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Iodine Deficiencies |
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Did you know that Iodine deficiency is, in fact, the leading preventable cause of mental retardation in the world? Did you also know that iodine deficiency, manifested as low tissue levels of iodine, is not only implicated as a primary causative factor in thyroid and cardiovascular problems, including cholesterol, but is being implicated in many of the most debilitating conditions affecting humanity today, including cancers and an exploding plethora of auto-immune disorders?
Being a clinical & formulary herbalist does not preclude me from making some fact-based and observational conclusions and assertions concerning the issue of iodine deficiencies, especially since these observations and assertions are referenced to in clinical, nutritional and extensive cadaver autopsy studies among the populations being studied, not to mention my own years as a clinical herbalist and nutritionist who has often dealt with conditions that should have resolved or seen better results with a prescribed protocol but in some instances didn't.
These baffling non-resolving or less than anticipated results outcomes became more prevalent over the years, setting me on a course of research, studies and inquiries for a common denominator. It was not until a colleague gave me a book by Mark Starr, MD, that iodine possibly being the common denominator factor I was looking for came into sharper focus, especially his references to Broda O. Barnes, MD, groundbreaking work on the thyroid/cardiovascular/iodine triangle of health and well-being. Over the next five years over a dozen books were written by eminent physicians, many who also refer to Dr. Barnes research and conclusions, made their way into bookstores and libraries.The subject of deficient iodine and thyroid function are no longer fringe ideas but have become an accepted fact among a growing cadre of medical doctors and endocrine specialists as well as ancillary and complementary health providers. Of the many possible common denominators I premised might relate consistently to non-resolving or less than anticipated results outcomes of proscribed protocols it was hypothyroid/iodine deficiency that most consistnelty met both the multi-symptomology and etiology for these non-resolved/less than anticipated outcomes. In the ensuing years since I made that premise, and have utilized hypothyroid/iodine deficiency protocols accordingly, it has thus far stood the test of time, with exceptions of course.
Iodine is the key to a properly functioning Hypothalamus/Thyroid/Pituitary Axis (HTP Axis), and many physicians and health practitioners, myself included, believe that the HTP Axis is the basis upon which the Hypothalamus/Pituitary/Adrendal Axis (HPA Axis) functions. In other words, for the HPA Axis to properly function, the HTP Axis must be properly functioning to support the primary functions of the HPA Axis, and iodine is the key to proper HTP Axis function. A simple formula might read: IDD = –HTP Axis = –HPA Axis (e.g. IDD (Iodine Deficiency Disorders) equals a chllanged and/or failing HTP Axis function which equals a challanged and/or failing HPA Axis function). Rember, the HPA Axis is the key to healthy stress management and immunity, and that is dependent on healthy metabolism and homeostasis which the HTP Axis is at the root of, hence the 'iodine factor' being an essential key to not only proper metabolism and homeostasis, but to immunity and general well-being! I am aware of no other single 'essential' mineral and/or nutrient that possesses this 'all encompassing' influence on the body's physical and mental well-being, save for the more essential need for air and water. Interestingly, it is needed in only very small day-to-day amounts once the body's tissue iodine levels are attained.
One of the most outstanding things that has stood out in my studies and observations of iodine deficiencies is the listed established RDA levels for iodine intake, that appear to not be high enough for current population needs, and in fact may be woefully insufficient. This observation is not original or unique to me as many physicians who specialize in thyroid related endocrinology have prior and continue to go on record agreeing with this assessment.
First things first however. No doubt, that where health issues are concerned iodine is a squirrely element that is both essential to health and yet if used wrongly or in the wrong form can result in serious health problems, for some even death. Of all the minerals deemed essential to health and well-being and that require a daily intake, iodine, because of its extremely powerful nature (it is the most dense and heavy of the minerals in its class and most dense and heavy of the essential minerals needed for daily health), is most like the legendary Sword-of-Damocles in its consequences if iodine is misused, intentional or not.
Like the legendary sword, which only hung by a single horse's hair tied to its hilt with its tip pointed down directly above the one seated at the throne of power, so iodine is with the body. First, and most important, where general supplemental use is concerned, iodine must be in the appropriate non-toxic form to be relatively safe for use, and secondly, a non-toxic form of iodine should only be taken in a manner/daily dosage that benefits health and well-being. Consider the following. Unlike the lesser elemental density and weight of the other minerals which can be taken in fairly large amounts, even over sustained periods, without serious 'toxicity,' iodine's elemental density and high weight don't allow for it to be used in such a flexible manner where daily dosage levels are concerned. This is why where thyroid and/or cardiovascular problems exist or a person is taking medications, iodine supplementation should only be done under the direction of a qualified licensed physician. It's that simple! That said, let's move on.
The most disconcerting point related to iodine deficiency based studies is that the American population (and world-wide) is consistently showing a profound increase in health problems that can be tied to deficient iodine/thyroid problems and low general tissue iodine levels. This is all substantiated statistically and is concurrent with when iodine added to certain foods ceased (e.g. substantially decreased intake of iodized table salt and iodine no longer added to bakery products since the early 1980's,) and chlorine/bromine/floride became ubiquitous to our lifestyles and environment. These factors are further bringing the current RDA levels for daily iodine intake into serious question. In fact, there is mounting evidence that the RDA level for iodine was set too low in the first place putting the daily intake at too precarious a threshold level leading to imminent deficient daily intake, especially as humans, particularly in Western influenced societies, over the ensuing years, have become more stressed and traumatized, that in turn shocks the endocrine system, especially the thyroid, compounded by the ubiquitous presence of chlorine/bromine/floride (e.g. halogen elements of the same group as iodine that aggressively act as strong 'goitrogens' – a goitrogen being an agent that blocks the uptake/utilization of iodine and can potentially displace iodine in the body). There is a mountain of evidence and numerous considerations, both scientific and anecdotal, that support these premises.
First – is the history upon which the original iodine RDA levels was based. When it was established that iodine needed to be supplemented into the daily diet the next step was to ascertain what the RDA level would be for the general population. By 'general population' it is meant to imply a normal fairly healthy population, not sick or infirmed subjects. This means a study taking a cross section of a generally healthy population would be required to perform such a study. Goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland caused by profoundly deficient tissue iodine levels was the catalyst for concern, since it was at epidemic levels across all segments American society in the late 1800's/early 1900's. In the early 1900's a landmark clinical run study was initiated by government and science to ascertain the maximum safe daily intake of iodine. During the study's early phase all of the participants experienced good results from the iodine intake protocols, however, part way through the study one of the participants suddenly died of a cardio incident. This frightened the researchers who attributed this person's death to too high iodine intake during the study. It was an erroneous assumption as related to the 'healthy' subjects of the study. As a result of this death the study was immediately closed down and the scientist irrationally set a highly subjectively and arbitrarily low RDA level for iodine, an RDA level many times lower than the researchers had originally thought would be the case and many endocrinologists, especially those specializing in thyroid issues today, have now gone on record as saying are woefully low to meet current population needs.
A thorough investigation of this study shows that it was flawed from the beginning. The person who had died from the too high iodine intake should not have been part of the study as they had already experienced two life threatening cardio events prior to their participating in the iodine intake study. This individual being included in the study was totally counter to the study's standard that participants were supposed to be representative of a 'healthy' segment of the general population, and was not supposed to include any participants with a prior history of serious health problems, especially of a cardio-vascular nature. Sadly, that study, so essential to health and wellbeing of the population, has never been redone according to sound scientific protocol for accurately ascertaining optimal RDA levels, and so the woefully low RDA level for iodine, set only to prevent the most serious goiter condition, continues to be based on a flawed interpretation of a badly crafted and executed study, done by 'scientists' no less!In other words, the 'established' RDA for iodine is set only to prevent the most serious IDD (Iodine Deficiency Disorder) of goiter, while other iodine deficiency driven problems, some of a serious nature, are not addressed from a RDA perspective, leading to the plethora of iodine deficient related problems now endemic in society at large.
Second – iodine is the heaviest of the elements required (e.g. 'essential') by the body for health and well-being. This is important from an energetics point of view as it also tells us something about the alchemical-based qualities of iodine. These alchemical-based qualities are of course meant to be approached from a metaphorical perspective. However, metaphor often has profound implications and ramifications of a direct cause-&-effect temporal nature, which is why it is still often utilized an many scientific endeavors as part of a scientific inquiry. Such is the case with iodine's density and heaviness. The following explanation of this commentary will bring this into perspective.
Radio isotopes, such as uranium derivatives, are even more dense and heavier than iodine, which is why radiation spillage/blooms into the environment are such a critical event since the heavy radio isotopes have a profound affinity for the heavy iodine element – a sort of 'likes attracts likes' scenario. Here the 'two edged sword' quality of iodine really manifests itself. Iodine has a strong affinity for radio isotopes, and... iodine also has a strong affinity for the tissue proteins of the body, provided the iodine is able to bind itself into the tissues protein matrix and not be displaced by the other halogen group of elements (e.g. bromine, chlorine and florine) that undermine iodine tissue bonding and its biochemical utility. This is where the rub is.If the tissues of the body, especially the thyroid gland, are not saturated with adequate amounts of tissue-bound iodine those tissues are not capable of producing enough T3 and T4 (Thyroid hormones) that in turn intrinsically displace and turn away the heavier radio isotopes, many already bound with free iodine from the body's fluid systems. If this happens those toxic molecules will have easy access and passage into the tissues and once tissue invasion takes place the much heavier radio isotopes and radio-bound iodine is difficult to remove, including the accompanying toxicity and life threatening problems.
Therefore, iodine tissue saturation is essential to efficient thyroid production of T3 and T4 hormones, with said hormones also being essential to sustaining the body's 'intrinsic' ability to effectively deal with incursions of radio isotope bound molecules whether from a radiation event or from day-to-day increasing background radiation.Sadly, the iodides (e.g. potassium iodide), especially when taken as part of an iodine loading protocol, do not contribute to efficient enough production of T3 and T4 hormones for countering a radiation event and/or dealing effectively enough with day-to-day increasing background radiation, and to my knowledge there is currently no credible studies substantiating that in-vitro chemical manufactured iodides adequately contribute enough to T3 and T4 production as a direct result of iodide intake.
On the other hand, ‘iodine’ is a proven form of iodine that the thyroid efficently utilizes to make T3 and T4. Simply put, only iodine, not iodide, is an intrinsic biologically natural part of a T3 and T4 thyroid hormone producing event. That's how the body is built! In fact, there is suspicion that an in-vitro chemically manufactured iodide may possess the intrinsic potential to block iodine from entering the thyroid in many people and so T3 and T4 production are staunched. Here the iodide is playing the dark side of the Sword-of-Damocles concerning it negative effects on day-to-day thyroid health and the potential 'sideways' problems it may cause during emergency iodine loading needs to deal with radioactive events.
The question is now offered, why is the production of T3 and T4 of such importance where incursion of radio isotopes/radio-bound iodine is concerned? Simply put, T3 and T4 intrinsically block the entry of heavy metals and radio isotopes into the thyroid, by stimulating the thyroid to shut off entry of heavy metals and radio isotopes into the thyroid (while at the same time accepting 'clean' iodine itself – 'clean' iodine identified as iodine not bound to heavy metals or radio isotopes), and does so more efficiently than iodides and without the serious side-effects to both the thyroid and other body’s systems iodides (e.g. potassium iodide) cause. This is why the emergency intake of a transformed nanocolloidal nascent IODINE is preferred over that of an iodide (e.g. KI – potassium iodide). Iodine works with the body in dealing with heavy metal/radio isotope incursions without side-effect harming the body as iodides do in typical iodide-based iodine loading scenarios.This is a profound consideration given that iodine (not iodides) is essential to T3 and T4 biosynthesis, and T3/T4 are in turn essential to healthy thyroid protection from heavy metal/radio isotope incursions, meaning, that the thyroid makes the T3/T4 hormones, and those hormones in turn protect the thyroid. Because iodides act as in-vivo exogenic blockers to the thyroid, blocking everything, including clean iodine, clean iodine contributes to the thyroid acting as an endogenic blocker to the thyroid, while allowing clean iodine to pass and hence, support, sustain and maintain healthy intrinsic thyroid function.
Also, If the body should be subjected to an incursion of radio isotopes/radio-bound iodine and intrinsic iodine saturation is already present in the tissues of the body, especially the thyroid, the combination of the pre-saturation of iodine (called 'Iodine Loading') and the cells own intrinsic biological processes are able to block radiation and accompanying radio-bound iodine from entering the tissues, thus allowing the body to keep said toxic molecules in a free unbound state and eliminate them from the body via its eliminative systems.
Third – in fact, if the body has high intrinsic tissue levels of iodine to the point of tissue and fluid systems saturation, continued intake of clean iodine will allow the free iodine/body-wise iodide to act as a sort of 'chelator' wherein the non-tissue-bound clean iodine will bind with radio isotopes and in turn carry the radiation out of the body via its elimination systems. This phenomenon of the free body-wise iodide (e.g. the clean iodine) letting go of a mineral carrier it is bound to in favor of bonding to the radio isotope is due to the stronger attraction the iodine has for a radio isotope as opposed to the former lesser attraction the iodine, as a body-wise iodide, had for the mineral (e.g. potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, etc). (For clarification purposes, 'body-wise' iodides (e.g. 'clean' iodine) are in-vivo synthesized in the liver and possess different biological qualities that are compatable with the body as opposed to in-vitro chemical manufactured iodides that are less compatable with the body (some being highly cytotoxic). Body-wise iodides include intrinsic calcium iodide (affinity for bones and hard tissues), intrinsic magnesium iodide (affinity for muscle tissues), intrinsic potassium iodide (affinity for endocrine/gland and cardio-vascular tissues) and intrinsic sodium iodide (affinity for nerve and mucosal tissues)).
This is not to say that free radio-bound iodine (and free radio isotopes) circulating throughout the body will not have some effect on tissues it comes into contact with, but because tissues are pre-saturated with tissue-bound iodine and high levels of T3 and T4 are in circulation throughout the body, the radio isotope/radio-bound iodine is blocked from entering 'into' the cellular matrix of the tissues, with the eliminative systems of the body then expelling radio isotopes and radio-bound iodine from the body. This is why pre-saturation of the body's tissues with a transformative nanocolloidal nascent iodine, especially the thyroid, are essential to dealing with and eliminating radio isotope and heavy metals incursions from the body.
Fact is, our environment has much higher levels of radio isotopes and radiation particulates (commonly referred to as 'background radiation') than prior to the 'Atomic Age.' In fact, the height of the 'Industrial Age' (early 1900's) was the beginning of radiation residue and its effects making its way into the atmosphere, water shed and ground water supplies. The problem is not sudden but has been building for generations as a result of the compounding effects of BOTH environmental phenomena (volcanic eruptions being one) and industrial waste/after effects.
The world's humanity has seen a steady increase in environmental radiation levels, both environmental and man-made, for well over a century now, that went exponential during the 1950's and 1960's due to surface (both land and oceans) and underground nuclear explosions, and high atmosphere detonated atomic weapons testing (which ironically was done solely by the United States) that ripped and thinned the ionosphere and spewed solar radio isotopes onto the high altitude jet streams, all while world-wide human tissue iodine levels have concurrently experienced a steady and precipitous decline. This is why a catastrophic radiation spillage/bloom is considered a tipping point of consternation for a major health crisis (that is also a national security issue) for people in the path of the after effects of a catastrophic radiation event. It's a sort of adding insult to an already festering injury.Can governments be realistically expected to quell and even prevent the problem on their own initiative? The answer is a resounding no! Not because government can't, but because there are so many considerations that mix into the problem that its a mulligan stew of garguantuin prorportions. Political, corporate, pension-driven investment, consumerism, eco considerations, fractured science & medicine, etc., etc., are all part of this stew mix, along with numerous other considerations too numerous to cite. Reality is, short of a mega catastrophic event, governments, especially of the liberal democratic type (which America and the majority of the Western industrialized nations are), are not really able to effictively deal with these problems in simplistic terms without causing a concurrent mega socio-political-economic disaster of its own right. In the final analysis it is the attitude and actions of individuals on the personal level that are most capable of dealing, one way or another, with these problems. Remember, the simpler the solution the more probable that even complex problems can be solved, however, individual initiative on a personal level is the key to any meaningful change, and always has been!
Concerning this subject, it is a bold assertion I’ve made. But then again… we live in times that require bolder action for the compounding effects of non-action.
I believe this is why populations who suspect they are in the path of a catastrophic radiation event or will be affected by such an event intrinsically, on a deep gut level, know the need to not wait for an arrival of radiation before they do something, but take immediate action to procure a source of adequate iodine supplementation to begin the process of iodine loading their bodies with a safe and effective form of iodine. Sadly, governments, by their own 'intrinsic' nature, do tend to minimalize such impending crisis, typically for stated 'national security' reasons, and as such a critical timeline passes for effective, appreciable and sustainable iodine loading the population to take place. and so, the population at large, as individuals, must take the initial initiative to see to the viable iodine loading of themselves and their families for effectively facing a radiation crisis.
Fourth – however, in the final analysis, evidenced by world-wide studies and statistical reviews, shows that humanity, on a world-wide basis, is woefully deficient in tissue iodine levels to one degree or another, with most of the population at precariously low levels. Sadly, attention and public demand for iodine supplementation seems to spike only when a catastrophic radiation event is imminent. Nuclear weapon stockpiles and their potential consequences aside, in a world with increasing levels of background radiation and with an appreciable percentage of electrical power being generated with out-in-the-open nuclear power facilities, with such facilities dotted around the globe, usually within a short distance of high urban population locations, such radiation spills/blooms crisis will undoubtedly come and go. That's the nature of the technology, including the nuclear waste stock piles dilemma, especially when environmental events, such as earthquakes or deep seismic events (resulting in tsunamis), are factored in. Fact is, modern technology has made the world more dangerous to ALL living species, and, we as individuals, especially in the industrialized world, have driven this trend and so must take the lead in working our way out of this conundrum.
Added to these and other terra firma problems is the growing concern regarding increased solar and cosmic radiation getting past the ionosphere down into the lower atmosphere. Along with the consequences of direct solar radiation over exposure, combine these rogue radiations with already present suspended gases and heavy metals particulates in the atmosphere and the resulting free-radicals result in novel forms of atmospheric radio-bound heavy metals free-floating in the air, especially in heavily industrialized areas of the world, that are generating centers for these novel atmospheric toxins that make their way up into the jet streams where they are carried around the world and settle across the sea and landscape. The need for iodine loading and adequate daily iodine supplementation thereafter being more apparent than ever.
And finally – all said, it seems logical that since tissue iodine levels of people are woefully deficient in the first place, the need to simply supplement one's iodine needs on a daily level (first iodine loading the body's tissues, then falling back to a decreased adequate daily maintenance level of supplementation) would be akin to hitting two birds in the bush with one stone – taking care of a daily need while at the same time preparing the body for that possible catastrophic radiation event, or heavy metal poisoning from toxic residue of drilling/oil-gas wells, mining and industrial pollution (with concurrent incursion through food, water or the environment), as well as a solar/cosmic radiation event, since immediately available supplies of supplemental iodine may not be adequate enough to meet a large populations emergency need for immediate iodine loading for saturating the body's tissues in the event of a crisis. (Again, it's easy to focus on the problems, but it's the solutions, that are currently readily available, that really count.)
Such a crisis and concurrent shortages of iodine in the industry took place due to the March 2011 Japan earthquake/tsunami caused Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant meltdown/explosions, when world-wide supplies of raw iodine were in short supply within 1 day of the event and many iodine supplement manufacturers were not able to meet impending demand.
Here the old adage, "An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure," aptly applies in the case of one taking care of their tissue levels of iodine on a daily iodine supplemental basis well before they are confronted with a crisis.
In the final analysis, speaking as a clinical & formulary herbalist and nutritionist, who has for years studied scientific and anecdotal writings concerning health and wellbeing along with the plethora of studies and commentaries concerning degenerative conditions and their causes (both established and purported), as well as my own years long experience and observations based work as a clinician and owner of a botanicals and iodine supplement manufacturing company, I’ve seen a trend emerge in all of this that has been both profound and dumfounding at the same time. While great emphasis through the decades has been placed on finding and establishing those components derived from foods, water and supplementation as ‘essential’ to health, I’ve been shocked that of the gamut to be ‘essential,’ such as vitamins, minerals, enzymes, pro-biotics, etc., for instance, ‘iodine’ is the one that I’ve observed to be most marginalized and even avoided for serious discussion, even though it is as ‘essential’ to health and wellbeing as any of the other essential components. As my studies concerning iodine have continued I am coming more and more to the conclusion that iodine supplementation may be the most important single daily supplementation protocol to be considered before all others, especially since the largest growing area of health challenges and incursions to human health and well-being are those that iodine supplementation is clearly the most qualified to deal with, both on a crisis and daily need. That said, it appears the need for immediate initial iodine loading and thereafter daily maintenance levels of a transformed nanocolloidal nascent iodine supplement may be as essential as clean water and air are to continued health and wellbeing.
Claims and statements herein are for informational purposes only and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, or any veterinarian or animal health care organization. The statements and products described on this web site are not meant to diagnose, treat, mitigate, cure,or prevent any disease.
Copyright © 2002 Cedar Bear Naturales™