Running Head: THE IMPORTANCE OF IODINE FOR OVERALL HEALTH 1

THE IMPORTANCE OF IODINE FOR OVERALL HEALTH

Heather Strait

College of Health Sciences: Logan University

Nutrition 6102: Natural Therapies

Professor Li-Ling Peng

August 9, 2020
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THE IMPORTANCE OF IODINE FOR OVERALL HEALTH

Iodine is an essential trace mineral that is required by every cell in the human body

(Gropper et al., 2018). The thyroid gland stores iodine as a tetraiodothyronine (T4) molecule,

which contains four atoms of iodine. T4 must be converted into the active form of

triiodothyronine (T3) to be utilized by the body. The abundance of bromides and fluorides in the

environment, coupled with the limited supply of dietary iodine, has resulted in an epidemic of

iodine deficiency in the United States.

Unlike the modern western diet, the traditional Japanese diet is rich in seaweed and

provides between 1-19 mg of iodine per day (Nagataki, 1993; Zava & Zava, 2011), which greatly

exceeds the upper intake limit of 1,100 mcg set by the United States Food & Drug

Administration. Some American scientists and healthcare practitioners (Abraham et al., 2002;

Barnes, 1976; Brownstein, 2009; Flechas, 2005; Sircus, 2017; Starr, 2013) believe that American

iodine intake levels should be closer to those of Japan for optimal thyroid and endocrine

function, cancer prevention and overall health. Iodine deficiency has resulted in many Americans

suffering from diseases such as hypothyroidism (Ahad & Ganie, 2010; Barnes, 1976;

Brownstein, 2009; Flechas, 2005; Piccone, 2011; Rheault et al., 2008; Sircus, 2017; Starr, 2013),

fibrocystic breast disease (Aceves et al., 2005; Ahad & Ganie, 2010; Ghent et al., 1993;

Rappaport, 2017; Rheault et al., 2008), diseases of the uterus, ovaries and cervix (Brownstein,

2009; Starr, 2013), diseases of the salivary glands (Venturi & Venturi, 2009), and cancer

(Aceves, 2013; Bigoni-Ordóñez (2018); Kaczor, 2014; Mendieta et al., 2019; Piccone, 2011;

Rappaport, 2017; Rheault et al., 2008; Venturi et al., 2000).

In the 1920’s, the American government recognized the importance of iodine for thyroid

health and mandated the iodization of flour and salt (Leung et al., 2012). This resulted in the
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elimination of goiter throughout the United States (Leung et al., 2012), which plagued certain

regions in the country that were known as the goiter belt (Leung et al., 2012). Although salt is

still iodized today, flour is not. The richest source of naturally-occurring iodine is found in

seaweed (Tanna & Mishra, 2018), however, foods such as egg yolks, fish, seafood, and milk can

also provide significant amounts of dietary iodine (Gropper et al., 2018; Hurrell, 1997; Liu et al.,

2012). Iodine content in eggs can be further increased by supplementing the chicken feed with

iodine. (Kaufmann et al., 1998). Vegetarian, and especially vegan diets, cause iodine deficiency

because many of the foods that contain iodine are not included in these diets (Chambers, 2018;

Leung et al., 2011; Yeliosof & Silverman, 2018). If one’s diet does not include diary, fish or

eggs, it is important to supplement with iodine in order to ensure adequate iodine levels.

In the 1970’s, flour mills began to bromate their flour. Unfortunately, bromine is a toxic

halogen that competes with iodine receptors in the body (Buchberger, 1990; Frances et al., 2003;

Pavelka, 2004) and is an endocrine disruptor (Sears & Genuis, 2012). Bromine has become more

prevalent in our modern-day environment (Sears & Genuis, 2012); it is found in swimming

pools, seat cushions (Mathias et al, 2012), flame retardants (Sears & Genuis, 2012), some

pharmaceuticals (Frances et al., 2003) and even Mountain Dew soda.

Fluoride is another toxic halide and an endocrine disruptor (Brownstein, 2009), which

inhibits the absorption of iodine (Waugh, 2019) and contributes to iodine deficiency; it is found

in some stain repellants (Sears & Genuis, 2012), some toothpastes, some pharmaceuticals

(O’Hagan, 2010), and some municipal water supplies. Iodine is also required for brain

development of the fetus and growing child and for normal cognitive function, while fluoride is a

known neurotoxin which impairs cognitive function and development (Choi et al., 2012).
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Cruciferous vegetables are also thyroid disruptors. Although cooking cruciferous

vegetables reduces their goitrogenic effects (Greer, 1957), people with hypothyroidism may

should limit the amount of steamed cruciferous vegetables in their diet, and should avoid them

completely in the raw form (such as in juicing). Phytoestrogens, such as soy, also have

goitrogenic effects and should be avoided by those with hypothyroidism or those whose iodine

intake is inadequate when compared to their intake of soy (Bajaj et al., 2016).

An iodine loading test is used to determine iodine levels in the human body. The

procedure is simple: the patient takes 50 mg of iodine and then completes a 24-hour urine catch.

A small portion of the urine sample is analyzed for iodine, bromine, and fluorine levels.

Insufficient iodine levels require iodine supplementation in order to displace primarily bromine,

but also fluorine, that are attached to the body’s iodine receptors (Abraham et al., 2002; Barnes,

1976; Brownstein, 2009; Flechas, 2005; Sircus, 2017; Starr, 2013). However, in order to prevent

unpleasant and potentially harmful detoxification symptoms, it is important to supplement with

“companion nutrients,” such as sea salt, selenium, vitamin C and magnesium (Brownstein, 2009;

Wentz, 2014). In general, food sources of nutrients are considered superior to lab-created

supplements, however, iodine may be an exception to the rule when trying to detoxify the body

from toxic halogens. The amount of iodine in eggs is insufficient if the goal is displacing

bromides. Seaweed contains very high levels of iodine, however, due to ocean pollution,

especially radioactive spills (such as what is occurring due to the destruction of the Fukushima

nuclear power plant), most seaweed is radiated and therefore not safe to consume in large

quantities. Iodine sourced from miles beneath the earth’s surface is a superior choice when

supplementing with iodine.

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Selenium, magnesium and vitamin C reduce oxidative stress that occurs when T4 is

created and prevents the triggering the onset of Hashimoto’s or Grave’s (Wang, 2018; Wentz,

2014), while the sea salt binds to the bromides and facilitates excretion by the kidneys (Abraham

& Brownstein, 2005). Still, if one takes too much iodine too fast, the kidneys will not be able to

excrete the amount of bromine that is displaced by the iodine, and headaches, acne and fatigue.

One serious symptoms of excessive bromide displacement is excretion of bromide via scrapes,

cuts and other wounds which fail to heal because they are being used as an exit pathway for

bromide that has been displaced but is unable to be excreted via the kidneys. This is why it is

important to gradually increase one’s dose of iodine and also supplement with sea salt while

supplementing with iodine.

While the kidneys are considered the primary detoxification route, the skin also acts as a

detoxification pathway (Sears & Genuis, 2012). It is important to sweat in order to facilitate

detoxification and ensure that the kidneys are not overloaded by toxicants. Sweating can be

induced by exercising or sauna therapy. Other interventions that assist in detoxification include

fasting, massage, ionic foot baths and intestinal cleanses (Genuis, 2011). If one’s water supply

contains fluoride, it is important to install a shower filter to prevent exposure to this toxic halide.

Although many Americans are deficient in iodine due to inadequate dietary intake and

exposure to toxic halogens in the environment, supplementing with iodine is a simple way to

increase iodine levels. It is also important to avoid exposure to competing halogens (bromine and

fluorine). Optimal iodine levels are important for overall health and prevents serious health

conditions that are plaguing Americans.

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