Iodine and Iodine Robbers

Sea Vegetables, Iodine and Iodine Robbers
By Steven Horne, RH (AHG) and Kimberly Balas, ND

Iodine is absolutely critical for thyroid function, and a large majority of thyroid disorders could be prevented or “cured” through increased iodine intake, i.e., consuming more sea veggies. However, the need for iodine doesn’t stop with the thyroid. Women’s breasts are the second biggest user of iodine, and many breast problems, from fibroids to cancer, could be prevented by adequate iodine intake. All tissues of the body need iodine, but the parts of the body that suffer the most from iodine deficiency (besides the breast and thyroid) are the skin, eyes, prostate and uterus.

Sea vegetables contain far more than iodine, so we need to watch the tendency to over simplify their potential uses. Linda Page gave an excellent presentation on the value of “Sea Vegetables for Natural Health and Beauty” at a special luncheon I attended at A Clayton College of Natural Health Symposium. She pointed out that these plants are very mineral rich, containing 10-20 times more trace minerals than most land plants. Besides iodine, these vegetables contain iron,
magnesium, potassium, boron, silica, selenium and chromium. They are also loaded with essential fatty acids, vitamins (including Vitamin D) and water-soluble fiber.

This high nutritional content makes sea vegetables excellent bone-building and tissue-repairing foods. They have been known to improve hair color and quality, skin tone and texture, fingernail strength, ease arthritic symptoms and strengthen bone structure. Linda Page told us that sea vegetables make wonderful topical beauty treatments. Used in baths or facial masks they make the skin more supple and elastic, helping to eliminate dry skin and wrinkles.
In the Orient, sea vegetables have been used for centuries in the treatment of cancer. Modern research is showing that there is real scientific validity to this. Anti-cancer compounds have been found in kelp, kombu and wakame. Many sea vegetables contain lignans, which are also found in flaxseeds, and are known to bond to estrogen-receptor sites and inhibit estrogen-dependent cancers. It appears that adding sea vegetables to the diet could be a powerful way to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women and prostate

Ryan Drum, Ph.D. is a professional herbalist who is an expert on sea vegetables. He says that fucoidan, a compound found in sea veggies like kelp and bladderwrack, is “...extremely anti-proliferative against cancer cells. It also interferes with every stage of viral attack: cell attachment, cell penetration, and intracellular virion production.” This is why people who eat lots of sea veggies also seem to be more resistant to colds and flu. Dr. Drum also notes that certain polysaccharides or glycoproteins from red seaweeds (such as dulse) have been successfully used in treating genital herpes and Herpes Zoster.
So, combining Liquid Dulse with VS-C and other antivirals could increase their effectiveness in dealing with chronic viral conditions. Because they are high in water-soluble fiber, natural chlorine and potassium, sea vegetables have a protective effect on the heart and cardiovascular system. They can lower blood cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.

Sea vegetables have also been used in health spas in the British Isles for joint and muscle pain. The mucilaginous seaweeds not only absorb toxins and reduce inflammation, but their minerals are also absorbed through the skin to aid tissue repair. Sea vegetables have a powerful detoxifying effect on the body. The mineral salts they contain help move lymphatic fluids, so they enhance lymphatic drainage and can be helpful in softening hardened lymph nodes. The mucilaginous fiber they contain absorbs toxins in the bowel and promotes bowel health. Sodium alginate, the mucilage from kelp, is a very powerful detoxifier. The Environmental Protection Agency of the United States government has found that alginates can bind and eliminate radioactive materials such as Strontium 90 from the body. They can also absorb mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals.
Sodium alginate (Algin) is available as a supplement through NSP and combined with Heavy Metal Detox is an excellent way to get mercury and other heavy metals out of the body. Consuming sea vegetables regularly will help protect the body from radioactive iodine (which is emitted from nuclear power plants and destroys

Linda Page said that sea vegetables are excellent foods for pregnancy. Lack of iodine can cause stunted growth, mental deficiency, puffy facial features and a lack of muscular development in infants. She stated that sea vegetables can also help raise hemoglobin levels, and reduce constipation and stretch marks in pregnant mothers.

Iodine is a vital nutrient for good health. Not only is iodine critical for thyroid gland function, it is also essential for reproductive tissue health. The breasts, uterus and prostate require large amounts. Iodine is also needed for healthy skin and nerve function. In fact, every cell of the body needs some iodine.

Unfortunately, iodine is a rare element and only small amounts of iodine are present in most people's diets. This is compounded by the fact that a number of chemicals displace iodine or disrupt its function. These include all the elements belonging to a group called halogens on the periodic table of elements (Fluorine/Fluorides, Chlorine/Chlorides, Bromine/Bromides). Mercury also disrupts iodine in the body, as does aspirin and other salicylates, steroids, and unfermented soy products.

As people are increasingly exposed to these iodine robbers, what little dietary iodine they are getting is being displaced. Since iodine burns fat, it's also little wonder that obesity is increasing. It also explains the high prevalence of thyroid disorders. Furthermore, high rates of breast, prostate and uterine cancers maybe due to reduced iodine levels in the body, because cultures where people who consume larger amounts of iodine in their diet don't have these problems.

Let's take a closer look at these iodine robbers.

Bromides
Bromides (substances containing bromine) are toxic substances with no nutritional or therapeutic value in human health.
Animal studies show that bromine intake can adversely affect the accumulation of iodine in the thyroid and the skin, and ingestion of bromine has been shown to cause hypothyroidism in animals. When iodine deficiency is present. the toxicity of bromine is accelerated in the body.

Bromides are being increasingly used in our society. They are used as antibacterial agents for pools and hot tubs, as fumigants for agriculture, and for killing termites and other pests. Between 1981 and 1991 the amount of bromides sprayed in California for pest control increased nearly three-fold.

Bromides are also being added to foods. Bromides found in certain carbonated and sports beverages in the form of BVO (brominated vegetable oil) and are also used in bread flour as a dough conditioner. Iodine used to be added to flour but was replaced with bromides. Since this took place, obesity has increased dramatically. Instead of getting iodine in bread (which would help burn fat), people are getting bromides, which in turn disrupt iodine, increasing fat deposition. Bromides are also found in certain drugs, such as Atrovent inhaler, Atrovent nasal spray. lpratropium nasal spray. Pro-Panthine and Pyridostigmine bromide. This increased use of bromides has caused the amount of bromine in human breast milk to increase 10-fold over the last decade.

Fluorides
Fluorides are another halogen that act as an iodine disrupter. Fluorides are toxic and increase the risk of bone cancer and hip fractures. Fluorides also lower intelligence, increase depression and lower testosterone levels in men. High levels of fluorides cause mottling, pitting and dulling of the teeth. Lastly, fluorides can produce goiter as well as low thyroid by inhibiting the ability of the thyroid gland to concentrate iodine.

Besides being introduced into drinking water, fluorides are found in toothpastes, dental treatments and a variety of drugs. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac and Paxil contain fluoride, and there are reports of increased breast cancer with the use of SSRI's (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor). Since low thyroid causes depression, this may be one reason why these drugs can cause depression in some people, and can definitely result in depression when discontinued abruptly. Other drugs that contain fluoride include: Baycol, Propulsid, Posicor, Astemizole, Flonase, Flovent and Fen-Phen. It would be wise to increase iodine intake if one is on any of these medications. It is also wise to avoid Fluoridated toothpastes and fluoride treatments at the dentist. One of the selling points of NSP's natural toothpaste. Sunshine XyliBrite Toothpaste, is that it is not fluorinated.

Chlorine
Let's move on to chlorine. Unlike bromide and fluoride, which do not have nutritional value, chlorine is used as a nutrient in the body, and in fairly large amounts. The oxidized form of chlorine forms chlorides, however, and they are toxic.
Dr. Joseph Price, who wrote the book Coronaries, Cholesterol and Chlorine, documented that the rise in coronary heart disease parallels the rise in the chlorination of water supplies. He found that chlorine makes cholesterol "sticky" so it adheres to surfaces. Since iodine is needed to cause fats to be released from surfaces (emulsified), and chlorine displaces iodine, this may be part of the reason chlorine contributes to heart disease.

Chlorine is also linked to birth defects, cancer, reproductive disorders (including still birth), and immune system breakdown. Again, all of these health problems can be due to iodine deficiency. Furthermore, when chlorine mixes with organic matter in the water it forms carcinogenic compounds like trihalomethanes.

That brings us to the issue of Sucralose (Splenda), which is nothing more than chlorinated sugar. Sugar is bombarded with chlorine, and although most of the chlorine is allowed to dissipate, there is still a lot of chlorine left in the finished product. We anticipate that in five years or so this newest artificial sweetener will go the way of its predecessors as more and more harmful effects are discovered with long term use.

Mercury
Mercury is another iodine robber. We won't spend a lot of time on this, but mercury finds its way into the body through silver amalgam fillings, contaminated sea foods, environmental pollution and vaccines.

Finally, while it is not an iodine robber, radioactive iodine enters the environment from nuclear power plants and nuclear accidents. Radioactive iodine enters the body and destroys thyroid tissue and other tissues that uptake iodine. Increasing iodine intake is the best protection against radioactive iodine, which brings us to an interesting point. Iodine tablets are part of civil defense plans because taking large quantities of iodine prevents the body's uptake of radioactive iodine. Yet, when a person has a hyperactive thyroid, (they are told they should not use iodine because it will make the problem worse. Instead, they are given radioactive iodine, which kills the thyroid.

So, think about this. If the person's body was saturated with sufficient iodine it wouldn't take up the radioactive iodine in sufficient quantities to kill the thyroid gland. This suggests that many, if not all, people suffering from hyperactive thyroid are actually iodine deficient. This may be why some people have found TS II helpful for hyperthyroid.

The bottom line is that with all the iodine robbers we are exposed to, we probably need extra iodine if we want to maintain optimal health.

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