# Iodine or no iodine?



## bily (Mar 18, 2013)

I am confused, there seems to be 2 schools of thought on supplementing with iodine.

For someone who has early hashimoto's (ultrasound shows this), bloods within range, except for ab's, has some symptoms,, unmedicated and is mildly iodine defecient. What should they do?

Can anyone help to unconfuse me? Dr advised small amount of iodised salt when cooking.


----------



## Andros (Aug 26, 2009)

I would do exactly what the doctor said to do. No more and no less. Inappropriate use of iodine can cause further problems.

Humble opinion!

Are you on thyroxine replacement?

Hugs,


----------



## Dr. Hila Handler (Sep 22, 2014)

Actually there are probably several schools of thought, but only one is supported by the evidence. I am conventionally trained so I know what most doctors say. In medical school, doctors are taught that iodized salt has enough iodine for the body's needs.  That is in fact not true. As is often the case, what is taught in medical school is often based on research performed by pharmaceutical companies, or at least done with an eye to developing drugs to treat symptoms. Unfortunately, in this case, as in many other, but not all, cases, conventional Western medical education is incomplete at best, entirely false at worst. I highly recommend you read the book Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It by Dr. David Brownstein, MD. This doctor is one of the world's foremost experts on iodine, who cites all the research in his book, and makes it easy to follow.

If you are on this forum to get answers, you owe it to yourself to really learn as much as possible. Informed patients know that you cannot in the present day trust just any doctor and do exactly what s/he says. This is a recipe for a life of drug therapies, one leading to the next, all of which may have been avoided.

For example:

- A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine (a pretty mainstream conventional publication) indicated that only 10% of iodine in iodized salt is bioavailable (absorbed efficiently). (Study done by JA Pitman in 1969).

- Since then, Dr. GE Abraham has done many studies that support these findings, which have since then been confirmed by iodine-loading tests (which knowledgeable doctors are ordering on patients who show signs of thyroid dysfunction).

- The most significant change in iodine supplementation was the switch from iodine to bromine as a dough conditioner. In the 1960's the single addition of iodine to baked goods significantly increased iodine intake in the US. Then, articles from the NIH were published questioning its safety, but not based on any reliable evidence, and bromine replaced iodine in the baking industry. Bromine is a halide just like iodine, flouride and chloride, and displaces iodine, as all halides compete with one another in receptor binding in the body.

There are now many good studies supporting the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which show that iodine levels have dropped 50% in the United States over the last 30 years.

I recommend finding a knowledgeable physician (happy to make recommendations) and getting an iodine loading test.


----------



## bily (Mar 18, 2013)

Thanks for the replies. I'm unmedicated. I've done a spot urine iodine test and know I'm mildly deficient. I am living outside the US.


----------

