Iodine is one of the most important minerals, especially with regards to thyroid health. Many people with a thyroid condition have an iodine deficiency, and until this deficiency is addressed, there is very little chance of having their health restored through a natural thyroid treatment protocol. The reason for this is because iodine deficiency is necessary for the formation of thyroid hormone. So if someone is deficient in iodine, this frequently will result in a hypothyroid condition.
However, many people with hyperthyroidism also have an iodine deficiency as well. In fact, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune hyperthyroid condition, and I was iodine deficient and therefore had to supplement with iodine. So regardless of what type of thyroid condition you have, it is essential to receive the proper testing to confirm whether or not you are deficient in this extremely important mineral.
Why Are So Many People Iodine Deficient?
There are numerous different reasons why people are deficient in iodine. One of the primary reasons is due to poor farming techniques, which leaves the soil depleted of many different nutrients and minerals, include iodine. Another reason why many people are iodine deficient is because the bread dough conditioners are made with bromide, whereas many years ago they were made with iodine. This is important because bromide competes with iodine, and so by consuming all of these products that contain bromide, it will in turn replace iodine, making people iodine deficient.
Other halogens can also displace iodine, such as fluoride and chloride. And most people are being exposed to these halogens on a regular basis, which is yet another reason why so many people are iodine deficient. So you want to try to do everything you can to minimize your exposure to these toxins.
How To Determine Whether You Have An Iodine Deficiency
As for how you can determine whether you have an iodine deficiency, the most accurate method is through an iodine loading test. This is a urine test that requires you to first take a 50mg iodine/iodide tablet, and then over a 24-hour period it is determined how much iodine is retained. Someone who is iodine deficient will retain a high percentage of the iodine that was consumed. According to those who developed this test, a person who takes this test and has a saturation lower than 90% has an iodine deficiency, and thus is a candidate for iodine supplementation.
Another, less accurate way to determine whether someone has an iodine deficiency is through an Iodine Patch Test. This test requires painting a 2 x 2 inch square patch on the forearm, using a 3% iodine tincture. For someone who isn't iodine deficient, the patch should take over 24 hours to completely disappear. Someone who is mildly deficient will have the patch disappear between 13 and 24 hours. And if someone has the patch disappear in 12 hours or less, they are considered to be iodine deficient.
While I don't recommend the Iodine Patch Test to my patients to diagnose an iodine deficiency, I do advise them to use it as a follow-up procedure. In other words, I'll recommend for someone to begin with both the iodine loading test and at the same time do an Iodine Patch Test, paying more attention to the results of the urine test. But I'll then have them do a follow-up iodine patch test on a monthly basis just to see if there are any significant changes, and then will recommend a follow-up iodine loading test after three months.
Addressing An Iodine Deficiency
For those people with a thyroid condition who have an iodine deficiency, it is not only important to take a quality iodine supplement, but to go about this process slowly. In other words, you don't want to automatically begin taking 25 to 50mg of iodine daily, although some healthcare professionals will recommend this. By the way, for everything you need to know about iodine, I highly recommend reading the book "Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It", which is written by Dr. David Brownstein.
When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroid condition, I began by taking one 3mg tablet of Prolamine Iodine, which is an iodine supplement manufactured by a company called Standard Process. I increased the dosage by one tablet each week, and once I was taking eight tablets per day I switched to a product called Iodoral, which enabled me to take a similar dosage, but this comes in 12.5 mg tablets. Both of these iodine supplements are of high quality, and along with incorporating other components of a natural treatment protocol, taking iodine daily helped to restore my health back to normal.
I realize this probably sounds like a lot of iodine to take, and this isn't to suggest that everyone will need to take this much iodine. On the other hand, some people might need to take 50mg of iodine daily to address a severe deficiency. It all depends on how deficient in iodine you are. The good news is that good quality iodine supplements are relatively inexpensive to purchase.
Autoimmune Thyroid Conditions & Iodine Deficiency
If you have an autoimmune thyroid condition, then you might not be able to address your iodine deficiency right away. If you have Graves' Disease then this shouldn't be a problem, unless if you happen to be allergic to iodine, which is rare. On the other hand, someone with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis will be unable to supplement with iodine right away. Taking iodine will actually increase the destruction of the thyroid gland, which is why anyone who has Hashimoto's Thyroiditis will need to address the autoimmune response first.
Of course most endocrinologists and other medical doctors label these conditions as being incurable. So rather than address the immune system component, they will simply put someone on thyroid medication to manage the symptoms. Because of this, more and more people are turning towards natural thyroid treatment methods to restore their health back to normal.
Restoring Your Health Through A Natural Thyroid Treatment Protocol
While addressing an iodine deficiency is important to restore one's health back to normal, often times other factors need to be addressed as well. This is where a natural thyroid treatment protocol comes into play, as this will help to determine any other problematic areas or additional deficiencies you might have that can be contributing to, or in some cases directly causing your thyroid condition.
What's important to understand is that in many cases, the malfunctioning thyroid gland is not the cause of the thyroid condition. This is why just giving thyroid medication to manage the symptoms is often times a big mistake, as in many cases, the actual cause can be detected and corrected. While some people will attempt to self-treat their condition, this usually doesn't lead to optimal results, which is why I recommend that anyone with a thyroid condition consult with a competent natural endocrine doctor. Such a doctor will be able to determine what is causing your thyroid condition, and if possible, put you on a natural treatment protocol to cure the cause.
In summary, an iodine deficiency can directly cause or contribute to the development of a thyroid condition. Taking iodine is obviously important to address such a deficiency, but just remember that other factors can play a role in the development of a thyroid condition, which is why consulting with a competent natural endocrine doctor is usually a good idea, as many thyroid conditions can be cured through a natural treatment protocol. Finally, don't forget that there is an excellent book which discusses iodine deficiency in detail, and while the title might sound boring (Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It), the book is actually very interesting and easy to read.
Dr. Eric Osansky is a licensed healthcare professional who personally used natural treatment methods to restore his health when he was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder. For more information on how to use Natural Thyroid Treatment methods to restore your health back to normal, including a free video and 46-page guide that shows you how to treat your thyroid disorder naturally, please visit his website at www.NaturalEndocrineSolutions.com.
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