Iodine
Health Benefits

Benefits of Iodine for Health

General Feedback

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Posted by MrsMcBear (Shoreline, WA) on 06/21/2009

So much has been said about iodine, but here's where I get confused. It seems there are three types of iodine: tincture of iodine, povidone iodine, and Lugol's iodine. Which is used for what? It seems most of the posts don't say. For example, which iodine do you paint with? Can you paint AND take Lugol's iodine drops in water? Can you drink drops of povidone in water like you can with Lugol's, or is that not to be taken internally? I'm really confused and need a little clarification.

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
06/21/2009
495 posts

Hello to Mrs. McBear and all who are confused on iodine.

The only two solutions usually used internally are SSKI (Saturated Solution of Potassium Iodide) and Lugol's solution. I believe the Lugol's solution is a little stronger than the SSKI (but you can research the formulas for both to make sure of this. You should also be aware that either of these should be taken in unchlorinated water, as the chlorine will cause the potassium iodide to revert to iodine.

Povadine and Betadine are usually used for pre-surgical scrubs and/or handwashing.

You can paint the tincture of iodine on the skin, but I would hesitate to take it.

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn.)
06/22/2009
495 posts

Answers to those confused about uses of SSKI or Lugol's solutions (both potassium iodide solutions:

An excellent article on the use of SSKI can be found and printed off the internet by typing "potassium iodide" (omit parenthesis) in search window. Pull up reference from Tahoma Clinic which is an excellent article telling you what to use it for and how much to use. SSKI & Lugol's solution are both potassium iodide solutions for oral use, but of course most anything you can use orally can be used externally also.


General Feedback
Posted by Ted (Bangkok, Thailand) on 12/06/2006 391 posts

The most direct method of testing almost any deficiency is usually done via the urine as it detects early signs of the deficiency. By the time it shows up in the thyroid it is often too late.

This is also true of sugar: high blood sugar is too late, you have been diabetic too long. In fact I can even predict kidney stones a year before it happens: cloudy urine. Or I can predict 6 months in advanced that you will have a blood clot, leading to heart attack or a paralysis if the clot goes into the brain. Prepare a blood and view them with a cheap microscope.

If the red blood sticks to each other you have good chances of having a stroke, a blood clot, which can lead to a heart attack. I am finding a way to determine the "stickiness" of urine without such invasive technique. The budget don't require millions to find out, it only requres a couple of hundred dollars where most of the money is actually spent on the microscope!

But the use of scientific iodine detection is just really beating around the bush. You only need to know the optimum iodine intake free from political and medical monopoly bottleneck. If we just looked back where such bottleneck did not exist by going back long ago, here is an excerpt: http://optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-12/IOD_12.htm

"As far back as 100 years ago, U.S. physicians used Lugol solution extensively in their practice for many medical conditions (1). In 1932, physician B.N. Cohn (7) wrote: "…the widespread use of compound solution of iodine, U.S.P., (For the reader’s information, that is Lugol solution) is the result of a paper by Plummer and Boothby, published in that year (1923). Since then compound solution of iodine has been used by nearly every clinician ..."

Lugol solution was called then Liquor Iodi Compositus, (that is Latin for compound solution of iodine). Marine in 1923 (8) used a daily average of 9 mg iodide in the prevention of goiter in adolescent girls, an amount 60 times the current RDA for iodine. In Marine’s study, the prevalence of goiter decreased 100 fold compared to a control group following 2 ½ years of supplementation....

"First is the notion that the optimal daily iodine intake for humans is around 13.8 mg per day, which is about 90 times the RDA and more than 13 times the "safe upper limit" of 1 mg per day established by the World Health Organization."

We lie ourselves that this is the age of political correctness, it just an euphemism for supporting further medical deadlock on the health care system.

So when in doubt paint! And if you get do get hyper, or you get acne then just give the body a rest period you will know. Most of the bad symptoms officially listed are not that bad, they just ignore the obvious symptoms! The body must process the iodine to properly absorb them so one day apply, two day rest or you can apply alternate days is also a possibility.

Whatever happens, the optimum intake of iodine you can easily is something we are far off and away.

In case you worry about iodine poisoning. The antidote for iodine overdose is easy: chocolate or cocoa. It is high in bromine and it displaces iodine when the need comes. For some reason or another Russian scientist found that giving iodine and bromine will prevent and overdose and allows the body to better utilized them and did a study on school children.

One cruel joke is that bread are currently using the bromine process where the entire iodine process of bread making is removed. So what we have here is a runaway iodine deficiency to those that eat wheat, white flour and bread. Perhaps, to be safe anyway, they are best avoided because of these food is often acid forming.

Other authoritative websites don't tell you the antidote for iodine poisoning amazingly enough. However, the information can be easily found from any standard medical research journals if you really look them up either the local library or the internet. If you want medical profession to come clean, they will when everyone knows about it and hence, you need to know more than your doctors.

So the issue of whether the color stays on the skin is irrelevant if the purpose for you is to get a cure. I can tell you people after applying iodine can stay on their skin for days and I live in the tropics where weather throughout the year exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Even if it was proven to be true or not, you still are sick. So don't get side-track on the issue, it is something that these professions loved to do and it means spending even more money without a cure in sight.

Replied by Jarret
(Calgary, Ab, Canada)
03/09/2011

Ted, you say that the main ingredient in chocolate is bromine, and I assume you are referring to theobromine... The chemical formula for theobromine is C 7 H 8 N 4 O 2
so where does the bromine come from?


General Feedback
Posted by Dan (Largo, FL) on 09/16/2006
★★★★★

For a really insightful viewpoint on iodine, check out this lecture by Dr. David Brownstein (http://www.internetwks.com/clips/bsBCancer.rm) about iodine and its deficiency relationship to Breast Cancer. Note he also suspects an unproven relationship between an iodine deficiency and Prostate Cancer.

He mentions that the Japanese diet includes 14mg per day of iodine on the average (coastal Japanese ingest even more.) The US RDA is 150 ugs (micro grams) per day -- about 100 times less than the Japanese eat -- and the recommended upper level for iodine is no more than 1.1 mg/day, and they estimate the average requirement to be 95 micrograms per day or about 150 times less than the Japanese consume.

The 125mg Kelp tablets that I have from Vitamin Shoppe, have 225 ugs of iodine in them. Thus, to get to the Japanese level of Iodine (14 mg/day), I would have to take 62 of these tablets a day! Dr. Brownstein also states that iodine is stored in the thyroid which requires 6 mg/day and is also stored in a women's breasts and required for proper breast development. The breasts require 5 mg/day for a 110 lb woman.

And catch this... Breast cancer researchers have to starve test animals of iodine in order to be able to induce breast cancer in any significant number of them. Hmmm...

Another 2 mg/day of iodine is required by the adrenals, hypothalamus, pituitary, and other organs. Therefore, the total required iodine for a woman is 5 6 2 = 13 mg/day. The RDA is 150 ugs per day, so a woman would have to take 86 times as much as this to achieve the 13 mg/day needed by her body, and even more if she had a larger body or bigger breasts. A man has smaller breasts and his prostate requires somewhat less iodine than a woman's breasts. However, a man's body is generally larger than 110 lbs, so this would have to be factored into the total requirements for a man.

Dr. Brownstein states, "Over the last 30 years, iodine levels have fallen over 50% in the United States. Breast cancer rates have risen dramatically. Thyroid illness from hypothyroidism, autoimmune including Grave's and Hashimoto's, as well as thyroid cancer has risen dramatically."

Since the Japanese have so much iodine in their bodies (they're ingesting 100X our 150 ug RDA of iodine), and iodine is essential for dealing with radiation exposure, it makes me wonder what might happen happen if there were a mishap involving massive radiation exposure in a country such as ours where the iodine level is so pathetically low.

And this may well be an important consideration, as cancer rates have been shown to rise after radiation has been released into the atmosphere, which apparently happened quite a bit with the use of depleted uranium (DU) weapons in Iraq in 2003. Background radiation levels were measured at many times normal in England (click this link - http://www.llrc.org/aldermastrept.pdf - and check the graphs) just a few days after the fighting started in Iraq. Cancer rates in Iraq in 2001 were about 10X what they were before Desert Storm where much less DU was used than in 2003. The big problem is that the effects are global (see: http://www.mindfully.org/Nucs/2006/DU-Europe-Moret26feb06.htm). So, the problem for us is that the DU rounds burn up or pulverize and tend to stay in the atmosphere, allowing the "aerosol of sub micron" size to enter the slip-stream and come back to America to bite us all.

Therefore, we all need to be aware of any nutritional and purification techniques which will handle radiation.

I've just upped my iodine intake to 1.35 mg/day (6 kelp tablets of 225 ug each) and I feel warmer already (maybe this will help me burn off my excess fat even faster.)


Goiter

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Posted by Jessica (Chicago, Il) on 10/04/2011
★★★★★

YES I have to agree with the Iodine. I take 4 dropper fulls and literally in 48 hrs my thyroid/goiter (not noticible, but I can feel it when I swallow) has literally shrunk so well I can't feel it when I swallow anymore! I love IODINE!


Goiter
Posted by Nuri (Tacoma, Wa, Usa) on 01/04/2010

I grew up in the 1940S and 1950's in what was called "The goiter belt" of Northern Minnesota where many elderly ladies and men had huge growths protruding as much as 6 to 10 inches from their throats. Dad put 1 to 2 drops of red iodine into our 8 ounce glass of milk every morning for more than ten years. I do not know if this prevented us from goiters, but we are all goiter free and there were no apparent side effects as we are all physically healthy. A little wacky psychologically but I don't know if that had anything to do with the iodine.


Hardened Breast Implants

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Posted by Tiffany (Tampa, Fl) on 10/25/2010
★★★★★

I have breast implants and one of them had hardened. I was taking iodine drops for my thyroid, and it very quickly softened up the hardened implant.


Hashimoto's

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Posted by September (Los Angeles) on 10/08/2015

I have Hashimotos and take iodine tincture everyday. It caused a flare up when I first started but as soon as I added companion nutrients it completely stopped.


Hashimoto's
Posted by Eugene (Atlanta, Ga) on 03/05/2011
★★★★★

My GF has Hashi's and a goiter and with the help of Iodine (starting with a 1/2 of Iodarol pill and going to 50mg) her goiter went away first time in over 10 years and she is feeling much much better.


Heavy Metals

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Posted by Mary Louise (Sunshine Coast, Queensland Australia) on 01/04/2010
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

What I tried was iodine and firstly looked up google to find out whether there was a connection between liquid iodine and the removal of heavy metals, and guess what, there is!!!

SO, after taking 3 drops of iodine in a glass of purified water with a half a teaspoon of vitamin C powder, I found that I was getting a bunch of pain in my gums where I had mercury fillings removed. What astounded me was that the dentist and I could not identify which tooth was suffering the pain. After taking an x-ray, it was found that 3 teeth in the upper right quadrant were very deep, yet nothing that indicated any serious problem that may be causing me all the pain I was feeling. What I believe was happening is that after 6 weeks of taking the iodine and Vit C powder, that residue (if this is the right word to use, someone out there maybe help me on this one), was being removed out of my gums! After 5 days of pain wavering in and out, it completely went and there is now no more pain. Does anyone have any suggestions of what else may have been happening or who may support this experience/theory? I would be interested in hearing your points of view.

EC: Hi Mary Louise,

A few follow-up questions for you:

Are you taking Lugol's iodine or another type of iodine?
What kind of Vitamin C powder is it, Ascorbic Acid?
How much vitamin C are you getting in that 1/2 teaspoon of powder? 

Thanks!

Replied by Jake
(Chicago, Il)
01/04/2010

Mary Louise,

I have been detoxing with iodine and my understanding, and what has seemed to be working for me, is to take the vitamin C at least an hour after taking the iodine. I generally do an hour and a half to 2 and a half hours. The C then can mobilize the halogens the iodine has been displacing. Then an hour and a half or so later, taking sea salt in water 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon, helps to flush the halogens through the kidneys. The C as I understand will halt the iodine's working, if not taken at least an hour after the iodine when the blood levels peak.

For extreme gum pain and inflammation after serious dental work, nothing works like turmeric and curcurmin.
I'd give that try - as much as you need, for the pain you describe next time.


Hot Flashes

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Posted by Tammy (Pleasant Grove, Utah) on 06/07/2008
★★★★★

I have been having the hot flashes from Menopause the last year. I had been taking estroven or similar products, but found that Lugol's Iodine was more helpful and cheaper.


How to Take Lugol's

Posted by Francisca (Zug, Switzerland) on 02/05/2012

I am thinking of starting taking Lugol's tomorrow but I am still unsure of how to take it. I read a book but the author doesn't say anything about it and what I find on the Internet is contradictory. Some say to take it 30 min. before eating in a glass of water with ACV. Others say during the meals, someone here said 60 min. before the meal..... I have no idea! Does it make a difference and should I take it with the ACV?

Replied by Carly
(Seattle, Wa - Usa)
02/05/2012

Hi Francisca, I have been taking Lugol's topically. I am kind of worried to take it internally because I have many allergies / sensitivities to so many different things. I am wondering how others do the skin application.

I have been doing iodine foot painting, alternating bottoms of feet with my lower abdomen (ovary area) and breasts.

Doing approx. 1/3 of a dropper of 2% almost every day. I did back off a bit one time a month or so ago when I had some heart racing / palpitations. (They went away, and may have been because I had not been taking my magnesium as I should have been).

I am wondering if iodine painting compares in any way to taking it internally?

I have only read enough about it to be totally and utterly confused at this point. ;-)

If anyone has any information on this as well as Francisca's question, I would really appreciate hearing from them.

Thanks,

Carly

Replied by R.
(L.a., Usa)
02/05/2012

All by itself in a full glass of water is best for quick absorption, but it doesn't matter much. The most important thing is sufficient doses and regimen for a few months, I. E. at least 12.5 - 50mg - see e.g. http://www.optimox.com/pics/Iodine/IOD-08/IOD_08.htm

Replied by Lisa
(Rabat, Morocco)
02/06/2012

Francisca, the iodine yahoo group recommends taking it with food. This helps improve absorption and avoids any possible stomach upset. It is also recommended to take before 2pm as it can sometimes disturb sleep, though for me, if I have taken it later in the day, it hasn't affected my sleep.

Replied by Maria
(Gippsland, Australia)
02/06/2012

Hi Francisca & Carly, Whichever way you choose please only start with one drop per day and see how you go ie detox reactions. Personally I think a week or two before going to the next level of 2 drops per day. We have taken it a few ways eg: in a glass of water 60 mins before eating; in water with a little Apple Cider Vinegar 30 mins before eating; at first 5 - 10 min before meals.

I too have read different ways/times to take it. Taking it before meals 30 -60 seems to be more often recommended. Personally we are doing what is convenient for us because that way at least we take it. We also take the recommended selenium, magnesium and Vit C although not at the same time as the iodine time.

Replied by Lisa
(Rabat, Morocco)
02/06/2012

Carly, in my opinion, you don't always absorb all that you paint on your skin (evaporation and such) and since it is recommended to take 25-50 mg at minimum, I don't think you could paint enough to get that. If you don't have an allergic reaction on your skin, you should be able to take it internally. You can always do both.

Replied by Maria
(Gippsland, Australia)
02/06/2012

Hi Lisa (from Rabat, Morocco), Thanks for your info. I keep forgetting about the salt could you tell me how to take the salt? Also do you take the mag, selenium and vit c at the same meal or at a different time? Currently we add the grey coloured sea salt to all our meals. Thanks.

Replied by Lisa
(Rabat, Morocco)
02/07/2012

Hi Maria, I always take the mag. Selenium and vit C together. It's just easier that way. I have a liter water bottle that I add about a 1/2 tsp. Salt. Everytime I refill the bottle I add more salt. I am not a big fan of salt, but after doing this for awhile I don't like to drink plain water anymore. I also add extra to my food. As long as the salt is unrefined (usually gray or pink) it is okay to use and it has not affected my blood pressure. I believe it is the refined table salt that does this for those who worry about salt intake.

Replied by Lisa
(Rabat, Morocco)
02/07/2012

I should clarify my remarks about taking all the supplements together. I split up my doses of magnesium and vitamin C throughout the day.

Replied by Debbie
(Melbourne, Australia)
02/07/2012

Francisca, I take mine in a little milk. It masks the taste. Before meals would be better for absorption for sure. I don't think you can take it at the same time as Vitamin C. Get ready for really vivid dreams.

Replied by Francisca
(Zug, Switzerland)
02/08/2012

Debbie, I started yesterday with one drop but I took it with the meal, today as well. I will try to take it before a meal tomorrow. I usually dream quite a lot, let's see what happens! This seems to be Hulda Clark's recipe, 5% iodine, 7% potassium iodide. On the bottle it says that one can take quite a bit more but I will go up a drop at a time. So far so good..... Let's see! I don't want any trouble! I hope it will cure the bags under my eyes, my weak hair, cold feet, insomnia and a few other things. I will keep you posted. So far I tried Turmeric in the tea for the bags under my eyes as someone advised here without any results. I am taking Vit. C, selenium, magnesium, the lot, and eating some Cilantro (coriander).

Do you know what I am also trying out and which seems to be working? I am getting rid of my addiction to warmth. I have always been too cautious with keeping myself warm, during the day and at night, now I am getting rid of all those layers of chlothing and I have only a thin blanket in bed although it is winter here and very cold it is too! It feels weird to get rid of my thick jumpers and thick duvet in bed but I am getting there without too much difficulty! I read a book about skin care where the author says that it is awful for skin and hair to be always far too hot and that we can retrain our thermostat. I believe we can because if you look at the young people here in Europe going around in the winter with hardly anything on that really is possible. But well, this is a training you can hardly do in Australia!


Hypothyroid

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Posted by Maria (Hertfordshire ) on 06/26/2020
★★★★★

About twenty years ago I went to my doctor because I was putting on weight and feeling tired, she told me that I may have an under active thyroid, so she sent me for a blood test, and said if l do l would be on tablets for the rest of my life. So when l went home I checked my green pharmacy book and read about kelp for an under active thyroid. One week later I went back to my doctor for my results which she confirmed that I had an under active thyroid. I told her I did not want to take the tablets and I was going to try kelp, she suggested that after a month or so I would need another blood test to see how it went. So I went to my local herbal shop and bought powdered kelp, and I really enjoyed it on my avocados. When I went back for another blood test, my doctor said my thyroid had gone back to normal. And I don't take kelp very often.


Hypothyroid
Posted by Samantha (Edmonton, Alberta) on 10/26/2010
★☆☆☆☆

I have been using 12.5mg's of Iodine/iodide and selenium for 2 weeks now and it has been a Godsend up till now. After the 2 weeks were up I started having the same symptoms as before. Severe anxiety/fear, fatigue and really cold extremeties. I am convinced that I cannot be without a prescription now for Hypothyroidism, whether we use synthetic or non-synthetic. My symptoms cannot be stabilized without the help of western meds now. My TSH level were at 4.8, 3 months ago now. I will report back when I am on a prescrition med to let everyone know if there is a big difference. I see my PCP tomorrow.


Increased Energy, Better Sleep

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Posted by Mama To Many (Tennessee) on 03/08/2017
★★★★★

I have posted before about using iodine for low thyroid. I have used it for years with great results. Well, it isn't cheap and after I ran out a few months ago I decided to try something else. “Thyroid Energy” got good reviews so I tried that. It did seem to work for me. If I forgot to take it for a few days I would start getting a dry mouth, which is how I know my thyroid is doing poorly.

Well when I ran out of the Thyroid Energy stuff, I decided to go back to Iodoral, and I don't even know why I decided to do that. It arrived last week and I have been taking it with selenium and zinc and C and my other usual stuff.

Yesterday I realized that I have more energy than I have had in a while. In the late evening my mind is more clear and I am folding laundry (instead of “waiting until tomorrow.”) I am also sleeping more soundly.

I am pretty sure it is the Iodoral. You know, sometimes things change gradually and you don't realize they are changing. I think my energy got worse and my sleep got worse over time I didn't make the supplement change connection at all.

Iodoral is kind of expensive but at the end of the day, it is worth it, literally!

~Mama to Many~


Inflammation

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Posted by Jeanmarie (Seekonk, MA) on 01/21/2009
★★★★★

Lugol's Iodine that I ordered has given me relief from all-over-tissue-pain after searching for 12 years. I'm an N.D. candidate; therefore, shunned all meds, but the Dr.'s said my rheumatoid factor was sky high and every time I ate Sugar, Bread or overate or had anything much to eat, I would get inflamed and achy and wake up the next morning barely able to move. I've got an active 13-year old and wanted my mobility back. Every time I take it with food or shortly thereafter, my pain totally vanishes. I thought something was up when it would vanish for a period of time if I ate lobster or had a seaweed body wrap on vacation. It's the iodine!!! I take about 4-6 drops 3X/day. Eureka!!! I just wonder now if I'll have to take this for the rest of my life.



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