Iodine is a trace mineral and chemical element that the body needs to make thyroid hormones, which are essential for normal growth and development. The health benefits of iodine play a very important role in the normal functioning of the thyroid glands, which secretes thyroid hormones that control the basic metabolic rate of the body. The body needs iodine but cannot make it. The needed iodine must come from the diet. As a rule, there is very little iodine in food, unless it has been added during processing, which is now the case with salt. Most of the world's iodine is found in the ocean, where it is concentrated by sea life, especially seaweed.
In your body, about 70 - 80% of iodine is found in the thyroid gland in the neck. The rest is distributed throughout the body, particularly in the ovaries, muscles, and blood. If your body doesn't have enough iodine, you can develop hypothyroidism (low thyroid hormone levels). Symptoms include sluggishness or fatigue, weight gain, dry skin, and sensitivity to temperature changes. Deficiency happens more often in women than in men, and is more common in pregnant women and older children. In infants and children, hypothyroidism can affect physical and mental development.
The classic sign of iodine deficiency is an enlarged thyroid gland. Some people with hypothyroidism develop an extremely large thyroid, known as goiter. Today, iodine deficiencies in the United States and other developed countries are rare because iodine is added to table salt. And crops in developed countries are generally grown in iodine rich soil, so there is more iodine in food. But in developing countries, where soil is often low in iodine, more than 1 billion people may be at risk for iodine deficiencies.
Iodine is used to prevent iodine deficiency and its consequences, including goiter. Iodine is also used to clean wounds and for treating a skin disease caused by a fungus (cutaneous sporotrichosis); treating fibrocystic breast disease; preventing breast cancer, eye disease, diabetes, and heart disease and stroke; and as an expectorant.
Iodine is also used to for radiation emergencies, to protect the thyroid gland against radioactive iodides. Potassium iodide tablets for use in a radiation emergency are available as FDA-approved products and on the Internet as food supplements. Potassium iodide should only be used in a radiation emergency, not in advance of an emergency to prevent sickness.
Iodine is applied to the skin to kill germs, prevent soreness inside the mouth (mucositis) caused by chemotherapy, and treat diabetic ulcers.
Iodine is also used for water purification.
Iodine is required to ensure proper development and metabolism in human beings. Some of its benefits include:
Metabolic rates: Iodine influences the functioning of thyroid glands by assisting in production of hormones, which are directly responsible for controlling the basic metabolic rate. The hormones, like thyroxin and triodothyronine, influence heart rate, blood pressure, body weight and temperature. The body maintains the BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) with the help of these hormones, which also helps in protein synthesis.
Energy level: It also plays an important role in maintaining optimum energy levels of the body by ensuring optimum utilization of calories, without allowing them to be deposited as excess fats.
Healthy nails, hair and teeth: The health benefits of iodine include formation of healthy and shiny skin, teeth and hair. Iodine is an important element for haircare as lack of this mineral can result in hair loss. Moreover, it also aids hair growth.
Reproductive system: Iodine helps in the normal growth and maturity of reproductive organs. Sufficient quantity of iodine in pregnant women is essential to prevent still births or neurocognitive conditions like cretinism in the babies. It also ensures proper movement and growth, along with speech and hearing in babies.
Fibrocystic disease: Iodine can significantly reduce conditions like fibrosis, turgidity and breast tenderness. Iodine acts as a relief for fibrocystic diseases and is widely used even in therapies.
Iodine programmed cell death: Iodine ensures the apoptosis or the programmed cell death which is essential in the formation of new organs as well as in the removal of malignant cells like cancer cells or diseased cells, which might prove harmful to the individual.
Anti-cancer properties: Probably, the most important health benefits of iodine apart from thyroidal influence are its anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that cancer cells when administered with iodine shrink.
Radiation exposure: Potassium iodine can be taken after someone is exposed to radiation to reduce how much radioactive iodine accumulates in the thyroid. This action reduces the risk of thyroid cancer from radiation exposure, but it doesn't protect against other complications from radiation.
Iodine removes toxic chemicals: Iodine can flush out chemical toxins like fluoride, lead, mercury etc., apart from biological toxins and can strengthen immune system. It also prevents the proliferation of harmful bacteria in the stomach.
Thyroid and Goitre disorders: Iodine deficiency is the basic cause of Goitre as widely known. You can have eggs, salt, sea food, dairy products to facilitate the reduction of iodine deficiency which works as a cure for enlarged thyroid gland.
Iodine overdose of more than 2,000 mg could be dangerous especially in people suffering from kidney ailments or tuberculosis. When taken in excess it might result in thyroid papillary cancer. Pregnant women and nursing mothers should be cautious not to take iodine more than the prescribed dosage.
Deficiency of iodine can have serious effects. The symptoms of iodine deficiency include frustration, depression, mental retardation, poor perception levels, goiter, abnormal weight gain, decreased fertility, coarse skin, chances of still birth in expectant mothers, constipation and fatigue. In severe cases mental retardation associated with diseases such as cretinism, characterized by serious physical malformations, could be the result. According to WHO reports, iodine deficiency is one of the leading causes of mental retardation all over the world.
Other consequences of not having enough iodine (iodine deficiency) are also serious. Iodine deficiency and the resulting low levels of thyroid hormone can cause women to stop ovulating, leading to infertility. Iodine deficiency can also lead to an autoimmune disease of the thyroid and may increase the risk of getting thyroid cancer. Some researchers think that iodine deficiency might also increase the risk of other cancers such as prostate, breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancer.
Iodine deficiency during pregnancy is serious for both the mother and the baby. It can lead to high blood pressure during pregnancy for the mother, and mental retardation for the baby. Iodine plays an important role in development of the central nervous system. In extreme cases, iodine deficiency can lead to cretinism, a disorder that involves severely stunted physical and mental growth.
Iodine deficiency is a common world health problem. The most recognized form of deficiency is goiter. Additionally, across the globe iodine deficiency is thought to be the most common preventable cause of mental retardation. Early in the twentieth century, iodine deficiency was common in the US and Canada, but the addition of iodine to salt has improved public health. The addition of iodine to salt is required in Canada. In the US, iodized salt is not required, but it is widely available. Researchers estimate that iodized salt is used regularly by about half the US population.
Iodine is present in large quantities in both marine plant and animals, including shellfish, white deep-water fish, and brown seaweed kelp, which can absorb iodine from sea water. Make sure to include abundant quantities of canned sardines, canned tuna, lobster, oyster, clams, cod, haddock, halibut, herring perch, salmon, sea bass, and shrimp. Dulse, kelp, and seaweed also contain dietary iodine. Garlic, lima beans, Swiss chard, summer squash, sesame seeds, soybeans, turnip greens and spinach are rich in iodine. Iodized salt is another important source of iodine. Bakers add iodine to bread dough as a stabilizing agent.
The National Institute of Medicine Adequate Intake (AI) levels are as below:
Children
Infants ages 0 - 6 months: 2,200 mcg (micrograms) per day
Infants ages 7 months - 1 year: 130 mcg per day
Children ages 1 - 8 years: 90 mcg per day
Children ages 9 - 13 years: 120 mcg per day
Children ages 14 - 18 years: 150 mcg per day
Adult
Ages 18 years and up: 150 mcg per day
Pregnant females: 220 mcg per day
Breastfeeding women: 290 mcg per day
While the RDA may be enough to prevent goiter in the majority of the population, is it enough for optimum health? Contrast the Japanese diet with the American diet. Mainland Japanese consume a daily average of 1 to 2 (some say much more) mg of elemental iodine, and they are one of the healthiest nations based on overall well being and cancer statistics. Japanese women do not stop consuming iodine-rich foods during pregnancy, and Japanese fetuses are exposed to maternal peripheral levels of iodide at concentrations of 1-2 mg (or more).
Health comparisons between the two countries are disturbing. The incidence of breast cancer in the U.S. is the highest in the world, and in Japan, until recently, the lowest. Japanese women who emigrate from Japan or adopt a Western style diet have a higher rate of breast cancer compared with those that consume seaweed. Life expectancy in the U.S. is 77.85 years, 48th in 226 countries surveyed. It is 81.25 years in Japan, the highest of all industrialized countries and only slightly behind the five leaders — Andorra, Macau, San Marino, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The infant mortality rate in Japan is the lowest in the world, 3.5 deaths under age one per 1,000 live births, half the infant mortality rate in the United States.
The Tolerable Uptake Intake Levels (UL), which is the highest level of daily intake that's not likely to result in side effects.
Children 1 - 3 years: 200 mcg per day
Children 4 - 8 years: 300 mcg per day
Children 9 - 13 years: 600 mcg per day
From 14 - 18 years (including pregnant and breastfeeding): 900 mcg day
For adults older than 19 (including pregnant and breastfeeding): 1,100 mcg per day
Are there any easy answers? Not really. It appears that both insufficient and excessive amounts of iodine can be problematic. It is believed that 150mcg daily is a safe intake, and that occasionally 1,000mcg (1mg) is tolerable. Short-term, high levels of iodine, for specific therapeutic purposes, can be of value, but should only be done briefly, and ideally with the help of a health professional. The Japanese average iodine intake of 1 to 2 mg daily can be safe to consume if it is in a complex form (i.e. seaweed), or if it is the mix of iodine and iodide. Talk to your health care provider before consuming larger amounts of iodine.
The following doses have
been studied in scientific research:
BY MOUTH:
For radiation emergencies: potassium iodide (KI) should be taken just prior to, or as soon as possible after, exposure. Radiation is most harmful to pregnant or breastfeeding women and children, so KI is dosed according to amount of radiation exposure and age. Radiation exposure is measured in centigrays (cGy). For infants, babies, children, adolescents, and pregnant or breastfeeding women, KI is given if radiation exposure is 5 centigrays (cGy) or more. Tablets can be crushed and mixed with fruit juice, jam, milk, etc.
For birth through 1 month, the dose is 16 mg of KI;
For babies and children over 1 month through 3 years, 32 mg;
For children 3 to 12 years, 65 mg;
For adolescents 12 through 18 years, 65 mg or 120 mg if the adolescent is approaching adult size;
For pregnant or breastfeeding women, 120 mg.
For adults 18 to 40 years with exposure to 10 cGy or more, 130 mg of KI is given.
For adults over 40 years with exposure to 500 cGy or more, 130 mg of KI is given.
Wounds or burns: Follow your health care provider's instructions. Iodine is applied topically to the skin to prevent and treat infections from wounds and burns.
Iodine can cause significant side effects in some people. Common side effects include nausea and stomach pain, runny nose, headache, metallic taste, and diarrhea. However, iodine is likely safe for most people when taken by mouth at recommended amounts.
In sensitive people, iodine can cause side effects including swelling of the lips and face (angioedema), severe bleeding and bruising, fever, joint pain, lymph node enlargement, allergic reactions including hives, and death.
Iodine in larger amounts can cause metallic taste, soreness of teeth and gums, burning in mouth and throat, increased saliva, throat inflammation, stomach upset, diarrhea, wasting, depression, skin problems, and many other side effects.
When iodine is used directly on the skin, it can cause skin irritation, stains, allergic reactions, and other side effects. Be careful not to bandage or tightly cover areas that have been treated with iodine to avoid iodine burn.
People with autoimmune thyroid disease may be especially sensitive to the harmful side effects of iodine.
Rash called dermatitis herpetiformis: Taking iodine can cause worsening of dermatitis herpetiformis.
Prolonged use or high doses of iodine might make thyroid disorders worse.
The following reviews have been selected:
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267 of 270 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Why Didn't My Doctors Tell Me About This?, August 15, 2009
By
D. Allen "Mr. Mojorisin" (North Texas)
My wife is hypothyroid, and I became interested in her condition when her doctors struggled to get her thyroid to respond to various medications. I searched hypothyroidism on the web, and one of the things that popped up was iodine. I read the various articles about it, and the reviews... and decided to order this. My wife agreed to try it, and I figured I'd do the same, just to see If it made me feel better.
We decided to take 5 drops (12.5 mg) each day and see if we noticed any effects. While my wife reported no improvement after a week, I experienced much more energy and alertness immediately after starting. But the real surprise for me was the vast improvement of some skin conditions I've had for many years that my dermatologist prescribed medication for, but could only slow the progression. The itching stopped immediately, and the patches of thick and callused skin on one of my palms started showing improvement, as did the eczema patch on one knee.
It's been three weeks now, and the eczema patch on my knee, which had grown to over 5 inches in diameter, is now less than 2 inches. It has changed from a maroon color to a normal skin color,and is still shrinking each day. The problem on my hand also appears to be heading toward full resolution.
I'm dumbfounded! How could my doctors overlook something as simple as a nutritional deficiency? I've worried about this condition and spent considerable money over the years trying to control it since I was told that was the best I could hope for. Something is terribly wrong with western medicine for something like this to occur.
Update 9-23-09: It's been over two months since I started taking this. The skin improvements stopped short of total resolution, but the improvements described in my review are still present. I am VERY happy.
Update 11-23-10: When I wrote the above comments, I didn't know it, but I still had one more surprise coming: For the last 15 years I've had four toenails that looked terrible due to fungus. Now, more than a year later, you can see in the nails where I began taking the iodine; the new growth looks healthy and normal. At the present growth rate, the bad part of the nails should be totally gone within a few more months.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Works For Me!, June 18, 2011
By
...A REVIEWER...
Just this past month my Thyroid had become visibly swollen. My Dr. said I had a Goiter due to lack of Iodine. I tried taking a low dose of Iodide but it only made my Thyroid swell more. I tried this Sea Iodine (I took 3 capsules staggered throughout the day even though it recommends 1). Within a few days I could tell the swelling had lessened, my throat wasn't as sore and hoarse, my eyes weren't as dry, and I had more energy. It has definitely helped. Not there yet, but I'll keep taking this Sea Iodine.
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206 of 208 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Life-changing stuff!, July 30, 2008
By
Cactuslady (Albuquerque, NM)
I have had symptoms of low thyroid most of my life but the lab tests were always within "normal" limits, so I was never treated to relieve the symptoms. I have been taking this stuff - 2-3 drops 5-6 days a week for several months. My energy is up, my skin is clearer, and I am able to keep the 35 lb weight loss without counting every calorie. It worked for me because it is what my body really needed. I would recommend this product for sub-clinical low thyroid conditions.
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149 of 150 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth considering, February 10, 2009
By
Unicorns & Kittens (Rochester, NY USA)
I have a number of hypo symptoms but am not interested in going on conventional medicine. Having taken [iodine solution] for about two weeks I find my basal body temperature has gone from mid-96s to 98.6 (what a cliche!) Also, the ice-cold feet I bothered... with... have normalized. I also find that insomnia that was keeping me up until four a.m. or later has abated, now I'm getting tired around ten p.m. So I don't have long-term data, but for now I am pleased. My hope is over time it will correct my estrogen imbalance. Just know that iodine requires self-education. There are studies suggesting it can harm you, and studies suggesting that most of us are being harmed by iodine deficiency (women in particular).
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!! Life Saving Stuff, October 23, 2011
By
Stephen Griffin
I have spent over $1000 in supplements trying to combat what I think was candida over the the last year or so. My Duke doctor would not help me with candida. Within 30 minutes of taking [iodine solution], I had more energy than I have had in years. I have been taking it about 6 days now. I have way more energy, much clearer thinking, skin that has not healed in months is healing or totally healed on some areas. I feel great after feeling like crap for several years. For me, this is the best supplement on the planet by far.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Genetically Prone to Thyroid problems..., November 11, 2011
By
A. Orejel "Education Specialists" (Long Beach, CA USA)
I began to use iodine solution because no matter how much I would work out, I would never lose the weight and I always looked bloated. I feel like I have somewhat good eating habits, but losing weight has always been a struggle for me. I know that my family background tells me that I am prone to thyroid problems. According to Dr. Oz, thyroid problems show a misfire between the brain and inside of neck (that's all I can remember, lol). In the morning, I boil some water for peppermint tea and put four drops of iodine solution. After work, I make some coffee and put four drops of the iodine in my cup of coffee. Caution, I did taste the iodine with just water and it tasted as if I licked a rotting brick. I'm pleased with this new routine.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars 90% of Americans are Iodine depleted, June 12, 2011
By
...Erin
THYROID,BREASTS,UTERUS,OVERIES and HEART all need Iodine to function normally.
There are reports in medical jounals of Iodine healing cancers,lesions,cuts,even West nile virus if put on misquito bite.Glaucoma? =Iodine deficiency, Cystic bumps in Breast or ovaries?=Iodine deficiency,Hair falling out in shower?=Iodine Deficiency,Arthritis? Gout? Fibromyalgia?apathy?Stubborn weight loss? Heavy cycles? Endometriosis? Yep you guessed it!
[Iodine is necessary for our health but] got put on the back burner because BIG Pharmacy can't patent it . they instead could make billions off the mis educated by prescribing non natural synthetic medicines instead which cause side effects because it's not natural.Your Body cannot live without this and will eventually show signs it's defficient.
If you have a reaction it's because you need it and are extremely deficient because iodine detoxes heavy metals like Mercury and Bromine which is found in almost all breads. Bromine (look up your self) Was banned in a lot of countires for causing cancer and many other diseases.Americans eat it by the pound full weakly in just about every product conatining flour . Our FDA changed the name bromine to "enriched flour" in products which is in most everything unless they are ORGANIC .Fast food esp,cakes, crackers ,buns, snacks ,sweets etc all contain it . Here is a good link to start with on why we need IODINE.. Iodine..[...]
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