid) patients. They may prescribe a drug to fix the symptoms, yet sometimes there is no symptom relief anyway.
Iodine is anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal and supports the immune system. Sadly, I see children as young as 7 x years old with goitre and the correct dosage of iodine is essential – not too little (no results) and not too much.
The recommended daily dose of iodine that the government outlines is far too low in my opinion, especially when there is a long standing generational deficiency, which is what we are seeing now. Unless the deficiency is addressed, it just gets worse with every generation. Fish and seaweed are the two food sources that contain iodine and are brilliant to consume in every day life, but sadly it may not be enough to correct deep generational deficiency and that caused by other factors such as heavy metals and fluoride.
There is a brilliant doctor in America who treats cancer using high dose iodine. I’d also say that 95% of cancer or post-cancer clients I see in clinic are seriously iodine deficient. This is particularly the case with prostate and breast cancer, in which iodine is essential as part of the overall holistic recovery program for an individual.
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