Benefits of Iodine for Health

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?

I tested for Iodine deficiency (urine test) which showed my Bromide levels were elevated and Iodine was deficient.

I have been taking 50mg per day of Iodoral for the past 5 months to hopefully excrete bromide and saturate with iodine. In addition, I have been taking a minimum of 3k mg daily of ascorbic acid vitamin c, 400 mg magnesium oxide, 200mcg of selenium and 1 pill of atp co-factors. These supplements are all in tablet form with fillers which might not be good!

My question is I would like to know what Ted recommends for excreting bromide so that Iodine can become saturated. There is a liquiod Iodine supplement called Lugol's that many people talk about... Please provide your recommendations!

Also, have you heard of Intramax, Intrakid and Intramin from Drucker Labs? Please provide your thoughts on these products!

Thanks, Mark

Hello again. I just started my family on Lugol's iodine. We are up to 3 drops in water/orange juice in AM. Last night my husband's back/leg pain was worse than usual. Would this have anything to do with an iodine detox? Also, this morning he was very irritable, probably due to pain but wondering if one has anything to do with the other. We also take a liquid multi each AM and hopefully there is enough supplements (selenium, boron) to help with the iodine reaction. Please advise if there are any suggestions to our current protocol and if we should just continue on this course, slowly working up to more drops each day. Thanks for any help. It is so nice to be able to heal ourselves from the inside out. Also, an interesting observation, our dreams are much more vivid after starting lugol's.

Also, Maggie, are you following the full iodine protocol? You should be taking Vitamin C, magnesium, selenium and unrefined sea salt (should be grey or pink in color). If you are having detox you can try taking 1/2 tsp. Of unrefined salt in 1/2 cup warm water and then follow with a full glass of water. You can repeat this every 30-45 minutes until urination. Before I started iodine I took lots of liver support. That might help you with detox issues.

There are many who are still either extremely skeptical or who are fearful of supplementing Lugol's Iodine for health. But, just recently, I have found a series of 5 videos by Dr Brownstein, who fully describes in detail why iodine -- in the form of lugol's iodine -- is so necessary for the body. He lists and talks about all the diseases and illneses which are actually caused by iodine deficiency -- and the number is profuse. He also presents all the statististics, history of use and current research evidence which may surprise you. This series of videos is based on his well known book -- Iodine:Why you Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It.

Here is the first video in the series(you can easily find the other 4 videos in the series on youtube):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj-dwWsm8D0&feature=related

Hello, I see that you're from the Philippines and I have a friend who would like to try Lugol's or Iodoral, but she hasn't found a good source and said that the stores don't carry it in her area. Could you steer me in the right direction. Is there a company that will ship to her and that won't cost an arm and a leg in shipping charges? Thank you so much!!

Hi Kami...You can buy 500 mls of Lugol's Iodine in Manila for delivery within the Philippines from this website:

Lugol's Iodine -- Manila

The above 500 mls or half liter of lab grade lugols iodine will only cost you 380 pesos($8.52) and is astonishingly cheap(and will last you for years) when you compare it's price against J Crow's LI(made in America) which costs a ridiculous $25 for just 30 mls of LI for equine use.

Other vendors of LI in Manila are shown below:

Light Infinity Wellness Center,
West Avenue, near Baler ST,
Quezon City
Tel: 414 10298
Website: http://callbizdev.wix.com/lightinfinitywellnesscenter

Generics King Pharmacy
San Francisco
930-G Del Monte Ave,
SFDM, 1104 Quezon City,
Philippines
Tel: 632-4116692
Link: http://www.genericsking.com

We need help. My husband read your remedies for iodine. He has some "skin tags" one under each of his arm pits. He also has what looks like a precancerous growth on his scrotum and another skin tag there. He read that Lugol's Solution of 5% Iodine put on 2-3 times a day would allow the skin tags to eventually fall off and the little growth on his scrotum about the size of a pea would heal from the inside out.

We have followed all the instructions for over 2 weeks. The only change is that the skin tags under his arms look like they are darker in color and are getting hard. They all are in a bad place as they all get rubbed whenever he moves. When applying the iodine, it now "stings" and I'm getting concerned!! We are not doctor people and he did show the little growth to his MD in Homer and the doctor said it was "no big deal". Al is 70 yrs. of age and we are wintering in the Phoenix area during the winter. I don't know what else to do. Did we buy the wrong iodine? I put neosporin and vitamin 3 oil on each thing after each application. Can you help us? I'm getting desperate!! Jan

Hi Jan, Might be time to try another approach if what you've been doing is either not helping and/or starting to hurt. Have you tried castor oil? It works wonders for so many skin-related issues, and I know I've read about it's helpful history with both skin tags and cancerous or possibly cancerous skin issues. It does not burn, is extremely gentle and safe with a long, positive history of helpfulness.

I wonder if a twice per day application schedule, leaving it on for at least 10 minutes during the day, as well as overnight might help? I'm sure I've read of something that can be mixed with it to get rid of skin tags more quickly. If I remember it, I'll reply again.

Best of luck to you and your husband.

I know this may be more costly than lugols, but I know for a fact in my own experience that essiac tea will talk care of skin tags and growths. Research it and you can even buy the powder to make your own so it is more economical for you. Hope this helps.

Hi again, I'm with Sara... Essiac tea taken internally can be wonderful for the skin, especially if any precancerous activity may be going on. Sara, can it be used externally as well?

I read somewhere that skin tags were a sign of to much sugar, like a warning of a prediabetic condition it might pay to check for sugar in the urine. Otherwise keep doing the ACV thing and they will fall off.

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?

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

Hello Everyone!

Does Iodine deficiency cause cracked feet? How do I know if I am iodine deficient? I have been suffering from cracked feet my whole life. I tried from A to Z nothing had been working. I will highly appreciate if someone will share thier thought here. Thanks

It's possible that you have a hypothyroid. One of the symptoms of a hypothyroid is severe cracked feet. Iodine might help if this is the case. You should check out the symptoms of hypothyroid and maybe get tested for it just to be sure. Some of the other symptoms are:

• Fatigue
  
• Weakness
  
• Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
  
• Coarse, dry hair
  
• Dry, rough pale skin
  
• Hair loss
  
• Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
  
• Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
  
• Constipation
  
• Depression
  
• Irritability
  
• Memory loss
  
• Abnormal menstrual cycles (usually heavy and/or long)
  
• Decreased libido (due to hormone imbalances and depression)

You can have your thyroid hormone levels checked by your regular doctor or do some simple tests at home to get an idea. Just be very careful if you are diagnosed with hypothyroid problems as regular doctors like to fix this by prescribing synthetic hormones which usually don't work.

One way to check your thyroid at home is to take your temperature a few times throughout the day. If it is below 98. 6 around 3 pm then it is very possible you have low thyroid function and possibly hypothyroid disease. You can go to these sites for help with temperature and thyroid info.

http://allonhealth.com/hypothyroidism-test.htm

http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/temperature/

Has anyone used Detoxadine Iodine? It is supposed to be more gentle on the stomach and it contains no alcohol which can trigger off allergies? I cannot find this Iodine anywhere on your site. Thanks Ted or anyone who is using it. Karenina

I have tried the Detoxadine and I don't think it is strong enough. It taste kind of good but I think it's too weak. I wouldn't recommend it.

I've tried the Detoxadine and it gave me hot flashes with only one drop a day. I stopped the supplement and went back on the Lugols. I've not had any hot flashes with the Lugols 2%.

Hi Karenina...Detoxadine is nascent iodine which only contains triiodide. It's also fairly well known that triodide forms of iodine do not detox heavy metals very well. Lugols Iodine is much better for detox. So naming it Detoxadine is just a contradictory marketing ploy.

That's why I always prefer to use lugols iodine because it contains iodide, molecular iodine as well as triiodide -- all of which are useful for the body.

The reason you get strange side-effects from using any form of iodine is because you have probably been eating a supermarket-bought processed food diet all your life which is high in heavy metals and other poisons and hugely lacking in anti-oxidants.

So your body will be lacking in anti-oxidants and will also probably have an excess build up of heavy metals and halides. To check this you can get a simple hair analysis -- this will tell you all vitamins and minerals your are lacking in your body and will also tell you about the excessive heavy metal and halide levels in your body as well.

Lugol's Iodine will detox cadmium, aluminum, mercury, lead, arsenic, bromine and fluorine. So if you have high amounts of these heavy metals and halides already in your body, iodine will remove them quickly from the cells and put them into the blood and this puts a strain on the liver and kidneys, hence the strange hyper symptoms. So the problem here is really your diet and not the iodine.

And if you also have an extensive infection in your body(known or unknown), iodine may also cause a significant Herx reaction from the die-off with more strange symptoms.

I take 8 drops 5% lugols iodine(50 mgs) per day -- been doing this every day for 8 years -- with no side-effects at all because I always ensure to take the iodine companion supplements like selenium, vitamin C, Magnesium, B Vitamins, Zinc etc as advised in this document:

The Guide to Supplementing Lugols Iodine(or Iodoral)

You should never supplement any form of iodine without also taking the iodine companion supplements every day as well. With iodine, start small and go slow is the rule.

Lugols Iodine and Iodoral are equivalent and are the most useful iodine supplements for the body.

Dr Brownstein has written an interesting review of his own clinical experiences using lugol's iodine. His work illustrates the necessity of taking both iodide and iodine in lugol's form -- which contains both iodide and elemental iodine. Here are some extracts:

One and a half years ago, I began testing my patients for the [iodine] loading test. Although I expected lowered body iodine levels, I was not ready for the magnitude of the results. After testing over 500 patients, I found that 94. 7% of my patients are deficient in inorganic iodine. Many of these patients were already being treated by me for thyroid and other endocrine imbalances, including SSKI. When physiologic doses of iodine/iodide were added to their regimen, many of these patients showed dramatic improvement in their condition, especially patients who were non-responders, even though some were taking SSKI.

Iodine deficiency is often thought of as synonymous with thyroid malfunction, particularly with the development of goiter. The research is clear that iodine deficiency can lead to cysts and nodules of the thyroid gland. David Marine reported the benefits of treating school-aged children with iodine/iodide (Lugol's solution) nearly 70 years ago. Marine looked at two groups: a control group and a treatment group, which received 9mg/day of iodine/iodide. The iodine/iodide treatment group had a 0. 2% incidence of goiter while the control group had a 22% goiter 110x difference. This was the first U.S. Iodine study showing the decline of goiter formation with the use of iodine. Shortly after this study, iodized salt was initiated which was a great success in eliminating goiter in the U.S.

In medical school, little was taught about iodine. Specifically, we were taught that the iodization of salt was implemented to prevent goiter and therefore no further iodine was necessary in the diet. After studying the literature on iodine, I realized what I was taught in medical school was incorrect. The iodization of salt was adequate to lessen the prevalence of goiter, but it did not address the rest of the body's need for iodine.

I was initially hesitant to use higher (>1mg) doses of iodine due to my concern about causing adverse effects. In reviewing much of the literature there was concern about larger doses of iodine causing hyperthyroid symptoms. However, a further, more exhaustive review of the literature failed to prove that iodine, in milligram doses ever was shown to cause hyperthyroid symptoms. In fact, as iodine levels have fallen over 50% in the last 30 years in the United States, autoimmune disorders and hyperthyroid symptoms have been increasing at near epidemic proportions.

After testing individuals and finding low iodine levels, I began to use smaller milligram amounts of iodine/iodide (6.25mg/day). Upon retesting these individuals 1-2 months later, little progress was made. I therefore began using higher milligram doses (6. 25-50mg) to increase the serum levels of iodine. It was only with these higher doses that I began to see clinical improvement as well as positive changes in the laboratory tests.

Why would people need the larger doses of iodine? Why have iodine levels fallen 50% in the last 30 years? As I pondered these questions, I came to the conclusion that the toxicity of modern life must be impacting iodine levels. It is well known that the toxic halides, fluoride and bromide, having a similar structure as iodine, can competitively inhibit iodine absorption and binding in the body.

Source: Clinical Experience with Inorganic Non-radioactive Iodine/Iodides

Clearly, from the above research, not all forms of iodine will have the same beneficial effect and smaller dosages seem to be insufficient for whole body iodine/iodide sufficiency. SSKI contains only Potassium Iodide(I-) but lugol's contains KI(I-) as well as elemental iodine(I₂), so they are not the same thing -- the former is the antioxidant ionic form and the latter is the pro-oxidant molecular form. Furthermore, although SSKI is extremely beneficial, lugols has a more widespread beneficial effect on the body because of the added elemental iodine(I₂).

Here is some research by Eskin and Ghent et al (1995):

Biol Trace Elem Res. 1995. Jul;49(1):9-19

Different tissue responses for iodine and iodide in rat thyroid and mammary glandsby Eskin BA, Grotkowski CE, Connolly CP, Ghent WR. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129, USA. This research describes the effects of short-term elemental iodine (I2) and iodide (I-) replacement on thyroid glands and mammary glands of iodine-deficient (ID) Sprague-Dawley female rats. Iodine deficiency causes atypical tissue and physiologic changes in both glands. Tissue histopathology and the endocrine metabolic parameters, such as serum TT4, tissue and body weights, and vaginal smears, are compared. A moderate reduction in thyroid size from the ID control (IDC) was noted with both I- and I2, whereas serum total thyroxine approached the normal control with both I- and I2, but was lower in IDC. Thyroid gland IDC hyperplasia was reduced modestly with I2, but eliminated with I-. Lobular hyperplasia of the mammary glands decreased with I2 and increased with I- when compared with the IDC; extraductal secretions remained the same as IDC with I2, but increased with I-; and periductal fibrosis was markedly reduced with I2, but remained severe with I-. Thus, orally administered I2 or I- in trace doses with similar iodine availability caused different histopathological and endocrine patterns in thyroid and mammary glands of ID rats. The significance of this is that replacement therapy with various forms of iodine are tissue-specific.

Editor's Note: As cited above, for iodine-deficient rats, iodine was more beneficial than iodide for the mammary gland. Similarly, for humans with fibrocystics breasts, the patients incurred more benefits from supplementing with iodine rather than iodide. The benefits included a reduction in breast size and remission of disease symptoms.

Source: http://www.breastcanceralternatives.org/iodineref.html

Therefore what becomes plainly apparent form all the above research are the following points:

* Iodide and elemental iodine do not have the same beneficial effects on the body because certain areas and organs of the body may specifically uptake only the iodide or only uptake the elemental iodine or even perhaps an intermediate form -- Triiodide(I₃-) -- arising from a combination reaction between the Iodide and Iodine forms to resolve problems. So both forms are therefore needed for proper whole body sufficiency.

* Larger doses of both iodide and iodine are needed to resolve major problems in the body. Microgram amounts will only ever satisfy the thyroid, whereas larger milligram amounts are unquestionably needed for whole body iodine/iodide sufficiency.

* A paradigm shift in the thinking needs to occur regarding the human body's requirement for iodine/iodine. The body needs 100 times more iodide/iodine than the thyroid -- which only requires the iodide form. Therefore medical thought should more correctly consider this iodine/iodide need as a whole body deficiency rather than just as a singular thyroid deficiency.

As to why Lugol's Iodine causes probems with some people can perhaps be put down to the elemental iodine content in the lugols which can be harsh on the stomach. Both Lugol's Iodine and Nascent Iodine both contain the Triiodide form -- the most biovailable and friendly form for the body which is also not harsh on the stomach. However, Nascent Iodine, because of its electromagnetic formation, contains far more triiodide than lugols. Because of this and whereas one drop of Lugols Iodine contains 6.25 mgs iodide/iodine, Nascent Iodine only contains about 0.6 mgs iodine per drop -- but because most of it is in the triiodide form, this form is absorbed into the body ten times more efficiently than the lugol's form. Triiodide can also easily be absobed sub-lingually or in the stomach and has a much faster action on the body than Lugol's Iodine. The one drawback here is that Nascent Iodine is much more expensive than lugol's iodine because it involves a more complex electromagnetic process.

iosol contains ammonium iodide take 50 drops per day for 1 month as a loading dose after that take 7 drops per day as a maintanance dose take plenty of water kelp contains potassium iodide for the thyroid take 1 gram with a pint of water 5 times a day monday thru friday on the weekend dont take any so the body can flush the excess potassium iodide from the thyroid

Would decoloration of tincture iodine with either desoluble vitamin C, lime or lemon juice reduce the strenghth or potency of iodine and its taste? Could anybody tell me the measurement for the decoloration?

Best regards.

Tincture of iodine is not to be taken internally, if that is what you are saying. I prefer to use Iodoral tablets so there is no taste, though they are a little more expensive.

You shouldn't take vitamin c and iodine at the same time. I add my iodine to milk (can't taste it), or to my chlorophyll solution.

Debbie, do you mean not take Vitamin C and iodine at the same time or not to take one at all if you are taking the other?

Hi Francisca, I read that you should take them but not at the same time... an hour or two apart should be okay.

I noted someone had problems with burning eyes from taking iodine. I have taken 250 mgs daily for about eight months, luv it. It has fixed all my ailments, My eyes burn, if I don't wash well, scrub my face twice a day, I believe the iodine is loading up in the skin oils, and making it alkaline, which burns the eyes if it contacts them. Anyhoo, scrub your face, keep the oil off and you will live long and healthy taking iodine. david lubbock tx.

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!

Just wondering if anyone has heard of the nascent iodine and if it provides the same great results as Lugol's iodine? Thanks all. I love this site. I have used it for all my family health issues.

Maggie, I believe 1 drop of nascent iodine contains .15 mg of iodine--you would need a lot of drops. Also, nascent does not saturate body tissues and detox halides such as bromide and fluoride. You are better off using Lugol's.

Dear Bill from San Fernando,

I have been taking iodine per your postings. 2 Drops of 2% every night in half glass of water. What is different between Lugols and Nascent Iodine, do you have to take 2 days off or can you take it everyday?

Thanks Bill

Hi Susan... Lugol's has been shown through research to alleviate and correct hypothyroid in dosages between 12.5 mgs and 50 mgs (2 and 8 drops 5% Lugols respectively). If you use the 12.5mg dose, it will take a year before full body iodine sufficiency is attained. If you take the 50 mg dose -- full body iodine sufficiency will be attained in about 3 months. I am not talking just about thyroid sufficiency here -- I'm talking about the whole body's need for iodine.

See this link:

http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james37.htm

Nascent iodine, to keep it simple, is the electrochemical form of elemental iodine and is the same as Atomidine -- what Edgar Cayce recommended. Certain people have iodine sensitivities and lugols iodine can have harsh effects on the stomach in certain people due to the iodine content. But Nascent Iodine tends to be much kinder and is also a highly bioavailable and tasteless form of iodine/iodide solution. It is, however, more expensive.

See this link for dosages and use of Nascent Iodine:

http://iodine.imva.info/index.php/iodine-dosages/

Also it would be advisable to take Magnesium Gluconate(250 mgs twice a day), Vitamin C(1000 mgs 3 times a day), Selenium(200 mcg twice a day) and zinc(25-50 mgs once a week).

The Selenium and Magnesium aid in certain thyroid enzyme processes to convert and store the iodine in the thyroid and to convert the T4 to the more active T3 thyroid hormone form respectively. Vitamin C has been proven to improve and increase iodine/iodide transport and absorbtion in both the intestines and into the cells and organs. These absorbtion problems are usually caused by excess bromine in the body which is chelated and removed by the Vit C. Zinc helps to improve the immune system and also helps to increase the rate and efficiency of metabolism in the body.

See this link for the most current and up to date research on iodine supplemetation by the Iodine Project:

http://www.optimox.com/pics/Iodine/opt_Research_I.shtml

The need for daily Iodine:

http://www.iodine4health.com/overviews/uses/panam_uses.htm

Bill, If I stop taking iodized salt, what si the right amount to takr of Lugols? 3 drops a day as the bottle says? I don't want any complication of taking too much and getting the thyroid overactive. I think a friend did that and got anxious and racing heart. But from what I'm reading here, it seems 2 drops would take a year then I don't have much to worry about? What are the symptoms of too much and how can one alleviate them? Any antidote? Also does painting on the foot help much to get it into the body? I will consider this nascent if Lugol's uspets the stomach too much. Thank you!

Hi Sasha... Up until the Second WW years, and for over a hundred years before this period, lugols iodine was used for a huge number of chronic problems and diseases. Doses of 300 mgs - 2000 mgs or about 50 drops to 300 drops were administered by doctors on a daily basis for chronic forms of emphysema, asthma and bronchitis (iodine has a tendency to accumulate in both the lungs and breasts and its effect is highly protective). Iodine is well known to be anti-pathogenic, anti-mutagenic and anti-cancer as well. And larger dose lugols was a successful treatment because, amongst all its other wonderful healing properties, iodine acts as a safe antihistamine, germ killer, blood purifier etc etc.

I took about 16 drops of lugols (100 mgs) per day for a while just to see what effect this would have on me. It had very little effect on me and so I concluded that because of its safe and long history of use in larger dosages by the medical profession in the past, those that do have problems with iodine now must have other problems with excreting the iodine from the body. This problem is not caused by the iodine -- this is because of other medical problems within that individual.

Foot painting with iodine would probably be useful just to maintain the small thyroid iodine maintenance levels in a fairly healthy body, but would not be sufficient to satisfy the whole body's need for iodine/iodide or enough to help cure such as hypothyroid conditions. The body also needs approximately a 100 times more iodine than the thyroid does -- so you cannot guarantee that even small amounts such as 2 drops will ALL go to the thyroid -- because the body, excluding the thyroid's requirement, needs iodine too in much larger amounts. This is why you must take larger amounts of lugols to get quicker and more satisfactory results.

The absorbtion of iodine by foot-painting, from the research, seems to be very small -- only about 12% of the iodine applied to the skin is ever absorbed into the body. Here is the article and research: http://thyroid.about.com/library/derry/bl2a.htm

Sasha,

I know this is not your question but I would replace the iodized table salt with unrefined Sea Salt. Refined salt has lost the other trace minerals and has added anti caking agents that you do not want to take, like Aluminum. Get unrefined sea salt like Celtic or unrefined mined salt Like Real Salt. The Iodine content is low in iodized salt and for the reasons I stated is not a good idea. Get your iodine from kelp (or other sea weed), seafood or supplements like Lugols. You can buy ground and dried sea weed and sprinkle it on food like salt. It has a salty flavor but will not impact BP as much and is a food source of iodine. Available in most health food stores.

As another option, if your stomach is an issue, you can take Lugols sublingually. Place some under your tongue and hold it for a few minutes. I don't know how much you will absorbed but it will be better than 12% as reported in foot painting.

Dear Bill from San Fernando,

How much pumkin seeds I have to eat in order to get 25-50 mgs in my body ? You recommend taking zinc once a week along with the iodine. Zinc(25-50 mgs once a week).

This is super info everyone! I'm going to try the iodine more fearlessly within the constraints of what is recommended here. I am going to try to get more seaweed into my diet. I'll look for some made in US East coast, not sure how all the radiation in Japan will affect things. I bought unrefined sea salt from a coop but it was pure white. I don't think it was truly unrefined but so tricky these days with ignorant or plain out false labeling in the states. Thank you Bill and Jc. I was told there was a link of Bill's typical supplement day, I am going to search through and find that here.

Does anyone know the link for Bill's routine use of supplements? I remember seeing it somewhere here. I found an older one here but I know there was an updated post with chanca. There are so many supplements here and I want to narrow them down but not miss any important ones. If someone can post a link of Bill's updated post on how he uses the supplements, please post it here. I've searched pages and pages but can't find it. Thank you very much!

Http://www.earthclinic.com/cures/fungus2.html

Hi Sasha... My own health routine is quite variable, however I always make sure that I take certain supplements on a regular basis. I tend to use natural more bioavailable ingredients rather than synthetic nutrients, which also tend to be more expensive anyway. And I avoid multi-vitamin tablets because they cannot be gauranteed to be dissolved properly in the intestines and be absorbed into the body, they also contain synthetic nutrients as well as additives and the nutrient amounts contained in the multi-vit pill are usually very inadequate. I therefore regard multi-vits as useless.

Everybody has their own emphasis in regard to their own health regimen. My own emphasis is that, unless you eat food that is entirely organic and grown on healthy soils and you can afford to do this, then you must continually defend yourself against the bad effects of chemically processed foods. Therefore, I never stop defending my body from the effects of modern food now. I live in the Philippines and in the semi-provinces which is fairly primitive. Most of my shopping is done at the big primitive markets here. I eat no canned or processed food. But I have seen many Syngenta and Monsanto test farms in my rural area and I am not fooled, so the food where I live cannot be regarded as organic or pure or safe if you like -- therefore I defend against this and continually use a defensive and preventative approach. Most of the European and American retirees here of my age suffer from heart disease, diabetes or liver disease. This tells me a whole lot about their food diets and their bad habits. I therefore conclude that bad nutritional habits are the hardest thing in the world to change because we so love to eat sweet, acid things, we enjoy big steaks and beer etc. People look to convenience as a way out, popping a bucket full of medical pills daily to cure all their problems whilst still continuing their bad habits!! This is so crazy. I see this everywhere in the Philippines.

I always alkalize as per Ted's remedies -- I use the lemon/lime remedy on most days -- and also use the sodium bicarb and water remedy for the blood.

As my nutrient baseline I use dessicated liver tablets every day. It's not perfect but liver contains all the necessary vitamins, amino acids and minerals. William Kelly and Max Gerson used organic raw liver, but there were still problems with parasites in the raw liver.

I also take organic debittered Brewers Yeast for the CoQ10, the selenium, B vitamins etc. I sometimes vary this by eating 2-4 brazil nuts(raw, unsalted) on a daily basis. Brazil nuts also contain Selenium as well as high amounts of other amino acids such as glutamine, tryptopan and cysteine.

All my cooking is done in virgin coconut oil -- very cheap in the Philippines.

I also take fulvic/humic acid in concentrated ascorbate drops for all my mineral needs. 5-10 drops a day. Fulvic acid also removes pesticides and drug poisons from the body. There are many other numerous benefits to fulvic/humic acid as well as described on this site.

Then I addtionally take nutrients that are always lacking in our diets such as iodine as Lugols Iodine(2-4 drops a day at least as maintenance), Magnesium and Vitamin C(as ascorbate -- no calcium -- 3000 mgs a day -- more if ill). I take the magnesium as Mag Chloride or Mag Malate or Mag Citrate(250 mgs 2 X a day). I take the iodine about once every two days now because my iodine levels are now correct.

The above is my nutrient baseline if you like. Most people, as I see it, will need these nutrients because of the drugs, poisons in our own food, water supply and environment and because of nutrients they lack and the rest below is really my own regimen for my own individual needs.

Other nutrients that I take not on a regular basis are Chanca Piedra ("StoneBreaker") and heart vine (tinospora cordifolia) in a combined home-made decoction (taken on a once-a-month basis for a week only) to get rid of excess calcium, removes aches and pains, anti-inflamatory, highly protective of the liver and kidneys, removes gallstones and kidney stones, strongly anti-viral and can cure Hepatitis B in less than a month. I also drink green tea and eat raw cilantro in salads which, as Ted has advised, helps remove heavy metals and I also regularly take 10% Sodium Thiosulfate(8 drops a day in a glass of water) to remove heavy metals and to remove chlorine from my body. I also take Borax in water regularly to remove the fluorine fom my body and as a mycoplasma preventative.

Another alternative liver-protective protocol I sometimes use is Dr Foster's Triple Anti-oxidant Therapy which consists of taking Selenium (200 mcg twice a day), Alpha Lipoic Acid(300 mgs twice a day) and Milk Thistle (1000 mgs twice a day) on a daily basis. This also promotes Glutatione production in the body -- a protective super anti-oxidant -- and is very beneficial to the kidneys, liver and intestines.

As you have probably noticed, I also tend to favour and emphasize protection of the liver, kidneys and intestines in my own regimen in order to help create a healthier body terrain. This helps to purify the blood in order to deliver nutrients and remove waste to and from the cells and organs respectively in the correct way. And by doing this, the immune system, the excretory system, endocrine system, body organs and many other body parameters are also correctly maintained in a healthier state. This therefore makes all my body defenses stronger against illness and pathogens.

I also eat in a particular way. I hesitate to call it a diet -- this infers that one day you will come off the diet. This way of eating is really an elimination diet which is defined elsewhere on earthclinic but is no less important to your health.

All in all I have to admit that my nutrient regimen, apart from my nutrient baseline, is not a rigid thing. It has become intuitive to me, so that my health regimen is governed more by an awareness of how I'm feeling right now rather than that I must religiously take a certain nutrient routinely forever. To be honest about it, I think this is the best approach but I know this can be confusing to people. But there is rarely such thing as the magic bullet cure-all. The real trick is to educate yourself, validate all information assiduously, trust your own judgement and take responsibilty for your own health. And this is really all about educating yourself and taking your own health very seriously. Despite all that has been said about the hopelessness of allopathic medicies -- it helps to remember this one truth -- that the medical profession is not a performance related or results orientated profession. To illustrate, here are a few quotes from doctors:

"I find medicine is the best of all trades because whether you do any good or not you still get your money." (Moliere: "A Physician in Spite of Himself, " 1664)

"If we doctors threw all our medicines into the sea, it would be that much better for our Patients and that much worse for the Fishes." Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendel Holmes, MD

The above really represents my own regular protocols. But I also keep Lysine, aspirin, methylene blue, hydrogen peroxide etc in emergency reserve in case of sudden illness or further problems.

Thank you Bill this is a selfless priceless wealth of info! This in a way can sum up the entire website for general health and would make a great sticky for everyone to find easily. Other than, many of the supplements I need to order (and some from abroad) I hope there is no irradiating of my mail, Thank you!

This is for "Bill from San Fernando, Philippines" - How do we deal if supplements are irradiated?"

Read this - "If you want vitamins and nutritional supplements that are free of pesticides and have not been irradiated or fumigated, you must test every incoming batch today, as pesticides, irradiation, and fumigation are all widespread. If the company goes outside the United States to source ingredients, you need to know that up to 70% of raw materials coming into the United States today for vitamins and nutritional supplements are irradiated, creating toxic radiation byproducts. " Are we doomed if we can't grow organic products in good quality soils? -WORRIED

Dessicated Liver has A, B's, C, D, E and is said to be superior to Chlorophyll (body can break down the proteins meat source better than plant source). It has lots of minerals and amino acids. Bill takes the DL with meals. Alkalizing is done on an empty stomach. Bill will have to let you know if its ok to mix the other things with the alkalizing.

https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/desiccated-liver.html

Hi Wendy... The simple answer to your question about dealing with irradiated herbs is that you can't really deal with it because there is now a European-wide law -- Codex Alimentaruis -- that says that all herbal, mineral and vitamin alternative and nutritional health products in Europe are to be managed completely by the the allopathic medical fraternity in terms of their safety, dosages etc. But make no mistake, this is just an excuse for the big pharmaceuticals to wipe-out their main alternative medicine competition in Europe by discreetly adding unhelpful additives, irradiating, thus ruining herb quality and minimizing the RDA to useless and ineffective dosages. America will probably follow suit soon.

Here's another trick Codex is playing that you should also be aware of -- I bought some European Magnesium Malate recently all packaged nicely in capsule form. Capsules should contain pure loose powder and when I squeeze tested the capsule -- it was indeed powder -- and each capsule contained 400 mgs of Magnesium and 200 mgs of Malic Acid. However, the capsule itself was very large -- at least 1000 mgs. So what was the other unknown 400 mgs? Then I read the additives on the label: Stearic Acid. This substance is only ever used to help form tablets. So did my capsule also contain 400 mgs of Stearic Acid which I don't want?

The only real alternative you have is to either buy your herbs from sources outside Europe on the internet from gauranteed organic herbal distributors like Raintree Nutrition which might be quite expensive or to simply grow them yourself if you can.

In the Philippines I'm very lucky, I grow and prepare all sorts of herbs in the simplest ways and I know they are natural and organic because I grow them in my own small garden. And I've always found my own herbs to be very effective and useful. I tend not to use dried store bought herbs very much now.

Hi Bill, I hope you are well..... Great that you can grow your own herbs, I try to do that as well but I am a beginner! How do you do to dry them? I haven't tried yet because I am afraid of doing it badly and therefore get fungus and other stuff which wouldn't be very good for the health. We are going to move to the countryside in a while and we intend to have a nice vegetable /herb garden there. But even here, countryside surrounded by the developed world we already manage to grow a few things.

On a different level here is a question I posted a little while ago but which I don't think you saw: I am now getting into the Anti-Candida diet in order to try to cure my dry eyes and mouth (especially during the night, it is a nightmare and I don't have Sjogren's). You seem to feel that molasses is not a problem but it is sugar..... I would like to take it to try to contain my grey hair but if it is not good in the fight against Candida I won't do it. Right now my priority are my eyes and my mouth! The problem with the diet is that there are so many different opinions. Could you maybe send me a link to your diet advice? I am basing myself in a book called Beat Candida through diet.

It's very easy to grow herbs. I have some in the kitchen window and the rest in a little garden patch. It's approaching harvest time for the outdoor herbs. You can dry them by hanging upside down in a cool space or use a food dehydrator.

I would like to grow some indoor cilantro. I have no outdoor land (urban apartment, here). For the heavy metal detox effects plus it is very popular in the Tex Mex cooking here. Does cilantro grow easily and quickly? Would love to hear from anyone who has experience with this please.

For Bill of San Fernando, Philippines. Is there Lugols solution, Fulvic/Humic acid in ascorbate drops, disscated liver that I can buy in the Philippines. What do you call the herbs in Tagalog that you planted. I go home to the Philippines every year for 4 months. Just wondering if I should buy these things here. Thank you.

Hi Lorna... The herbs that I use that grow in the Philippines are:

English names____________________Tagalog names

Chanca Piedra(Phylanthus niruri).......Sampa-sampalukan

Heart Vine(Tinospora cordifolia)........Makabuhay

Tumeric root.................................. Luyang dilaw

Neem leaves(Azadirachta indica).......Nim

Bashful Mimosa(Mimosa pudica)....... Makahiya

These are some of my favourite herbs that I use in the Philippines. And what's more they are all free -- they grow profusely everywhere in the Philippine lowlands. I use Chanca piedra, Heart Vine, Tumeric and Neem leaves usually about once every month to detox the blood. These herbs are hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, hypotensive, mildly diuretic, detoxing, anti-viral, ant-bacterial, ant-fungal and essentially they act to help protect the intestines, liver and kidneys. When this is assured then you will have pure and healthy blood. My way is always preventative -- continually protect and detox the nutritional and excretory pathways in the body and this will contribute greatly towards your own health. Then all you have to worry about is correct diet -- but that's a whole different story!!

You can also find many of these herbs near the old church at Quiapao Market in Quezon City. These herbs are also very easy to grow in your garden.

Hi Lorna... I forgot to answer your other questions.

You can buy Quantumin Plus Fulvic/Humic drops in the Philippines. This is fairly cheap -- I can buy the 35 ml bottle for about 400 pesos now from a private seller in Maharlika Market in Baguio -- and this costs considerably less than similar drops made in America.

These Quantumin drops consist of a Fulvic/Humic/Zeolite mix in alkaline solution which also contains all the major electrolyte minerals for the body. Unfortunately Quantumin is only sold in the Philippines and is normally sold from small private enterprises and not from the malls. So just get a friend in the Philippines to find a franchise seller in your area before you come to the Philippines.

Dessicated liver can be easily bought at Healthy Options store outlets in all the major SM Malls like Megamall or Asia Mall in Manila. Dessicated Liver is also widely sold at muscle weight training shops in America and is fairly cheap.

I am just wondering if you open a new page for seaweed. I live in a Korean pack city and there are stores in here that they sell different types of seaweeds. I want to use, but do not know how and what is the advantage and disadvange of seaweed. Thanks

I was painting a quarter size amount of Betadine Iodine on my stomach for 8 days. On the 8th day my blood sugar started to act very different; it wouldn't go under a 100 (I have a blood sugar issue of it spiking, but it always would go back to 85ish). And, as it turns out I was taking about 200mcg of iodine with some supplements (didn't realize that at the time). Could I have overdosed and that's what caused the blood sugar issue? If so, how does one resolve the overdose issue?

Hi wondering, just avoid iodised salt and fish for a few days. I avoided anything with Iodine in for about 2 weeks (it's in bread here in Australia now again too) and my incredible whole body itching and kidney and bladder pain went away. It took about 4 days for it to calm down and a week to recover completely and then I waited 2 weeks to eat things with iodine in them again. I also used betadine, maybe it is too strong I haven't used it since and won't be going to either. Hope this helps. Cheers Lily.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Hi Ted,

I tried one drop of Lugol Iodine on my foot and within 24 hours I feel asthmatic, sneezes, running nose, and runny stools. I feel sick, with a headache and stomachache coming on. It takes a lot of Vitamin C to calm the reaction. I have tried doing this 4 times and the same problems occur again and yet it is helping me with painful breasts, more alertness and energy, not so tired etc. I do suffer from allergies generally. I read somewhere that when iodine is introduced to the body it kicks out bromide which has to be flushed out of the body, possibly causing a detox reaction which is what a get each time I try again. Is there anything or other alternatives to Lugol Iodine or is it simply the case that I am very allergic to Iodine or Bromide? I really find Iodine very effective for me. Please let me know. Many thanks in advance. Karenina

Karenina, I read recently that you should never take vitamin c at the same time as iodine because vitamin c will render the iodine ineffective or useless and will in fact deplete the body of iodine. If you are using a lot of vitamin C you to" calm the reaction" you are negating any effect the iodine would have. You may as well not use iodine at all.

Karenina, Dr. William Shevin, has developed a salt loading protocol to clear bromide detox symptoms that may occur while taking iodine:

Take 1/4 teaspoon of salt (unrefined sea salt) in 1/2 cup of warm water and follow immediately with 12-16 ounces of water. Repeat this twice in 30-45 minute intervals until urination begins.

Hi Bill, thanks but I would be interested in your opinion on what is written in the e-book I posted on Iodine.

It says that vitamin c can help iodine absorption but not taken at the same time. It was suggested to take them on alternate days. Anyway I would be interested if you could read it and give your opinion. I am referring to Point #10

Thanks to those who have responded. The first time I painted a drop of Lugol Iodine on my foot I did not take Vitamin C until I had started experiencing a severe reaction to it. I took lots of Vitamin C afterwards to reduce the reaction to Lugol Iodine. Each time I had recovered fully I tried painting it on my foot again but each time I try again my reaction worsens, this time it has left me with a very tight chest and a need to cough all the time which is not going away so easily. If I had not taken Vitamin C after each episode I would have been in serious trouble.

Does anyone know whether a different type of Iodine will make a difference? Or will I still get a reaction? If it is in capsule form would it be better for me? Should I take something with Iodine to conteract the side effects? The Lugol Iodine certainly doesn't agree with me especially as I am very sensitive and allergic to most things. Can someone help me please? It would mean a great deal to me. Karenina

Hi Debbie... Here, in answer to your question, is part of the chemical titration method used to find out how much Vitamin C there is in a substance or pill:

I₂ plus I^- --> I₃^-

Triiodide oxidizes vitamin C to form dehydroascorbic acid:

C₆H₈O₆ plus I₃^- plus H₂O --> C₆H₆O₆ plus 3I^- plus 2H

As long as vitamin C is present in the solution, the triiodide is converted to the iodide ion very quickly. Howevever, when the all the vitamin C is oxidized, iodine and triiodide will be present, which reacts with starch to form a blue-black complex. The blue-black color is the endpoint of the titration.

This titration procedure is appropriate for testing the amount of vitamin C in vitamin C tablets, juices, and fresh, frozen, or packaged fruits and vegetables. The titration can be performed using just iodine solution and not iodate, but the iodate solution is more stable and gives a more accurate result.

From http://chemistry.about.com/od/demonstrationsexperiments/ss/vitctitration.htm

From the above, essentially when you combine iodine and iodide in water, you get the triiodide ion which makes iodide/iodine very bioavailable to the body.

When reacted with ascorbic acid, you also get dehydroascorbic acid, which is exactly the same as ascorbic acid but it can penetrate the blood/brain barrier which ascorbic acid cannot. But the outcome still seems to be the same - you still get the triiodide ion generated anyway from the final reaction, exactly the same as when you add iodine to iodide in water. And as the above says, at the end point of this reaction -- both triiodide and iodine are still present when tested with starch. The worst that can happen is that some of the triiodide is converted to just the iodide, with some loss of iodine perhaps. But potassium iodide is also good for you.

I also know from the Iodine Project research that their preference has always been to use only 5% lugols iodine because they regard this mixture of iodide/iodine to be in the perfect ratio for the body. Their research also backs this up. Perhaps they were trying to preserve this ratio for best results which is why they took Vit C and Lugols on alternate days? I generally always take lugol's on its own, sometimes mixed with fulvic acid drops, but there's no harm in taking Vitamin C, say, an hour or so after taking the Lugols in order to preserve that ideal iodide/iodine ratio if you wish.

Bill, I have a question for you. Whenever I have applied the Lugols Iodine on any part of the body, it burns that area and the skin peels off after a few days. Well, I want to understand whether it is an allergy to Lugols or is a correct reaction. After about 12 hrs. The color of the skin becomes normal but the burning sensation remains and is quite disturbing. Your comments will be appreciated.

Baldev

Hi Baldev... The usual test to see if you are allergic to iodine is to put a drop somewhere on your skin and, after only one or two hours, if this area is red, inflamed or itchy then there is a good possibility that you are allergic. Less than 1% of the population is allergic to iodine. The more serious symptoms of iodine allergy through oral or injected intake are defined here:

http://www.iodine-resource.com/iodine-allergy-symptoms.html

Another factor that could cause your skin-burning problems could be due to the actual strength of lugol's iodine that you used. If it was above 5% Lugol's Iodine strength and since iodine is caustic at high concentrations, it's possible that this might have also caused your skin-burning problem.

I know that I am not allergic to lugol's iodine since I have been orally supplementing it regularly for over 5 years now at doses 100 times higher than the RDA. I recently tested 2% Lugol's Iodine on a mole awhile back. During the day I put between 10 and 15 single drops, at different times, on the mole. The next day, like you, I had a burning or sore/tender sensation which disappeared after a few days.

It might be worth diluting some of the lugols iodine 50/50 with water and re-testing a patch of your skin again with a drop to see if the skin-burning recurrs. If it does, then likely you are allergic to lugol's iodine.

Dr James Howensteine, a member of the research team from the Iodine project, has written a notable and detailed book which truly emphasizes the importance of iodine towards good health -- Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It.

Hi Bill, the same reaction as Baldev said occured after painting iodine solution not the first day but after applying 3... 4 days at the same place. As you say it may be the % of lugol's iodine. I can't find 2 % lugols iodine in the store. But I somehow arranged to make the the solution in the chemistry lab of our college. I have used 10 gm of KI, 5 gm of Elemental iodine , 50 ml Ethyl alcohol and 50 ml of distilled water. Is the measurement correct for 2% lugols iodine solution? Can I take 1 drop of this solution internally? As I guess I am iodine deficient after applying the patch, as the patch disappears within 4 hr.

Hi Bill, thanks a lot for the prompt reply to my query. Lugols Iodine which I am using is Iodine 5g. Pot. Iodide 10g in 100ml. Of water that means it is 5% lugols Iodine which is being discussed on this site. I am keen to make use of this product towards a better health and also what ever I learn from dedicated people like Ted and you I use it to help others who don't have access to computer/internet. Your advice is well taken that I should dilute it further with water and see whether it still burns the area, but I hope the benifits do not get diluted.Thanks

Baldev

Baldev, you can add a small amount of vitamin E to the area you are putting the iodine so it won't burn as much (it will soothe the skin and heal it).

The best way to take iodine however is to have a drop in water (I am taking 6-8 drops daily in water or milk). If you only put it on your skin only a small percentage can be utilised (about 12.5%). I only put it on my skin to test whether I was allergic to it.

Hi Baldev, My husband and I are using Lugols 2% as we don't have access to a stronger one and we are starting to see benefits. We started with the skin painting as taking it internally went against everything I'd been taught, we never painted the same spot as iodine can dry out the skin for some. Then we progressed to one drop internally and are now at 3 drops twice a day. So the 2% is definitely beneficial for us. But as Bill has said you need to know if it is an allergy or the strength that caused your reaction.

Hi Karenina, I have heard that Nascent Iodine might have fewer side effects (just search for it on Google -- you can order it from Amazon I think). Still, start with low dosages and proceed with caution. Good luck.