Iodine: Essential Trace Element for the Mind and Body

Iodine was identified as essential for humans back in the 1920s. I believe that everyone who has studied nutrition knows that a deficiency of iodine will cause an underactive thyroid. But now there is a plethora of scientific evidence showing us what else iodine does for us. And if I hadn’t seen the studies with my own eyes I would have found it hard to believe.

Every cell in our body needs iodine to function properly. The white blood cells of our immune system cannot function properly without adequate amounts of iodine. Even our sweat glands need iodine and will not function properly when we are deficient. This leads to dry skin. Neither will our salivary glands function properly. That means we would experience dry eyes and a dry mouth.

Iodine deficiency affects approximately two billion people around the world and is the number one preventable cause of intellectual disability.[1] It is crucial that both the fetus and the infant get enough in the first three years of existence or the central nervous system will not develop properly.  According to Jorge D. Flechas, MD, adding a good iodine supplement to a pregnant woman’s diet will produce a child with an IQ 20 to 30 points higher than the parents’ IQ.[2]

A good iodine supplement will contain both iodine and iodide. Like other minerals, iodine comes in several forms. Potassium Iodide and sodium iodide are the salt forms of iodine. Some organs only absorb iodine and other organs only absorb iodide. For example, only iodine will absorb in the prostate and stomach while iodide will absorb in the salivary glands, skin and the thyroid.[2]

This is why we should not take a supplement that contains only iodine or iodide but instead we should consume a supplement that contains both. One example of a supplement that contains both iodine and iodide is Lugol’s iodine.

Surveys conclude that numerous pregnant women in the United States, while not showing signs of iodine deficiency, obtain insufficient amounts of iodine.[3]  Dr. Flechas also states that a mild deficiency in the early years of life will manifest as attention deficit disorder.[2]

The World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) recommend an iodine intake for pregnant women of 250 mcg per day.[4] However, the average intake is much greater in in some parts of the world. For example, the average intake of iodine in Japan is considerable greater at 13.8 mg per day.

Many clinical nutritionists agree that we need considerably more iodine than the minimal amount that the WHO and other organizations are suggesting. These nutritionists also agree that the RDA was set to prevent goiter and does not take into consideration all the other bodily functions that require iodine.

The absence of iodine in a cell may allow cancer to form. The protective effect of iodine against breast cancer has been well documented in Japanese women who consume iodine-rich seaweed and have a low rate of breast cancer.[5][6] Iodine is known to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in breast cancer cells.[7]

A decrease in the incidence of death rate from stomach cancer after supplementation with iodine has also been reported.[8] Researchers have found a correlation between iodine deficiency and gastric cancer.[9][10]

And the list goes on; the lack of iodine can also lead to hearing loss and deafness according to Mayo Clinic.[11] Research suggests that iodine supplementation might be helpful for the treatment of fibrocystic breast disease.[12]  After a nuclear accident iodine supplementation may save your life.[13] PCOS (poly cystic ovaries) may benefit from iodine supplementation.[14]

Iodine is required for synthesizing thyroid hormones and is an integral component of them. When a person is deficient in iodine, hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) occurs. Symptoms may include mental slowing, depression, fatigue, goiter, weight gain and low body temperature.[15] Estrogen inhibits the absorption of iodine. That is why more woman have underactive thyroids than men.

According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH) the best food sources of iodide and iodine are sea vegetables.[16] I eat sea veggies from the Atlantic Ocean such as dulse and kelp on a daily basis and also consume a number of other ocean plants such as arame, hiziki, kombu, and wakame on occasion.

I suggest that everyone find a source of iodine that feels right for them and be conscious of your intake. But since iodine is a brain stimulant, it is not advised to take it before going to sleep.

[1] McNeil, Donald G. Jr (2006-12-16). “In Raising the World’s I.Q., the Secret’s in the Salt”. New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-04.

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBM2qWKkFxE

[3] Perrine CG, Herrick K, Serdula MK, Sullivan KM. Some subgroups of reproductive age women in the United States may be at risk for iodine deficiency. J Nutr. 2010 Aug;140(8):1489-1494.

[4] World Health Organization. United Nations Children’s Fund & International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders. Assessment of iodine deficiency disorders and monitoring their elimination. 3rd ed. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, 2007.

[5] Smyth PP (July 2003). “The thyroid, iodine and breast cancer”. Breast Cancer Research: BCR (review) 5 (5): 235–8. doi:10.1186/bcr638PMC 314438PMID 12927031.

[6] Smyth PP (2003). “Role of iodine in antioxidant defence in thyroid and breast disease” .BioFactors (Oxford, England) (review) 19 (3–4): 121–30. doi:10.1002/biof.5520190304.PMID 14757962.

[7] Shrivastava, A. (2006). “Molecular Iodine Induces Caspase-independent Apoptosis in Human Breast Carcinoma Cells Involving the Mitochondria-mediated Pathway”. Journal of Biological Chemistry 281 (28): 19762–19771. doi:10.1074/jbc.M600746200ISSN 0021-9258.PMID 16679319.

[8] Golkowski, F.; Szybinski, Z.; Rachtan, J.; Sokolowski, A.; Buziak-Bereza, M.; Trofimiuk, M.; Hubalewska-Dydejczyk, A.; Przybylik-Mazurek, E.; Huszno, B. (2007). “Iodine prophylaxis—the protective factor against stomach cancer in iodine deficient areas”. Eur J Nutr. 46 (5): 251–6.doi:10.1007/s00394-007-0657-8PMID 17497074.

[9] Abnet, C. C.; Fan, J. H.; Kamangar, F; Sun, X. D.; Taylor, P. R.; Ren, J. S.; Mark, S. D.; Zhao, P. et al. (2006). “Self-reported goiter is associated with a significantly increased risk of gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma in a large population-based Chinese cohort”. International Journal of Cancer 119 (6): 1508–1510. doi:10.1002/ijc.21993PMID 16642482.

[10] Behrouzian, R.; Aghdami, N. (2004). “Urinary iodine/creatinine ratio in patients with stomach cancer in Urmia, Islamic Republic of Iran”. East Mediterr Health J. 10 (6): 921–924.PMID 16335780.

[11] http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/sodium-iodide-oral-route-injection-route-intravenous-route/description/drg-20066037

[12] Kessler JH. The effect of supraphysiologic levels of iodine on patients with cyclic mastalgia. Breast J. 2004 Jul-Aug;10(4):328-336.

[13] http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/pub_meet/Iodine_Prophylaxis_guide.pdf

[14] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15927769

[15] Felig, Philip; Frohman, Lawrence A. (2001). “Endemic Goiter”. Endocrinology & metabolism. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-022001-0.

[16] http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/#h3

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Acid Reflux, Treat the Cause, Not the Symptoms

Stomach acid is essential for good digestion and absorption of nutrients from your diet. Suppressing stomach acid only treats the symptoms, it does not treat the cause of the disease. In fact, it can actually make things worse. Taking acid blocking drugs long enough will cause numerous nutrient deficiencies, including vitamin, mineral, and especially vitamin B12 and amino acid deficiencies.

Studies have shown that people who take acid blocking drugs long term, may end up with a variety of illnesses including osteoporosis, hip fracture, IBS, fatigue, nerve damage and eventually dementia. Long term use can also lead to an overgrowth of clostridia in the small intestine that can be life threatening.

Stomach acid, also called hydrochloric acid (HCL) is needed for both, separating vitamin B12 from food to make it absorbable and also for breaking down protein rich food so that the amino acids can be absorbed. Not enough amino acids can lead to depression, insomnia, brain fog, anxiety, trouble building and maintaining muscles and more. Amino acids are precursors for essential neurotransmitters which are needed for proper brain function.

Stomach acid is essential for killing bacteria and other pathogenic organisms that might be ingested while eating or drinking. If the stomach acid is too low, these pathogens can colonize in your intestines and cause many health problems.

When pathogenic organisms take up residence in your digestive tract, they can create gas and bloating while feeding on the food you have eaten. The pressure from the gas and bloating can push up through the stomach and then through the upper stomach valve (esophageal sphincter) causing acid reflux.

A urine test or breath test for small bowel bacterial overgrowth can diagnose the presence of certain strains of bacteria.

Hiatal hernia can also cause acid reflux. This can be diagnosed with an x-ray. Extra fat around the midline can also contribute. Stress is another contributing factor.

Food allergies to gluten and dairy products may also contribute to acid reflux. I suggest completely eliminating these two foods for a month or so and see if it makes a difference. Other food allergies may also be a factor.

Nutritional deficiencies can also lead to acid reflux. If you are on a low sodium diet you might become deficient in the minerals sodium and chloride. Zinc, magnesium, vitamin C and B vitamins are also needed to have a properly functioning stomach.

Helicobacter pylori, is another common cause of acid reflux. However, unless you go to a holistic or functional medicine doctor, you most likely will not get tested for it unless you have an ulcer. H-pylori can be diagnosed with a simple stool test.

Numerous holistic and functional medicine doctors have been testing their clients who have acid reflux and finding that most of them have low stomach acid levels. Not high levels!

The following is an example of how low stomach acid can lead to acid reflux.

When the acid level in the stomach is too low, the upper stomach valve might not stay closed and the acid from the stomach can leak up into the throat. Our body needs to sense enough HCL in the stomach in order for the upper valve to stay closed properly. Note that in this case, acid reflux is caused by low stomach acid and not by high stomach acid. It is very often the case that people identify acid reflux as having too much stomach acid while most of the time it is caused by not enough stomach acid.

 

Traditional medical doctors are trained to prescribe acid blocking drugs to treat the symptoms and seem to overlook the dangers of using these drugs. Instead they should be testing the person’s stomach acid level, testing for microbial overgrowth or looking for other causes.

The gastric analysis by radio telemetry test is the most accurate way to measure stomach acid. One just needs to swallow a small capsule with a radio transmitter that measures the pH of the stomach. The result of this test provides you with a graph showing your pH levels at regular intervals over time. If the test shows the HCL level to be low, a betaine HCL supplement can be taken with meals to raise the acid which may keep the upper valve closed when food is present.

There are also two other tests. These can be done at home but are not very accurate. The baking soda test is performed by drinking ¼ teaspoon of baking soda mixed into 5 ounces of water first thing in the morning after waking up. Because the baking soda is very alkaline and your stomach should be very acidic, it will produce carbon dioxide gas that causes burping. You need to measure the exact amount of time that passes from the time you drink the solution until the time that the burping starts. The result gives you an idea of the amount of HCL in the stomach. If it takes more than five minutes to start burping, in may mean that you have low stomach acid. Please note that this test is not always accurate because there are many variables that can give false results.

The betaine HCL test for low stomach acid is the most reliable at home test you can perform. The test is done by taking a betaine HCL pill in the middle of a protein rich meal. If there is no burning sensation after the meal, then do the same thing at your next protein rich meal. If you do this several times and there is no burning sensation, most likely you have low stomach acid.

You may then take 2 pills in the middle of your next protein rich meal and wait to see if there is a burning sensation. Again, if there is no sensation, do the same thing at your next protein rich meal. You can raise the amount of pills by one after every few protein rich meals and see how many pills it takes to feel the burning sensation. When you finally get to the point that you feel the burning, you should then take one less pill during the next meal.

Now that you have determined how many pills your body needs, continue to supplement the HCL with protein rich meals. Over time, your body should need less and less of the HCL supplements as your stomach acid levels normalize. Eventually, you should be able to go off the supplement and not have reflux if the reflux was caused by low stomach acid.

If you have acid reflux, no matter what the cause, it is important to avoid overeating. You will also need to avoid acidic food items such as tomato sauce, fried food, soda, coffee, alcoholic beverages, spicy food and citrus. It is also very important to not eat for a few hours before lying down.

I suggest working with a qualified practitioner who can help you find the cause of the reflux and then slowly wean you off acid blocking drugs. Quitting acid blocking drugs can be dangerous if not supervised by an experienced doctor.

And last thing I would like to share is that there are nutritional supplements that can help. Probiotics are essential to colonize the intestines with good bacteria. DGL (deglycerized licorice) can help with the symptoms. Magnesium is an important nutrient for the proper function of the valves at the top and bottom of the stomach. These valves are actually muscles and muscles need magnesium. And a high quality multivitamin and protein supplement will help replenish nutritional deficiencies that were caused by the acid blocking drugs.

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