This article is part of a special report on Thyroid Disorders. To see the other articles in this series, click here.
In a previous article I showed why, when used alone, thyroid hormone replacement often fails. In this post I’ll explain why optimizing your iodine intake is so crucial, and why both too little and too much iodine can be harmful.
Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of hypothyroidism worldwide. Once researchers realized this, health authorities around the world began adding iodine to table salt.
This strategy was effective in correcting iodine deficiency. But it had an unanticipated—and undesired—effect. In countries where iodine has been added to table salt, the rates of autoimmune thyroid disease have risen. The following is just a sample of studies around the world demonstrating this effect:
Why does this happen? Because increased iodine intake, especially in supplement form, can increase the autoimmune attack on the thyroid. Iodine reduces the activity of an enzyme called thyroid peroxidase (TPO). TPO is required for proper thyroid hormone production.
On the other hand, restricting intake of iodine can reverse hypothyroidism. In one study, 78% of patients with Hashimoto’s regained normal thyroid function with iodine restriction alone.
In the study above where rats developed goiter while receiving excess iodine, when they were given adequate selenium they did not develop the goiter.
Other studies have shown that selenium protects against the effects of iodine toxicity and prevents the triggering and flaring of autoimmune disease that excess iodine without selenium can cause.
In my practice I always test for both iodine deficiency and Hashimoto’s when a patient presents with hypothyroid symptoms. If they are iodine deficient, I will start them on a trial of iodine and selenium together. In most cases, patients see a significant improvement. In a minority of cases, they cannot tolerate supplemental iodine even with adequate selenium intake.
Unfortunately, the blood test for iodine that your doctor might run is not very accurate. The best way to determine iodine status is with a 24-hour urine loading test. This involves taking a large dose of iodine and collecting your urine for 24 hours afterward. If you are iodine deficient, you’ll retain more of the ingested iodine than you should and the level of iodine excreted in the urine will be lower than expected. The two labs I recommend for this test are Doctor’s Data and Hakala.
That said, if your doctor or health care practitioner won’t order these tests, you can simply begin an iodine protocol. This involves starting with a low dose of iodine (I start my patients with kelp tablets that contain 325 mcg of iodine per tablet) and increasing very slowly over time. As I’ve described in this article, it’s crucial that you also take 200 mcg of selenium per day during this protocol to protect against the potentially adverse effects of iodine supplementation, especially if you have autoimmune thyroid disease.
Physicians that specialize in treating hypothyroidism with iodine (such as Dr. Abraham and Dr. Brownstein) suggest doses as high as 50 mg per day may be necessary to restore iodine levels in those that are deficient. I have used doses this high in my practice, but it’s imperative that patients build up to such high doses very slowly, and I don’t recommend doing it without the supervision of a clinician experienced with iodine treatment. Be aware that high doses of iodine can lead to a transient increase in TSH levels, which can be mistakenly interpreted as a sign of hypothyroidism.
Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that a minority of patients with Hashimoto’s confirmed by biopsy (the gold standard) never test positive for thyroid antibodies. This is probably because their immune systems are so depressed they can no longer produce antibodies. If you have a combination of hyper- and hypothyroid symptoms, I would still suspect Hashimoto’s even if your thyroid antibody tests are normal. It’s wise to be cautious with iodine if you have any signs of autoimmune thyroid disease, even without a confirmed diagnosis.
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best.
A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.
Question (if it’s not to off topic):
What would Lithium do to a person with Hashi’s/Hypothyroidism?
Just curious. I’ve been off all psych meds since 9/2008 but in 2007 Lithium was added to the cocktail of drugs I was on (Cymbalta, Lamictal & Vyvanse).
Or, what would a cocktail of drugs like that and withdrawaling from them do? I got off 3 of those drugs around 4/08 and tapered Lamictal thu 9/08. My TSH went haywire for quiet some time afterwords. Part of this (after 9/08) was due to changing thyroid meds, I’m sure. Thankfully, its closer to 1. something now.
Mar-07
Apr-08
Jul-08
Sep-08
Jan-09
May-09
Sep-09
Oct-09
0.249
4.599
0.11
21.78
5.18
0.066
22.77
7.58
Elaine beat me to it! What she said.
I just reread Stephanie’s post. Is this saying that high levels of iodine suppress TPO? If so, that is what Dr. Kharrazian says. Because TPO is attacked by the immune system for most people with Hashi’s, suppressing TPO would suppress the autoimmune attack. Is this the approach that is favored? If so, Dr. Kharrazian personally does not support suppressing TPO as a means to manage Hashimoto’s, but rather to address immune imbalances instead.
I have read Dr. Brownstein’s book on iodine and talked to Dr. Abraham on the phone several years ago. I have done iodine loading myself and used to frequent the iodine group when it first started. (Even with the cofactors and the detoxing, i could never hack higher doses of iodine so i stopped.)
I’m familiar with the oxidation explanations, i have seen it described many times (although i confess i wish someone could use lay language to explain it more simply). I’m just personally curious about before and after immune panels, to see whether the cytokines are at normal levels and in balance. There are a lot of negative stories concerning Hashimoto’s and iodine too — it has really harmed some people, but there seems to be little tolerance for that information. So why does it work for some and not others? I’m not saying we need clinical trials, but it would be interesting to see some before-and-after immune panels on folks.
I’ve read Dr. Brownstein’s other book, I’ve read Dr. Abraham’s online information, and I’ve read the Williams Textbook of Endocrinology chapter on iodine as well as several other sources.
I already mentioned that Dr. Brownstein has treated hypothyroid patients successfully with iodine in the article.
I’m not a journalist, nor did I ever claim to be. I’m presenting a point of view on this blog. If you don’t like it, you’re not required to read it or participate here.
Please consider the possibility that others including myself have considered the relevant data and reached a different conclusion.
Just in case anyone else might be interested in reading further documentation:
http://www.optimox.com/pics/Iodine/opt_Research_I.shtml
From Dr. K’s most recent article:
This also explains why the use of iodine can produce a negative antibody panel in Hashimoto’s. Iodine has been shown to stimulate the autoimmune attack against the thyroid, which increases inflammation, a TH-1 response. In a TH-1 dominant person—statistically most people with Hashimoto’s—this further stimulates TH-1 while suppressing TH-2, again producing negative antibody results and giving many the impression the Hashimoto’s has been “cured.” Also, high doses of iodine can stimulate the production of TPO, the enzyme that is the target of autoimmune attack, to the point that it becomes inactive and the autoimmune attack ceases. However TPO is necessary for thyroid function and this is not a desirable approach when we have other methods that work better.
Chris,
Stephanie gave you lots of information to consider as well as recommending Dr. Brownstein’s book, and, if you didn’t notice, she also is a patient of his as well. If you truly wanted to get to foundational information, you would AT LEAST read Dr. B’s book on Iodine and/or take full opportunity to seriously consider Stephanie’s personal success and that of MANY others on her forum. Until then, your credibility as a journalist or informed consumer is compromised. Any further engaging of the discussion of this topic is futile when all relevant data is not considered, by you or anyone else.
Thank you for starting this much needed topic. I too would like to see the evidence that iodine is effective in treating Hashimoto’s. Dr. Kharrazian’s new article at http://drknews.com addresses this topic in more depth.
It is not enough to check antibodies. You need to check cytokine levels and the ratio between T-suppressor and T-helper cells to see whether iodine is truly dampening the autoimmune effect.
Like Chris, I am open to the possibility of iodine being effective with the cofactors as so many believe, but I would like to see the evidence. There is plenty of evidence from around the world on the other side. Testing antibodies alone is not sufficient.
Exactly. I briefly explained why antibody levels are poor indicators of the disease state below in comment #19. Antibodies may be low because the condition has improved, or they may be low because the Th2 system is so depressed it can’t produce antibodies anymore. This is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the thyroid world.
If you mean will I be talking more about reducing inflammation, the answer is yes. I will also explain the immune system disruption in more detail.
If I understand him correctly he believess the antibodies can be present for a variety of reasons but simply not active unless shown to be so over time by rising lab levels.
He does seem to be very concerned about reducing inflammation though, but only has prednisone in his arsenal. Will you be blogging more on this topic?
“The relevant question is, how much iodine does the thyroid need to perform its function? That amount is very small. It’s roughly equivalent to the head of a pin per day or one teaspoon per year”
Exactly! I am a Nuclear Medicine Technologist and we do thyroid uptake scans which test the function of the thyroid by giving the patient a small amount of radioactive iodine (the amount of iodine is equivalent to 1/2 of a single grain of table salt). IF the patient consumes ANY iodine (from vitamins, food or medication sources) in the 3 weeks previous to their scan, their uptake value goes from a normal 15-30 % to nearly zero or very often less than 5%. This is because the thyroid stores iodine so well and it needs VERY little iodine daily. And these are normal thyroids….
According to my rheumatologist, a one time positive TPO/ TG result is not a true indication of Hashimoto’s. He says one must be tested repeatedly over time and if antibody levels are steadily increasing over time then Hashimoto’s is indeed present. Having never heard this before, I’m not sure what to believe. What do you think?
I’ve heard that before, and I don’t understand the logic behind it. Once the immune system tags a tissue (by producing antibodies), it never forgets. This is a benefit in the case of foreign invaders, but a liability when it’s our own tissue being tagged. A positive TPO/TG test indicates the body is attacking those enzymes and proteins, and that’s Hashimoto’s.
On the other hand, a negative TPO/TG antibody test doesn’t rule out Hashimoto’s. Nor does it indicate a clinical improvement or remission. Why? Because Hashimoto’s is a Th1 dominant condition. When the Th1 system is dominant, the Th2 system is suppressed. The Th2 system is involved in antibody production. So, if the Th1 system is out of control, we could see low antibody levels because the Th2 system is so depressed it can’t produce them. This is hardly a good thing – but it could be interpreted that way if someone believed that low antibody levels were a reflection of improvement.
I read this post and I also read your post about selenium supplementation. So my question is this: I have hashimoto’s and at this point it is poorly treated. If I want to try taking Selenium and Iodine together what should the ratio be? I have to get better, most days the only reason I get out of bed is my 2 year old daughter, and then I spend most of my day on the couch. I have to get better starting now, or I won’t be able to finish school, get a job, support my family, and save my marriage.
Lynae, I hope you have found some answers by now. I would strongly recommend that you join & read in the Yahoo group, Iodine, if you have not yet.
It’s not a matter of ratio with selenium & iodine. Maximum of selenium is 400 mcg. With the iodine, different people take different approaches. Some start low & work up & some jump in higher. In addition to selenium, you need to take magnesium, Vit c, and unrefined salt to support the process. Much more info & answers to your questions to be had on the Iodine group.
Check out this site http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com I have hashimotos myself and have learned a lot from here they even have yahoo group where they will help you how to go about it.
Good luck
Unfortunately this is a complex subject to comment on a blog and autoimmune conditions are not related to iodine deficency alone. Have you read Dr. David Brownstein’s book on Iodine? http://www.drbrownstein.com He is my doctor and friend. We research Iodine in thyroid conditions. I think his book will answer many of the questions you have posed (above). Iodine is more than just the thyroid gland. Every gland and mucosal lining needs and uses iodine.
The thyroid gland when totally saturated holds approximately 50 mgs of iodine. It needs approximately 6 mgs of Iodine / day to create sufficient thyroid hormones. Dr Abraham believes that daily requirements are 13 mgs for the total body. However, with the increase in toxic halides more and more are needed to overcome the barage of toxins (perchlorate, bromide, fluoride and mercury). When deficient the body attempts to use the halides in place of the iodine. It is not clear the mechanism by which this occurs.
When I started to use 50 mgs of Iodine for thyroid cancer (after 3 failed RAI’s – read my story on my website @ http://www.naturalthyroidchoices.com – blog) I was pushing out 24 ug/L of bromide. But when I started to use 100 mgs of Iodoral and then tested my levels they rose to 66 ug/L. My son when 9 yrs old was sending out 45 ug/L when on 12.5 mgs / day. It’s the toxins that seem to be the biggest issue in autoimmune thyroid conditions – combined with low iodine (which is cancer protective – research the P53 gene and its needs for iodine – Book: Minerals For The Genetic Code).
Consuming sea veggies is problematic. They have been found to be high in toxic halides and arsenic. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070406140955.htm
Finally – how is euthyroid defined? Many times this is defined as a TSH lab value that is within the “almighty” TSH range (.5 – 5.0). This is NOT how euthyroid should be determined. All the research I have read regarding this has been a TSH value. When supplementing with iodine it is very common to see TSH values rise to levels as high as 75 for up to 6 mos without any clinical signs of hypothyroidism. The body is doing what it should do as increased iodine increases TSH to stimulate the production of thyroglobulin to bind to more iodine in the hormone creation process. High thyroglobulin levels are actually an indication of iodine deficiency. It is best to use Free T3 and Free T4 lab values to determine thyroid status since these represent the unbound proteins that are available for usage by the body. In 99% of the cases I have seen on my group where the TSH increases but the free’s remain in a normal range. TSH does not increase to high levels in all cases though.
When many of the members begin higher supplementing of Iodine they experience detoxing symptoms – for those that can test they are finding it is bromide. What was once considered to be iodism is now being linked to bromism as they share the same symptoms.
Jamie,
I agree this is a complex subject. I hesitated to even begin writing this series for that reason.
I’ve read Dr. Brownstein’s Overcoming Thyroid Disorders book, but I haven’t read his iodine book. But he does talk about bromides and other toxins in that book and I’m aware of those mechanisms.
For now we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Thanks for sharing your perspective.
My wife has been suffering for 2 years. On armor thyriod from canada and even tried acela brand.
We now think at age 50 that her hormones are causing some of the hypo symptomes . We went to body logic for help a week ago. Was told to try a lotof things. First she was told to take kelp 1000 mcg. Playing it safe she only took 600mcg. She got much worse taking this and nearly passed out. Severe hypo and even more hot flashes every hour.
Fred,
You probably won’t see this reply since it was two months ago that you wrote your question, but try anyway. You may want to have your wife have a RT3 (reverse T3) blood test done along with a Free T3 and look for “High T3 Ratio”.
This can be a cause of persistent hypothyroidism in the presence of large or adequate amounts of T4 or even T3/T4(Armour) supplementation.
Google up “RT3 ratio converter or calculator” with your wife’s test results with their lab specific “units” to get this ratio. A reading greater than 20 indicates a high RT3 ratio.
Causes of High RT3 are usually “low iron”, “low or high cortisol”, “Low B12” and “Extreme dieting”.
One needs to do a “T3 only” protocol, to “push out” or move the Reverse T3 off or through the thyroid hormone receptors.
No T4 supplementation should be used, or else the problem will continue. This protocol takes roughly 12 weeks, and you will know when the RT3 clears out. You can feel the hypo symptoms go away with it.
The receptors do not know the difference between RT3 and straight T3.
RT3 will take up space or plug up the receptors, allowing very little active T3 to attach to the receptor sites.
How do you test if you are excreting Bromine when you are detoxing? I am one of the people who just cannot tolerate taking Iodine, even when mixed with methylating co-factors. I kept trying to push upwards and never made it past 50mg as I got too sick. If I could be sure it was just a detox it would give me hope to keep pushing. For now I am down to 15mg.
Interesting, thanks for this blog of yours!
The link to the Dr. Kharrazian blog post is broken… I went to his website and it is available at the link below, though:
http://drknews.com/why-i-dont-give-iodine-to-my-hashimotos-patients/
Hi Chris
Could you please comment on what level of iodine intake you feel becomes excessive in terms of what you have outlined. New Zealand has soils very low in iodine and goitres are on the comeback following less use of iodised salt at the table, non-iodisation of salt in food processing, and the discontinuation of iodophors as disinfectants in the dairy industry. And it would seem that the cleaner one eats, the less iodine they get.
I am picking that some level of iodine intake is required to meet physiologic function. Do you feel 150ug daily to be ‘excessive’ in the group you have written about above?
Cheers.
I’m no expert like the others who have responded here, but I am a practicing herbalist and also have hypo/Hashi’s. I’m very interested to learn more about the iodine “controversy” as it relates to healthy thyroid function.
From my perspective as a practitioner, the one huge hole I see in your logic is that the vast majority of my clients with hypothyroidism have been eating sea salt for years, and that is exactly why they are iodine deficient. In addition, many are “recovering” vegetarians, another category suffering from high levels of iodine deficiency. I think that you are missing a huge chunk of the hypothyroid crowd who are BOTH autoimmune and iodine deficient. Look forward to hearing your perspective on this idea! -Susan
There’s no hole in the logic. The relevant question is, how much iodine does the thyroid need to perform its function? That amount is very small. It’s roughly equivalent to the head of a pin per day or one teaspoon per year. Iodine deficiency must be very severe to cause Hashimoto’s. If someone is very deficient in iodine, it’s likely they’ll have a goiter. It’s certainly possible to have both Hashimoto’s and iodine deficiency, but that doesn’t necessarily mean iodine deficiency is the cause. Correlation is not causation.
don’t forget that it isn’t just the thyroid which requires iodine — breast tissue, for example, requires a LOT of iodine. indeed, every cell in the body has receptors, from what i understand. the problem of deficiency gets worse when these sites are filled with fluoride, chlorine and bromine, iodine’s truly toxic competitors. i suspect that a lot of “bad reactions” from iodine supplementation are actually detoxification symptoms.
I am on Stephanie’s Iodine group and have employed the recommendations she cites here with MUCH success, not only with myself, but, with my clients as well.
I must say that I have not as of yet read Dr. K’s book, so I am not familiar with the totality of what is written therein, but I would think if you have not read and implemented Dr. Brownstein’s recommendations, with Stephanie’s thoughts in mind, you’d be limited in your perspective greatly.
I wanted to add a few comments about the concern over negative effects of iodine and hashimotos.
I run the IODINE group on Yahoo groups where there are over 3,900 members. Many of these members have hashimotos and are taking iodine sucessfuly to treat it. There are key nutrients that need to be taken with iodine to put the thyroid in balance. These include Vitamin C (heals the NIS – sodium iodine symporters), unrefined salt (used in the symporters as well), magnesium (involved in enzyme reactions), and selenium (works in the oxidation process).
In the oxidation process where hydrogen peroxide is increased and interacts with TPO to reduce iodine to iodide for the creation of MIT & DIT (precursors to T3 & T4 hormone) another process comes into place when enough oxidizining has occured. This is done by the δ- Iodolactone (an iodolipid) – a liped that puts the “brakes” on the oxidizing (burning) process. Intracellular calcium levels are also important in this process in not letting things get out of balance as occurs in a hashimotos situation. This iodolipid is only created when iodine is supplied in amounts larger than RDA recommendations. For many on my group this is 50 mgs or more. Many with hashimotos have issues with swelling or painful glands at low iodine supplementing levels yet have the symptoms resolve at higher dosing.
Hashimotos also seems to accompany high levels of bromide toxicity. The iodine saturation level as well as the bromide toxicity level can be obtained by ordering a 24 hour iodine loading test with bromide levels from http://www.hakalalabs.com
It is dicouraging to see posts warning against the supplementation of iodine with hashimotos when there is no evidence to show harm when all the appropriate supporting nutrients accompanied with detoxification are in place.
The Jod-Basedow Phenomenon seems to only be applicable in cases of autonomic functioning thyroid nodules. Not in a normal goiter situation.
Stephanie,
As I said at the end of the article, I realize this is a controversial subject. And I’m open to hearing conflicting points of view.
You mention that there is no evidence that iodine causes harm when all appropriate nutrients accompanied with detoxification are in place. Is there any evidence that it does not, or that it actually provides benefit? In the article I linked to studies demonstrating that iodine increases autoimmune activity, and that restricting iodine alone can induce a euthyroid state in Hashimoto’s patients. What is your explanation for these phenomena? Also, I have yet to read a convincing explanation of why iodine increases the incidence of Hashimoto’s rises so significantly in places where iodine is added to salt. If you claim that this happens because the dose is too low, or because these populations are deficient in co-factors like selenium, magnesium and vitamin C, I’d like to see evidence supporting that.
There’s also the question of how iodine interacts with thyroglobulin polymorphisms commonly found in Hashimoto’s. From a study in Thyroid in 2004:
“It is conceivable that Tg polymorphisms, combined with the explosive mix of iodine, TPO and H2O2 necessary for thyroid hormone synthesis, inadvertently provide the trigger for the autoimmune thyroid response.”
Hello Stephanie B. I saw a post you made about Hashimoto’s disease in 2010 at chriskresser.com and I’m hoping you have a moment to read and reply to this message. I have had Hashimoto’s and am only recently using iodine / kelp 100mg a day. This article about iodine being bad for autoimmune disease frightened me. It spoke about Peroxidase being an enzyme but when I was diagnosed, the test was for peroxidase antibodies and that number was off the charts. Can you direct me to a place where I can get some meaty info on how to self treat Hashimotos? I’m flying in the dark and stopped taking the thyroid medication about a year ago with no out of range TSH so far.
Suzie, you may want to request to join the IODINE yahoo group (go to yahoo.com, find the “groups” link and then search for IODINE) and also the NaturalThyroidHormones group, if you are looking for additional dialogue, discussion and archives of other user questions and comments. It could be of interest to you. Best!
I would avoid that group at all costs — the “Natural Thyroid Hormones” group that is. They promote the dangerous use of hydrocortisone for low adrenal function which has ruined a lot of people’s lives.
The former moderator (Valerie) doesn’t even post there anymore as she can barely type or write coherently anymore.
Don’t believe me? Join the group and check out some of Valerie’s old posts. Very scary…
Or IODINE group on Facebook that Stephanie B. moderates.
I was taking Iodoral for my Hypo symptoms and was doing fine on 50 mgs per day for about 3 months then I got suddenly very Hypo so stopped taking the iodine. Each time I try to start supplementing with iodine I get really sick so have not taken it for months. I am using sea salt about 3/4 tsp a day high silica water selenium magnesium kelp oil vit b complex D you name it what can I do?
Very interesting. Do you recommend the loading test for someone with hyperthyroid (overactive)?
Chris,
I was wondering when you would cite “Dr.” Kharrazian!
But, anyway, you have to be congruent! If you theory about iodine is right, Drs. Abraham and Brownstein could not have “sucessfully” treated hypo patients with iodine!!
On the link above, on item IV, Dr. Abraham propose a explanation about salt iodinization and incidence of Hashimoto:
http://www.optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-05/IOD_05.html
I, for one, will keep my daily intake of 50mg of Lugol’s. Unless my blood tests, that I have every 2 or 3 months, says otherwise. Until now, they didn’t.
Mario,
The human body isn’t a machine. It’s a complex web of interrelated connections. It may be possible for some Hashimoto’s patients to improve with iodine. I can’t rule that out. But that doesn’t mean most will, and it doesn’t mean that it’s the right choice for the majority of patients.
Why did you put “Dr” in quotation marks? Because Dr. Kharrazian is a chiropractor? Does that somehow make him less intelligent, able and qualified to evaluate the research? I assure you it does not. He has Harvard MDs and PhDs coming to his Mastering Thyroid course. I was at the last one, and spoke with an MD that said it was by far the most comprehensive and cutting-edge course on thyroid treatment he had ever attended.
Should we listen to all the MDs that tell us heart disease is caused by cholesterol, in spite of mountains of evidence to the contrary? That we should take antidepressants for depression, even though the evidence clearly shows they are no better than placebo in most cases? Heck, they’re MDs, so they must be right!
That’s exactly the attitude that motivated me to start the blog.
The weight of the evidence suggests that iodine is not a good choice for Hashimoto’s patients. You’re free to disagree, and I know that you do.
i haven’t managed to wade through all you wrote (i could feel my stress hormones rising as i read what i did), but what i have leads me to believe that you treat “Hashimotos” — not “hypothyroidism”. perhaps you should label your articles more specifically…?
i was apparently born thyroid deficient, 55 years ago. i have a mountain of experience of BAD treatment. the first sight of light at the end of MY tunnel was Iodoral. since the proliferation of the internet, i have made a good deal of progress in self-treatment, through education on things the medical establishment has theoretically “known” for decades, but never helped me with — things like getting enough good saturated fats, protein and trace minerals, dumping seed-oils and grains, and managing stress by steering clear of mainstream thinking on my condition.
if your articles have anything helpful to tell me and others in the same boat, i’d like to know exactly where. reading about Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is not constructive.
We need all good fats including the seed oils. We need the mono s , the poly s as well as the well saturated. We just don’t need animal FATS. Flax is good. Chia is good. Olive is good. Macadamias are good. Coconut oil is good. All these contain “acids” that are good for us. Its a matter of “how much” and “when” to consume them. Grains are GOOD. very good.
The above is in response to anonymous.
We need the good animal fat – which is clarified butter – ghee. In moderation, as everything else.
We do not need seed oils! They are indisputable evidence that they are extremely pro inflammatory and the excessive use of seed and vegetable oils in this country massively unbalance the 3:6 ratios. Animal fats are stable and saturated fats are essential to good grain health. I suggest you do more research in this area and be very careful about where you get your information from, especially if it’s from pro vegan sources etc!
Yes, but it seems they are trendy. A segment of the population seems to jump on alternative products. Soy is just one example of a potentially harmful alternative.
We actually DO NEED grass fed saturated animal fats. They react very differently in the body from fats from feed lot animals. Virtually ALL seed and grain oils are RANCID, including the organic ones. As Ironphoenix pointed out, they are VERY unstable and toxic. Butter, ghee, coconut oil or saturated animal fats are good for cooking and good quality olive oil (most is mixed with junk vegetable oils) for salads or very low heat only. Good quality eggs from chickens raised with non-GMO feed that are really free range are worth the money, as they are very healthy, complete food. Find more information from Weston A. Price Foundation.
Charla is correct on all points. One mention is that independent testing done on olive oil (UC Davis, CA) showed that vast maj. of olive oil produced in USA truly is olive oil. Sadly, many imported brands are mixed w/ unhealthy (& cheaper) seed & veg. oils. For legit brands, a succinct article is at: lifehacker.com ‘The Most (and Least) Fake Extra Virgin Olive Oil Brands’. Links are provided to see detailed analysis of study.
I don’t understand everyone getting upset. If this info is good for you, use it. He’s trying to show a different side on treating a disease that does work for people. That’s why they call it praying medicine. It’s not black & white. 🙂
Can nascent iodine help me?
My hypothyroidism was brought on by radiation treatment targeted at the head and neck area. I had nasophareangeal carcinoma. I was put on .175 mcg of levothyroxine which was raised to .200 mcg. I simply quit taking them because I felt no different, and I don’t like to use synthetic medicine blends.
Nascent iodine, to my knowledge, has never been shown to raise iodine-iodide levels substantially. Lugol’s liquid or Optimox tablets work better, but you MUST use selenium, magnesium, B vitamins and occasionally other nutrients to have it work properly, as well as doing a careful bromine detox with natural salt like Celtic salt. Synthetic thyroid cannot work right, either, without certain supplements like the above being used. So many people neglect clearing out toxic bromine that prevents absorption of iodine-iodide.
One thing I use but have yet to see is BORON , this mineral is used by the oarathyroid and is as important as Iodine I also use a liquid mineral mix from bodybio I use iodine plus 2 , lugols Iosol and sski in different ways . I never had any issues with herx or illness sinse using iodine in 5 years DROPPED all antibiotics , synthetic and use organic glutenfree, no sugar … had symptoms of lyme with the ticks but never tested positive , They need a new test …
Boron is ESSENTIAL for preventing arthritis. In areas of the world where there is much boron (or borax) in the soil, virtually NOBODY has arthritis. In areas where there is none in the soil, even small children have joint pain. I use 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. daily.
Best form of detoxified elemental iodine you can find is the liquid form I use and I get it from Phil Thomas at iodine source.com Nascent learned how to make it from Phil but he changed it up and it is no longer what it should be and is NOT as good as Phil’s. I have been using it (13 -15 drops per day at 200mcg per drop) for 7 years and it has changed my life. It helped my thyroid enough to significantly abate my severe psoriatic arthritis and keep me from a wheel chair and pain that was so unbearable I wanted to die for almost 3 years. Soooooo many diseases can be traced back to the thyroid and parathyroid it isn’t even funny! I am not 100% and likely never will be (went un-diagnosed/misdiagnosed for 9 years getting worse every year) but I lead a pretty normal life now and have the pain and disfiguring arthritis in good enough control that I feel lucky!!! Phil’s iodine is based on Edgar Cayce’s recommendations on how to produce it and I thank God ever day that I stumbled upon Phil’s website when I was doing tons of research to try to save myself. It literally saved my life!
Thanks for posting Phil! 🙂
How do you clean out toxic bromine levels? I really want to know this answer.
And on a different track, hoping you might know….For those with visual goiter, but blood testing resulting normal, how do we test to be more accurate?
Jackie, a high quality unrefined salt such as Celtic salt or SEA-90, and some use Himalayan salt but it is not as medicinal as the other two, helps the kidneys remove bromine/bromide and fluorine/fluoride from our bodies. Both bromine and fluorine displace iodine/iodide so it cannot get into the cells. Bromine is in practically EVERYTHING: dough conditioner, fabric protectors, pesticides, flame retardants, medications, soft drinks like Mountain Dew, computer plastics, some pool and spa sterilization systems. Fluoride is in toothpastes, medications, drinking water and much more.
Detox the bromine and fluorine (toxic halides) with 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of good salt in a glass of water followed by more water until you begin to urinate. The unrefined chlorine in the salt kicks out the toxic halides (bromide and fluoride) so your cells can begin absorbing iodine-iodide. You can use it daily for a few weeks. Once you start on the iodine supplement, if at ANY point you feel ‘bad’ do the salt detox. It is often recommended to start on selenium, zinc, B-Vites and occasionally other nutrients a few WEEKS before introducing the iodine. Also use magnesium. Many use soak baths of Epsom salt or magnesium chloride or magnesium oil spray. These all help your body prepare to receive the iodine without feeling sick from the ‘bad guy’ toxics.
Also, kick the commercial refined salt and the foods that are loaded with it. 1/2 to 1 tsp. of good salt a day is life-giving, but not the over-refined junk salt. Most ‘sea salt’ is super refined. The legal definition of ‘sea salt’ is having all but 2% of the natural minerals removed and magnesium is the first to be removed.
Hello, I have Hashimoto’s, my blood test showed antibodies. I currently take about 60 mg of Naturethroid daily.I have tried iodine from Dr Brownstein, he is my mother’s Doctor. I saw him one time and he helped my thyroid symptoms by discovering that I had allergies to casein and gluten which were causing further inflammation to my thyroid. When I was on the Iodine after 6wks I developed a goiter, had horrible heart palpitations and my normally very regular menstrual cycle became erratic, I also developed painful and swollen breasts and worsening PMS symptoms, the worst part was my heart feeling like it was skipping a beat and then thumping really hard on the next beat. I also developed insomnia. After stopping the Iodine on my own suspicions everything went away after about a week or so. I have been fine on the Naturethroid now and my allergen free diet. However 2 months ago I switched my multi vitamin to one with 300 mcg of iodine in it without thinking. I missed a period, and had horrible cramping and painful swollen breasts, and started to develop bad heart palpitations and anxiety symptoms in my chest, also tightness in my chest, they kept getting worse, skipped beats and thumping about 3xs per minute all day, very scary. I finally figured out that it was the iodine in the vitamins. I also noticed my thyroid gland looked larger in my neck. I have been off the vitamins now for 3 weeks and I am back to normal. So now I know for sure that I need to stay away from iodine except for what I receive naturally in sea salt, that seems to be okay, I take a teaspoon daily of sea salt.
Progesterone helps regulate heart. You should consider getting your female hormones tested. If you use supplemental progesterone, make sure it is bio-identical as the synthetic Progest does NOT link into the hormone receptors properly. Sounds like you may possibly be detoxing bromine and, if so, it may be throwing everything out of balance. Testing can show more accurately than speculation. Bromine testing can help.
Hi, I’ve been on natural sublingual progesterone for 4 months now and taking iodine but no selenium. Also taking ashwagandha, vit d, and magnesium. Has relieved very tender breasts and cramping post ovulation but still very irritable post ovulation with mild depression. It is terrible and lasts a solid 2 weeks of every month. Plus headaches last week before period. Any suggestions? Should I stop the progesterone? I just moved and no longer have a doctor so don’t know what to do. At the point of just opting for some antidepressant. Thanks!
Start the selenium, 200-400 mcg YESTERDAY. Also, the salt detoxing that I have described above. It will help with headaches, which can be either detox or hormone imbalance. Do NOT stop the progesterone. Without it your heart cannot beat regularly (men, too). Are you taking the sublingual progesterone from Bill Peat? His is very good. I use a compounded form vaginally where the body just drinks it in. The ADRENALS control almost all hormone production in the body. Ashwaganda is great for them. Start taking time to meditate or do deep relaxation and also deep, slow breathing exercises. Your adrenals MUST be repaired to get all the hormones, including thyroid, working right again. Dr. Lam (look him up) has excellent material on adrenal issues. Dr. John Bergman (youtube lectures) talks in-depth about how the adrenals control hormone production.
I would recommend testing hormones more often. If you add things like selenium, etc. it could change how your hormones metabolize. Then there may be a need to change dosage. The other thing I would recommend is to find a good chiropractor that studies several techniques, has some Asian meridian understanding, and is not just a crick crack one. A subluxation can really throw off hormone balance. When nerves that message are pinched, they can shut down normal activity, and cause post menstrual symptoms instead of pms. So check that out.
I couldn’t agree with you any more Chris! People learn or read a blip of something and run with their egos. We can’t be egoistical if we want to grow and learn. Nobody has all the answers, but Chris you have some excellent research you share with the public at no change. Thank you.
I especially appreciate your cautions to GO SLOWLY and use caution. Many jump into way too much iodine and end up damaging their kidneys or immune systems and feeling worse.
Yes. Vitamin D is one of the therapies for Hashimoto’s I’ll be covering. Most Hashimoto’s patients have vitamin D receptor polymorphisms that impair absorption and metabolisms of D.
how does hashimoto, as an auto-immune disease, respond to high-dose vitamin D treatment? my neurodermatitis simply went away at 5’000IU D3, which speaks for a strong immuno-modulatory effect i assume.. could hashimoto maybe just be another symptom of D deficiency? are there any studies correlating H. and D levels? just a thought.
i have hashimotoe and take 10,000 iu of vitamin d have been taking it for 6 months . i’m not getting any better also have a low serum blood calcium. anything you could suggest as far as testing?
You need D3 +k2 to
He also might need, uh, calcium?
Most people are now deficient in magnesium, without which calcium cannot be used. The best way to get magnesium without the diarrhea often associated with it is through soaks using Epsom salt and/or magnesium chloride (magnesium oil). Low magnesium leads to calcium deficiency, osteoporosis, assorted body pains and heart palpitations, among other dis-eases.
Make sure you get a blood test to make sure you do not have excessive D. Your D intake seems a little high. D is not water soluble as B and C.
I would recommend a Hair analysis test to see what is going on with the other minerals in your body… bio unavailable, deficient or toxicity….
I take 10,000 /2 5s but lower to 5 in the summer months … I use a nonGMO BRAND .
I am new to all that’s going on here, I just found out I have thyroid issues, last week, I’m ignorant to the whole thing and am trying to learn more.. Please be kind when responding to my questions.. I have symptoms of both.. My thyroid is all over the place and totally confused as to what it’s supposed to do, I gain weight, then drop weight, I get so depressed I cry for a week then everything is fine, I gave a goiter on the right side of my thyroid, but waiting for a few more tests for the Dr to decide what to do.. I’m interested in home remedies.. Is there something I can do to start on my way to a healthier me.. I don’t over indulge in junk food, but I’m not a health nut either, and reading about seed oils, vitamin D, kelp pills, truly my brain is fizzled.. I’m a average person with below average knowledge of thyroid or thyroid disease.. Can any one in plain simple words help me out.. LOL (just trying to figure out what to do and no one to go to)
You may want to study selenium. 200 mcg should not be a dangerous level, since it is recommended up to 400 mcg. Take a good high potency B Complex, and 4000 mg of easy to break down vitamin C daily, and
lemon Cod liver oil made by Carlson. Just a starter. See if anything starts balancing. Check with chiropractors in your area what their experience is in your particular disorder. Sometimes they have amazing contacts. Have you had blood testing for TSH, T4, T3?.
The only reason they say uyp to 400 is because many take synethetic versions which are dodgy, if you take the real thing you can take more. There is about 50 – 100 in a brazil nut. no other food has more.
Sarah take it slow adding iodine and the essential minerals . I use Iosol liquid for everyday use with a daily use of liquid minerals from bodybio . There web has a video that explains why and how to use ….there are many bad schools of thought on use but playing it safe and slow is my suggestion …. keep learning and looking
Hi.. I don’t have physical symptoms of Hashmito’s disease or hypothyroidism. however I used to suffer from a huge anxiety, irritability, panic, depression and ADD.
My symptoms had improved since I started taking iodine in form of kelp capsules. But that wasn’t enough. I felt like I’m missing something crucial. So I came across
L-tyrosine, which is a natural hormone that our bodies produce to handle stress. Oh and I take also selenium. things looks like it is going well. hope this information is helpful…. take care
I would recommend L-taurine and check your copper levels. copper can cause anxiety and depression-
You need a proper Zn:Cu ratio.
Supplement with zinc citrate