Iodine and Health

This morning as I put together my next two weeks of supplements I realized that I've not said jack squat about iodine. Duh!

It was about a year ago that I had a health crisis. God graciously led me to a PA who incorporated holistic medicine in her practice and got me out of danger. One of the things I was ordered to do was read a book and start taking an iodine supplement. It didn't make a lick of sense at the time, but I didn't have anything to lose (besides my life!) so I followed orders.

What I learned shocked me. Not only was I iodine deficient, it was shockingly clear that the entire country probably is. Several facts I learned:

1. The iodine in our table salt is not enough.
2. The iodine in our table salt does not contain the types of iodine our bodies need.
3. Other substances, toxic halides, take the place of iodine in our cell structure. Our cells require iodine and when there isn't enough, fluorine, chlorine, bromide, all present in our daily life, take its place. Result - improperly working cells . . . result - many types of disease with very few traceable to the underlying cause . . result - medications that treat symptoms and cause other problems, and on and on and on.
4. Lack of iodide (a form needed by women in particular) is a precursor to breast cancer.
5. People with medically diagnosed thyroid problems need iodine too, in fact they may need it more as a deficiency probably led to their condition.

Getting on an iodine supplement changed my health. It took a couple of months to detox the halides out, but it's made a world of difference. My immune system is stronger than it's been in years; I went through the winter of 06-07 with barely a sniffle. I take Iodoral, an otc product that contains both iodine and iodide.

I continue to be alarmed about this issue. Earlier this year I learned that a cousin was dealing with breast cancer. Turns out an md. had misdiagnosed her with a thyroid condition and she'd taken medication that interfered with iodine absorption for 15 years prior to the cancer. I wanted to scream. More recently a beautiful 21 year old niece was diagnosed with Graves disease, an old people's thyroid conditon.

For anyone who may wish to learn more don't take my word for it. Do your own research, prayerfully consider what to do, and start slow. I built up to a full Iodoral tablet over a couple of weeks without noticing a thing till one day I realized I felt 25 again. The book I read was Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It. Dr. Brownstein who authored the book has written another one that I've not read, Overcoming Thyroid Disorders. I would recommend it as well.