I’ve been on my own iodine journey. I’ve learned that iodine protects the immune system from invading microorganisms. Sufficient iodine is really essential for the body to detoxify, particular to be resistant to or push out chlorine and bromide and fluoride, but all functions of detoxification in the body are compromised without enough iodine. Iodine is particularly important, apparently, for pregnant mothers and can affect the child’s brain function.
“Iodine is an element that is needed for the production of thyroid hormone. The body does not make iodine, so it is an essential part of your diet. Iodine is found in various foods (see Table 1). If you do not have enough iodine in your body, you cannot make enough thyroid hormone. Thus, iodine deficiency can lead to enlargement of the thyroid (goiter – see Goiter brochure), hypothyroidism (see Hypothyroidism brochure) and to intellectual disabilities in infants and children whose mothers were iodine deficient during pregnancy.” https://www.thyroid.org/iodine-deficiency/
My integrative GP prescribed iodine to me many years earlier to treat fibrocystic breasts and I took it randomly on and off, but didn’t really wake up to just how crucial it is, and hence didn’t get the full benefit of it, until about 2 years ago. I’ve since been on a learning curve and discovered that this guy Dr David Brownstein is a foundation of information about the importance of iodine. He is one of the “iodine informed” doctors who claim that about 96% of the population is iodine deficient. I’ve also read The Iodine Crisis by Lynn Farrow which is very good.
This learning curve started when I learned that my son was iodine deficient and that I was too! My son, 19 at the time, who had recently got back from a big overseas travel including a month in India and a month in Bali. He got a bad flu and just wasn’t recovering. The guy who had always been super fit, super active and high energy was just wanting to go back to sleep by 10am! I think there were a few contributing factors, but a series of tests at the Global Health Clinic in Takapuna showed up, among other things, that he was deficient in iodine and zinc and his thyroid function was low. He got a blood test done and the doctor (traditional doctor in this situation) said that everything was within the normal range, but the naturopath at the clinic had a different reading of the same results and also used a machine that assesses thyroid function through the muscles. After a couple of weeks on the iodine and other supplements, he started to bounce back and his thyroid when tested again after 2 months was back to normal.
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