Kelp
For iodine intake I have made delicious "Kelp Tea" (tastes like clear broth) by steeping Wakame seaweed in hot water and sipping it. The label states it is Australian Certified Organic and comes from icy cold, clear waters off eastern Canada. I presumed this to be a natural source of iodine but now wonder if heavy metals are undoing any good I thought it would do. Any ideas?
Kelp
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
I want to warn people that not all kelp powder is safe to take due to its heavy metal contamination. My husband and I have supplemented with powdered kelp at the suggestion of our naturopath, for 28 years. Although I had a hair analysis done about 10 years ago in the USA, nothing showed re the arsenic levels. Fortunately this product was safe. However, after returning to Australia, we started consuming King Island kelp from 'pristine waters' south of Australia. Less than twelve months later, our hair started to fall out, we had mental confusion, lack of energy and failing memory, to name a few symptoms. Our son suggested another hair analysis and the results were horrific - both of us were off the chart with arsenic overload. Blood and urine tests confirmed this. Lab testing of a kelp sample found considerable arsenic - organic and inorganic. We bought what was advertised as organic kelp, which means nothing, we now realize, as it was not certified organic. When I see kelp mentioned as an alternative to iodine, I shudder!!!
Kelp grows on rocks at the bottom of the sea, some of which contain arsenic. If heavy metals drain into the waters, the kelp naturally absorbs them readily. You may even be consuming one of the nasty brothers, such as cadmium, mercury, etc. without realizing it.
We are now taking Lugol's Iodine (2%) among other supplements for detoxing and have found Dr. Brownstein's experience and knowledge of great assistance.
I hope this saves someone the misery we have gone through over the last five years.
(Melbourne, Australia)
12/26/2012
(Melbourne, Australia)
05/29/2014
Sorry Annie, I didn't check out responses to my warning in 2011 until today. You may have already found a supply by now. However, I bought my iodine from Chemist Warehouse. It is David Craig Aqueous Iodine Solution and they have to get it in for you as they don't normally stock it on the shelves.
All the best. Julie
(Essex, Uk)
11/02/2015
You say kelp grows on rocks, this is how it used to be, now it is factory farmed, where it really is organic and pure with no contaminants or metal. IF it is not farmed then it is not guaranteed to be pure. Different kelps also have different amounts of iodine in depending on their quality so one tablet from one manufacturer can be weaker than two from another.
Kelp
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Seaweed, Kelp, are high in arsenic and mercury. I was doing research into taking these as a 'natural' form of iodine. I changed my mind after reading up on it. Liquid Iodine and Acv has been working well for me.
Kelp
Hi Bill, I posted a question here on 23/01, I suppose you didn't see it.... I can find the beginning of it if I do a search using my name but it sends me to today's latest posts. I have no idea how to open the page correctly. It was about the quantity of iodine in my kelp drops which I take three times a day and which seems to be quite different from the tablets you talked about. My drops, from Swiss Herbal Remedies, contain 333mg per 20 drops, the quantity I take three times a day, meaning that I take 999mg a day. Do you think that this is the correct dosage?
(Marrakech, Morocco)
02/02/2011
Francisca, here is your original post :)
01/23/2011: Francisca from Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France writes: "Thanks for all the information Bill. The kelp I take comes from a company called Swiss Herbal Remedies and is in liquid form. They say one should take 20 drops 3 times a day and according to the information on the bottle 20 drops equals 333 mg so it can't be the same you tried as this would equal 1000 mg a day. I don't really know anybody who owns pets at this moment as we hardly know anyone here in France but if they stop selling MSM I will surely see if I get to know a vet.
I am trying to contact a company called Solgar which manufactures the MSM powder I bought because on the bottle it says that the whole bottle only contains 3g of MSM while their pills contain 1g a pill, how can that be? And it also means that all the powder in the bottle is something else, including anti-caking agent silicon dioxide which I probably neither need nor want. It comes in a big jar containing in total 226g of powder. I didn't buy the pills because they contain magnesium stearate. I know that for the most part the recommended daily allowances are useless. But the fact that Big Pharma now owns most of the supplements company makes it even more intriguing that the EU wants to ban many supplements.
(San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines)
02/02/2011
Hi Francisca... Many apologies for not replying to your original post on this, I must have simply missed it.
The use of Kelp tincture by Swiss Herbal Remedies should do you no harm. I used kelp tablets for a while but, when I eventually checked the label, I found out I was only taking only about 150 MICROgrams of Iodine per tablet. So to get the proper daily dose of 12.5 MILLIgrams of iodine/iodide, I would have had to take about 100 tablets per day!! Your kelp extract will certainly help your thyroid but the recommended dosage will not be enough for the rest of your body's iodine needs. However, it's also well known that kelp sources contain high mineral content -- so this will be beneficial for you as well. I would simply use the kelp's recommended dosage until it is used up, then buy some 5% lugol's iodine over the internet afterwards.
Regarding your MSM Powder by Solgar, I've had a look at this product and I've seen photos of the back label ingredient list. Being a powder there are no added stearates, phosphates etc because these are only added to form tablets. The only other added ingredient besides MSM appears to be silicon dioxide -- an anti-caking drying agent which is a fairly inert form of silica that is not harmful. So the MSM Powder that you bought from Solgar appears to be safe enough to take.
(Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France)
02/03/2011
Dear Bill, thanks for all your good advice! I will look into where to find Lugol's. I can try Switzerland as it is next door to us as well as Germany or else when I go to Britain in March. If nothing works I will try the Internet but often the postage costs are horrendous.
Thanks for your ideas on Solgar's MSM as well. I have been taking the powder for maybe three weeks now, 1/2 tspoon twice a day but my allergy are not gone yet, not too bad but not gone. I am really starting to have the idea that as I always seem to have it and nothing really seems to help (itching eyes and throat, and after 7 years of not having a cold nowadays I often sneeze and have to blow my nose) it is not an allergy but Candida just Candida is so troublesome to cure (I usually read all your advice)... I am taking probiotics right now.
(Michelbach-le-bas, Alsace, France)
02/03/2011
Kelp
★★★★★
How bad is glutamic acid in nori? When the glutamic acid isn't added, but is simply a part of the food, is it equally as harmful? Nori is mysteriously delicious....
EC: Excerpt from a NYTimes Dining & Wine article: "Professor Kirshenbaum responded that nori contains a high concentration of glutamic acid and inosinate, two molecules that create umami flavor. And since two ingredients rich in umami flavor used together can produce a synergistic effect, cheese and truffles, which are often good sources themselves, may not be such odd partners for nori after all." http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/dining/09nori.html
More about Glutamic Acid, a flavor enhancer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutamic_acid
Abstract entitled: "Health benefits and nutritional properties of nori" http://www.springerlink.com/content/h15t30048j0r0447/
Kelp
need brief complementary info re: weal thyroid
I have a question (not a comment): What kind of sea-weed is the one that has the the iodine balanced with bromine and where can I get it? Thanks for providing the answer. Shlomo
(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
03/29/2009
Why would you want the bromine?!? Check out the research and findings from the Iodine Project and Dr. David Brownstein's book, "Iodine: Why You Need and Why You Can't Live Without It" Bromine is a goitrogen and toxic. It is a halide that blocks the absorption of iodine and makes iodine deficiency even worse. Check out the information out there on bromine, fluorine, and chlorine as they relate to your body's need for iodine. Iodine is the one you want, the others are toxic!
Kelp
★★★★★
Kelp: It works wonders for thyroid disorders. It can be given to cats dogs and humans. What ever the problem it will get the job done. Can be purchased at local heath food store. Used in cooking or can be added to pets food.
Kelp
★★★★★
Please tell those who are asking that I had read where, if ACV was taken up to 36 hours straight right after a stroke, that all symptoms would be reversed. Also, you might like to know that when a person is getting a transplant they should be on kelp as this helps the body to receive and accept the body part. If not on kelp most likely the body will reject as a foreign part. God Bless You , Fran. I use potassium base iodine not sodium. you can read about this on iodinesources.com-- should remove skin tags etc..
Kelp
★★★★★
Hello Please note that kelp is a well known chelation agent for toxins such as metals. Kelp broth is made by slowly heating a six inch long piece of kelp in 1 quart (pure) water for 1/2 hour minimum. Do not boil, as kelp gets slimey. Leave some small pieces of kelp in broth; discard the rest. Use broth in recipes, especially sukiaki. Remedy from Japan--I read that kelp eliminates over 1200 toxins from body--but somehow recognizes difference between, say, good iron and radioactive iron. High in Iodine, too. A remedy for eliminating toxins.
Kelp
★★★★★
Kelp is a herb with iodine in it. What I read was if you are going to get an organ transplant be sure and take kelp as it helps your body not to reject the organ.
Knee Issues
★★★★★
iodine cured Bad knee.
35 years with bad knee. joint would come off some times. always swollen. applied regular iodine externally three times a day. applied one week on and 4 days off. only the affected part would mildly burn and the knee will feel bug crawling inside the skin. after a week the bad skin looked like war zone. so gave four days break. new skin came after break. started the application again. itch started badly on the knee. applied Tea tree oil over iodine to stop the itch immediately. after 4 weeks knee shape came to look like normal. at this time the effected part squeezed to the size of a quarter. still kept on applying on the affected area and surroundings. pain went away after 3 weeks from the start up of the application. but didn't stop applying. this has been 4 months now. knee is like brand new.
i did switch from regular store available iodine to lugol's iodine after 3 months. started applying iodine to every family member's joint pain and cysts. iodine never failed to cure.
Margarita
★★★★★
One word to all suffering from Lyme: Margaritas.... Not kidding. Something about the combination of lime salt and tequilla works against parasitic infections. Think about it. Mexico, Margaritas, and the worst parasitic water ever but the Mexicans aren't suffering from Lyme. I tried it 3 times a day and no more Lyme.
(Va)
11/28/2013
Menstrual Issues
★★★★★
I had been menstruating for 7 weeks straight (very heavy) and went to my family doctor. She wanted to put me on birth control. I am 37 and I smoke so I didn't think that was a good choice. I decided to see me chiropractor who put me on the iodoral iodine and my menstrual period stopped in 3 days and has been regular for over 7 months. I also feel better and have more energy. I can tell if I haven't taken them. I start to feel "blah".
Menstrual Issues
★★★★★
I totally cured my PMS, as I used to have severe anxiety, temper flare ups and acne. I paint myself with 2% tincture of iodine every AM & PM. Noticed the change within 2 days! Also, my allergies went away, my teeth weren't sensitive anymore.
Recipe: Paint about a 2" X 2" area on your stomach area, always moving the spot around to different locations (or the skin gets dried out and itchy). Just two days ago I forgot to paint in the morning, by evening I had a acne starting to form on my chin, I quickly painted my tummy, and when I awoke the next day it was gone!
If your paintings don't absorb then you can put off painting, maybe every other day. It means your iodine level is okay, maybe you really don't need any. However, I read that 80% of Americans are iodine defficient. They used to put iodine in all of our flour products (before 1966), then they discovered bromide, it is easier, cheaper, less messy and makes ingredients mix well, so it's in all of our bread, flour products (except "sprouted grain" breads/products & 100% organic) cakes, even Gatorade and Mountain Dew (it was found in Dansani water too)!
Fluoride, chlorine, bromide & iodine are all halogens, their atomic weight determines which one deletes the other, fluoride being the winner (doesn't that make you happy). Iodine is the loser, so all three delete iodine. That's why we are all deficient, we cannot escape fluoride, chlorine and bromide! So, paint paint paint, you only absorb what you need!
EC: We asked Donna for more information...
(USA)
Glad you are so interested. Yes! The iodine dyes the skin--sort of-- it is suposed to, so you can see when it's gone. Your skin isn't really dyed--as it absorbs into the skin. If it absorbs (disappears) before 24 hours then you are iodine deficient. If you buy the colorless iodine then you will never know if you are iodine deficient or not.
As 80% of us in the U.S. are iodine deficient, it's a good guess you are one of us! I painted a friend visiting from Europe--her painting lasted 75 hours!!! There's no fluoride, chlorine or bromade in their water or bread. So, her thyroid is working, her body did not absorb it because she had sufficient iodine in her, and she is 67 years old.
The thyroid cleans the blood every 17 minutes and sends out messages in the blood to care for the hormones and all of your glands and organs. If the thyroid is iodine deficient then it cannot work properly. The good news is that you can abuse your throid for 10 years or more before it just cannot do it's job, and then it slowly goes out. It starts by depriving something- whatever it feels is least important to your well being, your face may break out, your hair may get thin or dry, you may get dark circles under your eyes, you may feel dizzy or slow. It's not something you really even notice for years, and then something bad happens.....cancer, diabetes, heart attack (impurities in the blood cause the vessels to clog), etc.
The good news is it only takes the thyroid 3 months to be strong again with feeding it iodine. However, I will paint every day because our society is so busy depleting iodine in our food. It used to be in our soils, it raines down on us from the sky, now we pesticide and chemicalize our soil to death. Just don't forget that the thyroid regulates how much oxygen gets into the blood. So, take another simplistic step back & go to "iodine" and cure your thyroid.
More regarding your thyroid: your thyroid is 65% iodine. It also regulates the oxygen that gets into your cells. Lack of sufficient oxygen in your cells is the root of all cancers. And, everyone who has died from cancer is found to have a deficient thyroid gland. A low body temperature (under 97.6) is also caused by low thyroid function, this is your first signal that something is wrong.
Sea Kelp pills also supply iodine......painting though, w/ iodine, is always there for your thyroid to feed on!
Lugols is a stronger iodine, it is 6%, so just doing the math-- if 2% should stay on for 24 hours then Lugols should stay on 72 hours. Just go with the drug store 2% variety, mine is Swan brand, and watch it absorb, if yours disappears really quickly then as a daily painting you could use the stronger Lugols. Or you can buy Iodoral tablets on the web. They are 12% iodine. I take one every other day. However your thyroid can only absorb a very small amount everyday, you cannot force it to drink more than it can absorb naturally. The excess isn't wasted though, it uses the excess that you feed it daily to help regulate the organs and blood. But I feel that painting is the best, I will paint every day the rest of my life.
Hope your iodine stays on for days!
(USA)
11/24/2005
I am encouraging people to get their doctor to test their thyroid these days, as I have found so many people in dangerous levels. Turns out that doctors do not just test it automatically, you have to ask. And, they aren't up to date with reading the results, anything over 2. for the TSH is going bad. 1.5 is perfect. Old rules were 3. was okay.
(USA)
07/20/2006
In Dr. D. Brownstein's book "Iodine, why you need it why you cannot live without it" he mentions a way to detoxify. It seems that if we do not absorb iodine--or, if you get symptoms of iodine sufficiency (watery nose, excess saliva, frontal headache, tiny lesions on upper body), it may not actually mean that you have enough. It may be because our iodine receptors in our cells are clogged with fluoride and bromide (as they mimick iodine). You need Iodoral pills or the equilavent amount of Lugol's-- 50mg a day taken all at once with your thyroid med (if you take it). It flushes out the fluoride and bromide. I tried this, the first 4 nights I sweat like pig. I continued the 4 Iodoral pills for one month. I feel great now.
Even if you absorb (which I did), I think this is good for you. Try the Iodoral for a week - one pill a day- -to make sure it agrees with you first. A rash means an allergy. By the way, you only absorb 12% of what you paint~~the rest goes up in the air...it's a halogen. Publication #4 at www.optimox.com explains why some doctors are afraid of iodine, it was a faulty study-- one study and our health was sacrificed!
(Shellharbour, Nsw Australia)
07/12/2012
Hi, I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism 2 years ago, I was put on Thyroxine, after about 12 months with blood tests showing my levels were good, but I am still very symptomatic.. Very fatigued, always tired, dry skin and continuing hair loss which depressed me, my doctor then put me on Anti-depressants. Nothing changed, still tired & still losing hair, it is so thin now that I can only wear it in a ponytail. I am also taking a herbal Thyroid remedy. I have been told about this Aqueous Iodine solution and would love to start taking it... My question is... Can I take this solution as well as my Thyroxine & the natural remedy as I have read that if you take too much Iodine you can end up with Hyperthyroidism which I DON'T want... Can someone please help to sort me out...!!!
Cheers.. "desperate"
No, it's NOT TRUE that "if you take too much Iodine, you can end up with hyperthyroidism", as Iodine is not powerful enough to make you hyperthyroid, if you're hypothyroid.
Further, you won't harm yourself, if you take too much Iodine, because Iodine is water-soluble, and your body will use what it needs at the moment, and very easily eliminate any excess through the urine.
Iodine is a very-very necessary supplement.
However, there are a few very powerful special interest groups that are hell bent for taking away your access to Iodine.
For many years since 1948 they sent us lots of fear messages based on the (recently debunked) "Wolff-Chaikoff Effect" that erroneously claims hypothyroidism is caused by excessive Iodine intake.
Those special interest groups have iodophobia, and iodophobia is contagious.
Their iodophobic bioterrorism is a real threat to our nation. While they're masquerading as guardians of our thyroid gland, they don't realize that one of the easiest and most effective ways to destroy a nation is through the removal of Iodine from the food supply.
(The Beach, Canada)
07/12/2012
ix-nay the natural thyroid meds and add wheat grass juice for energy and a shot of Aloe Vera juice for skin and hair. Incidentally the wheat grass is great for hair as well. As you improve work with your MD to come off anti depressants they will only add more symptoms eventually. Hope this helps it did me. Sara
(The Beach, Canada)
07/12/2012
(Melbourne, Australia)
07/12/2012
A lot of people are in the same boat, but you have the advantage of being located in NSW. Search on Dr Sandra Cabot a real pioneer and specialist in women's thyroid issues. She is based in NSW, has a team working with her and does rural seminars. In the meantime, look at about.com/thryoid - Mary Shamon has research on Vitamin D and selenium which helped me to make the thyroxine work more effectively. Taking more iodine is reported in most places as being problematic - see www.thyroidbook.com , unless you are under a practitioner and they are constantly testing what is going on. See hopeforhashimotos.com Good luck.
(Tampa, Fl)
11/08/2012
Sara- I, too, went through the same run-around with the Thyroid: prescription drugs for Thryroid, anti-depressants, etc.. Nothing they gave me worked and they would not listen to me. I felt like I was going crazy.
Fast forward to 2012, I became VERY sick and tired of feeling horrible alll the time. My long list of symptoms became so numerous, I felt like I was losing my mind and came close to quiting life.
So, I started researching my signs, symptoms, and possible causes. Through my research, I discovered that the thyroid and the entire endocrine system (metabolic system) is all linked together like a house of cards or dominoes. If one falls, they all fall. If one is off, others are off. The hypothalmus, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, thryroid, liver, kidneys, etc... are all controlled by the timing of hormones/glandulars. Learned women have many different glands and hormones in their body that are vital to life which involves more than just estrogen and progesterone. If you go to You Tube, start researching all things related to the endocrine system and metabolic system. Look into Adrenal Fatigue/Adrenal Failure (convinced that is what happened to me after many years of hormonal and metabolic system chaos). Through trial and error over the last year, I finally found some very simple "remedies" that have worked for me the last few months.
**Trust yourself and your instincts. Question and research your symptoms. You know your body best. You know what feels normal... And what doesn't.
1- High protein diet
2- Low sugar
3-Vitamin B-100 tabs
4- Iodide and Iodine Painting (b/c of this blog)
*5- Adrenal Caps-I took for a few weeks to build up my adrenal glands.. BUT please research. You may not be as bad off as I was. I only take when I need them now.
6- Women's Multi-vitamin
**Thank you to all on this post and blog for this wonderful Iodine tip. Sounds stange, but I literally felt it work. Took about 15 minutes after painting on iodine/iodide. Was as if someone was adjusting a fuzzy channel on a TV(my brain before) then "zip" adjusted to a clear channel... The fuzziness in my head was gone. Weird!!
Again, I tried many natural items like natural Thyroid glandulars and natural female hormones. However, they did not work for me long term. The items listed above have made me a new person. Just wish I started researching a long time ago. Now, I have another ovarian cyst that is definately related to the endocrine/hormonal break-down.
Just started ACV and L-Lysine today for the cyst and to further supplement my metabolic health. Thanks to all for the wonderful tips.
Aimee:)
(Vancouver, B.C., Canada)
11/18/2012
(Essex Uk)
11/02/2015
Multiple Cures
★★★★★
Since I get such great benefit from this site and all of your reportings, which I appreciate so much, I am writing to tell you that Iodoral (iodine) has helped me tremendously. My thyroid has been low for many years now. I've taken many things for it to no avail. Also suffered from adrenal fatigue, parasites, leaky gut, excess heavy metals, heart palps and arrythmia, and candida.
I read Lynn Farrow's book on high-dose iodine after beginning Bill Thompson's candida program (also with great success so far, I might add - thank you Bill). I am not 100% cured so far, but I am very happy with the results of both. Bill's protocol is unique in candida-cure land, imo, because it includes Lugol's. I find I hate the taste of that and it is easier for me to use Iodoral.
So, main symptoms: Hair loss, constant fatigue, extreme brain fog, with heart palpitations and arrythimia, especially at night so I was sleep deprived.
Dosage: Started with 25 mgs. Iodoral with salt loading and all the suggested supplements in Lynn's book (you'll have to look it up). In one week, went up to 50 mgs. In a couple of weeks, went up to 100 mgs. All this is intuitive for me, mind you, and no doubt will be for you. A short time after that, went up to 150 mgs.
Now, I am not salt loading and taking Vit. C only sporadically, but still take all the other suppies with the Iodoral. Whereas my heart palps used to keep me awake, I now only notice them once in a while and they are very mild. The brain fog is greatly reduced (Hallelujah! ), hair no longer falling out like it was and I have lots more energy and motivation. Still taking my OTC adrenal and thyroid glandulars. I had stopped them when I started the Iodoral to see what would happen, but then began again and they seem very helpful.
Was it the candida protocol or the high-dose iodine, (or the stuff I do for leaky gut and parasites)? One led to the other and both have been winners. I say, without the iodine, the candida protocol would not be as effective. I just wonder if the Iodoral will be a lifetime thing? I know I'm a lifer on the candida suppies (plus the diet) but I'm happy to take them all to get these results. Quality of life is much more important to me than quantity. Many thanks.
