alternative-medicine=forum IMVA - Iodine and Heart Health - September 11, 2008

[Guest guest]

*Iodine and Heart Health*

 

*International Medical Veritas Association*

 

 

 

Courtesy of Scientific American

 

 

 

According to Scientific American physicians for decades have

grappled with ways to block further tissue damage in patients who suffer

heart attacks. They have tried everything from drugs to cell therapy—all

with little luck. But promising new research indicates that a biogel made

from seaweed may have the healing powers that have thus far eluded them. *Some

of the principle healing agents in seaweed are magnesium, iodine, and

selenium.*

 

Though the main theme of this book is magnesium medicine for cardiac

care we will deal in this chapter with iodine and in another with the

important mineral selenium. *Selenium is not only crucial when using iodine

but it addresses most directly the Hun Hordes of Mercury that are attacking

heart tissues in massive amounts leading to cardiac arrest.* Mercury is a

deadly cardiac poison whose best antidote is selenium - since they bind

together making it easier for the body to remove the selenium-mercury

compound.

 

Doctors and all health care practitioners need to be up on their

minerals because we need them now more than ever. Minerals provide the

foundations of our bodies as cement provides the support for most building

foundations. We need to be acutely aware also of how the minerals work

together and are dependent on each other for functioning at optimal levels. It

is important that mineral interactions be taken into account when looking at

iodine supplementation. A person with superior nutrient intake, especially

of selenium, will be much more likely to respond well to higher intakes of

iodine.

 

 

Seaweeds (iodine) have exceptional value in the treatment of candida

overgrowth. They contain selenium and (all the) other minerals necessary for

rebuilding immunity; furthermore the rich iodine content is used by enzymes

in the body to produce iodine-charged free radicals which deactivate yeasts.

** Experiments have shown that k. japonica, edible seaweed, was able to

transform inorganic selenium to organic selenium through metabolism. Seaweed

was crucial in the evolution of life in that it was and still is responsible

for concentrating iodine from the ocean. The Japanese eat more seaweed then

anyone in the world and they enjoy some of the best health statistics for

it.

Clinical cardiovascular features of hypothyroidism include:

bradycardia, reduced cardiac output, increased pericardial and pleural

effusions, increased diastolic blood pressure and peripheral

vasoconstriction. According to Dr. Stephen A. Hoption Cann, Department of

Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, *iodine

deficiency can have deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system*, and

correspondingly, that a higher iodine intake may benefit cardiovascular

function.[ii]

Regional iodine intake has been shown to be associated with the

prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, where autoimmune

hypothyroidism is the more common of the two in regions with moderate to

high iodine intake. Both of these thyroid abnormalities have been shown to

negatively affect cardiovascular function.

*Selenium, an important antioxidant in the thyroid and involved

in the metabolism of iodine-containing thyroid hormones, may

play an interactive role in the development of these thyroid

irregularities, and in turn, cardiovascular disease.

Dr.

Stephen. Hoption Cann*

Dr. Michael Donaldson says, " Iodine stabilizes the heart rhythm, lowers

serum cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and is known to make the blood

thinner as well, judging by longer clotting times seen by clinicians*.

Iodine is not only good for the cardiovascular system, it is

vital.*Sufficient iodine is needed for a stable rhythmic heart beat.

Iodine,

directly or indirectly, can normalize serum cholesterol levels and normalize

blood pressure. Iodine attaches to insulin receptors and improves glucose

metabolism, which is good news for people with diabetes. Iodine and

iodine-rich foods have long been used as a treatment for hypertension and

cardiovascular disease; yet, modern randomized studies examining the effects

of iodine on cardiovascular disease have not been carried out. " [iii]

*Adequate iodine is necessary for proper thyroid function.

The heart is a target organ for thyroid hormones. Marked changes

occur in cardiac function in patients with hypo- or hyperthyroidism.*

The country of Finland is an excellent case study of cardiovascular

disease and iodine, as reviewed by Dr. Cann. Endemic goiter was common in

people and in domestic animals, particularly in the eastern part of Finland

away from the sea. Studies in the 1950s revealed that the major dietary

difference between eastern and western Finland was iodine. The risk of death

from coronary heart disease was *3.5 times higher* for people with a goiter

in Finland.[iv]

" Thyroid hormone is an important regulator of cardiac function and

cardiovascular hemodynamics. Triiodothyronine, (T(3)), the physiologically

active form of thyroid hormone, binds to nuclear receptor proteins and

mediates the expression of several important cardiac genes, inducing

transcription of the positively regulated genes including alpha-myosin heavy

chain (MHC) and the sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase. " [v]

" Negatively regulated genes include beta-MHC and phospholamban, which

are down regulated in the presence of normal serum levels of thyroid

hormone. T(3) mediated effects on the systemic vasculature include

relaxation of vascular smooth muscle resulting in decreased arterial

resistance and diastolic blood pressure. In hyperthyroidism, cardiac

contractility and cardiac output are enhanced and systemic vascular

resistance is decreased, while in hypothyroidism, the opposite is true.

Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism manifest many of the same

cardiovascular changes, but to a lesser degree than that which occurs in

overt hypothyroidism. *Cardiac disease states are sometimes associated with

the low T(3) syndrome. " [vi]*

* *

* " *The phenotype of the failing heart resembles that of the hypothyroid

heart, both in cardiac physiology and in gene expression. Changes in serum

T(3) levels in patients with chronic congestive heart failure are caused by

alterations in thyroid hormone metabolism suggesting that patients may

benefit from T(3) replacement in this setting. " [vii] T(3) of course is

iodine dependent so the relationship between iodine and heart disease gets

clearer.

*Iodine-containing thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and

triiodothyronine (T3), are important metabolic regulators

of cardiovascular activity with the ability to exert action on

cardiac myocytes, vascular smooth muscle, and endothelial cells.

Dr. Stephen. Hoption Cann*

" Whole body sufficiency of iodine/iodide results in optimal cardiac

functions, " writes Dr. Guy Abraham.[viii] There is an epidemic of cardiac

arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation in this country and Dr. Abraham is

convinced that the medical iodine phobia has a great deal to do with this

phenomenon. Adequate stores of iodine are necessary for a smooth heartbeat.

[ix]

The thyroid hormone deficiency on cardiovascular function can be

characterized with decreased myocardial contractility and increased

peripheral vascular resistance as well as with the changes in lipid

metabolism.[x] Dr. B. West says, " Iodine supplementation may be the missing

link in a good percentage of heart arrhythmia cases, especially atrial

fibrillation. The body needs adequate stores of iodine for the heart to beat

smoothly. After close to a year now of using Iodine Fulfillment Therapy, I

can attest to this fact. Most of the stubborn cases of cardiac arrhythmias

and atrial fibrillation that we were unable to completely correct with our

cardiac protocols have now been resolved with adequate supplies of iodine

added to the protocol. " [xi]

" Amazingly, while medicine shuns iodine therapy, their most popular

anti-fibrillation drug, Amiodarone, actually is iodine in a more toxic,

sustained-release form. This drug can produce a smooth heartbeat when the

body has accumulated about 1,500 mgs of iodine—the exact amount of iodine

retained by your body when iodine fulfillment is achieved by natural

supplementation with Prolamine Iodine. Unfortunately, Amiodarone is an

extremely toxic form of iodine used by the medical profession. The side

effects are often too great (and even life threatening) for most people to

endure long enough to achieve a normal heartbeat. In addition, once you stop

this drug, your original problem returns. Iodine therapy, on the other hand,

fulfills the body's needs safely, then maintains the smooth heartbeat with a

low-maintenance dose, " continued Dr. West.

Dr. Donaldson reminds us of the selenium iodine connection saying,

" Another factor in how much iodine can be safely used depends on other

possible mineral deficiencies. Selenium is very important for thyroid

function. Selenium is part of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase.

Glutathione peroxidase in the thyroid helps quench free-radicals produced by

the enzyme thyroid peroxidase (which functions to organify iodide as it

enters the thyroid). If high levels of iodide are present in the thyroid

without sufficient amounts of glutathione peroxidase it causes free-radical

damage to the thyroid, leading to autoimmune thyroid disease. Several of the

enzymes that convert T4 into T3 also require selenium. Studies in Zaire have

found that supplementing selenium and iodine deficient children with just

selenium had adverse effects on thyroid function. " [xii]

*The selenium content in seaweed can bind with

whatever mercury is present and render it harmless.***

There are just some people who understand the basics of cellular

medicine and act appropriately. Dr. John Young in Tampa Florida has been

experimenting with a new process for reversing metabolic syndrome and Type 2

diabetes. Over the past seven years he claims to have a success rate of 80

percent with over 100 diabetes patients. Dr. Young *uses a combination of

alkaline protein and minerals with a form of iodine that he says reverses

the process in diabetes patients in eight to 12 weeks.*

It's important to remember that diabetes and heart disease share

similar etiologies. Whatever Dr. Young is doing for his diabetic patients

physicians can be doing for their heart patients. Iodine is critical to the

heart and arterial system so we know it needs to be part of a fundamental

protocol either in a preventative or treatment sense.

Dr. George Flechas has found that iodine can reduce the need for

insulin in diabetic patients, using 50 to 100 mg of iodine per day. Of 12

patients, 6 were able to completely come off their medications with random

glucose readings below 100 mg/dl and a HbA1c less than 5.8 (normal), and the

other 6 were able to reduce the amount and/or number of medications needed

to control their diabetes.

There is a patient who had severe mitral valve prolapse. A 35-year

old banker who could not walk more than 20 metres without getting cyanosed.

Five cardiologists and surgeons suggested open heart surgery immediately. He

decided against the surgery and went to the DaVinci Clinic in Cyrus to my

colleague Dr. George Gorgiou. A central part of the pathology was severe

mercury toxicity of the heart tissues - he removed 14 amalgams poisoning

himself in the process which caused severe mitral valve prolapse. With the

correct treatment not only did this man survive but nearly a year later he

is now wind surfing 12 miles at competition standard and came first two

weeks ago in a race with two others. He is working a full life etc.

The patient actually has registered with the Guiness Book of Records as

being the only man on this planet who has completely healed of severe mitral

valve prolapse without open-heart surgery. Dr. Georgiou is a naturopathic

doctor whose speciality is chelation of heavy metals. He has done research

in Russia creating his own natural chelator called HMD. There are doctors

out in the field who understand what is actually going on in cardiac

patients and treat them in ways mainstream cardiologists don't even dream

of. Basic to this man's treatment was magnesium, iodine and natural

chelation with the HMD and other naturopathic support medicinals.

My soon to be released book on Iodine is dedicated to the iodine

doctors, brave souls who have risked bringing medicine back to some

semblance of sanity. Iodine offers us such a return; it is bedrock medicine

and is almost as useful as magnesium chloride. The above is the last chapter

written for the book and represents a breakthrough in cardiac care.

Having just finished the book it still amazes me the mysteries of

iodine. I am known in certain circles as the magnesium man but with the

publishing of this book I am definitely in the iodine camp. The experience

of the past few days though are transforming me into an iodine man as well.

My whole family came down with something that has been going around the

neighborhood, let's call it the flu. As the first winds of it approached my

body's senses I ran for the iodine and took strong doses of it every hour or

two and it beat the invading devils, headed them off right at the pass. I

still got the symptoms of cough and running nose but I did not feel or get

what most people call 'sick'. I was right on the edge for a day but each

time I took the iodine I could feel it giving me strength. The only side

effect was that my mind intensified in clarity, my sleep time was reduced

and I woke up fresh and ready to run to my work. I just this moment said to

one of my son's, who is suffering from the flu that he and I were both

ignorant, meaning he did not think to take the iodine and until this week I

never had for this purpose either. I have done so for my little children

when they have gotten sick but there is nothing like first hand experience.

I was using the Nascent Iodine[xiii], which I believe is the safest and

most effective of the iodine's available and for the children I would only

use this. It is not as concentrated as Lugol's, even the newer watered down

Lugol's, which is mostly what is available in the United States after some

laws changed, is much stronger. I thus recommend Lugol's for transdermal

iodine therapy. Many of the iodine doctors use Iodoral or Iosol and with

these one can take iodine dosages up to very high levels safely. The Nascent

is something different, having powerful effects at much lower dosages.

Feeling it in ones mouth hour after hour gives one a sense of amazement

about iodine.

Considering the importance of this element for overall well-being, it

is most amazing that no study so far has attempted to answer the very

important question about what the optimal amount of daily iodine intake

should be for the greatest levels of mental and physical well-being in the

majority of a population with a minimum of negative effects. The more one

experiences iodine the higher ones estimate goes in this regard.

An important note that the CDC would not like you to know is that

Russian researchers and experts in mercury have correlated the flu with

mercury toxicity more than with little bugs that crawl around inside of us.

And behold, iodine chelates mercury as it does fluoride, bromide and even

percolate, the halogen like rocket fuel polluting half of North America. In

*The Ultimate Heart Medicine* book we see that mercury is a huge problem for

heart muscles, which concentrate it to levels thousands of times higher than

seen in other tissues.

Though iodine is known for its importance for the thyroid, little has

been publicized about its other crucial roles. Iodine is needed in microgram

amounts for the health of the thyroid on a daily basis but when you factor

in the needs of all the other tissues and organs[xiv] much higher doses are

needed. Iodine supports the health of many organs in the body but for the

heart it is mission critical as is magnesium.

Mark Sircus Ac., OMD International Medical Veritas Association

http://www.winningcancer.com/

------------------------------

P. Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods, Revised Edition, North Atlantic

Books, 36, 1993.

[ii] Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 25, No. 1, 1-11

(2006) Hypothesis: Dietary Iodine Intake in the Etiology of Cardiovascular

Disease

[iii] ibid

[iv] Cann SAH. Hypothesis: dietary iodine intake in the etiology of

cardiovascular disease. *J Am Coll Nutr *2006;25(1):1-11.

[v] Thyroid hormone and the cardiovascular system. Danzi S, Klein I. Minerva

Endocrinol. 2004 Sep;29(3):139-50. Review.

[vi] ibid

[vii] ibid

[viii] The Original Internist, 12(2):57-66, 2005

[ix] Health Alert, Vol. 22, No. 12

[x] Iodine deficiency in cardiovascular diseases Molnar I, Magyari M, Stief

L. Orv Hetil. 1998 Aug 30;139(35):2071-3. Hungarian.

[xi] Atrial Fibrillation, Arrhythmias and Iodine. West B Health Alert, June

2006, Volume 23, Issue 6

[xii] http://www.hacres.com/diet/articles/Iodine.pdf

[xiii] http://www.magneticclay.com Toll Free (800) 257-3315

[xiv] Other organs are also able to take up iodine, too, by the same

transport protein as the thyroid. Research has shown that the receptor for

iodine uptake is in the thyroid gland, salivary gland, parotid gland,

submandibular gland, pituitary gland, pancreas, testis, mammary gland,

gastric mucosa, prostate, ovary, adrenal gland, heart, thymus, lung,

bladder, kidney, endometrium, and also breast, ovary and colon and the

lacrimal gland The ovaries hold the second highest concentration of iodine,

after the thyroid. The breasts also have a high concentration of iodine.

Most secretions in the body, whether gastric, nasal, tears, sweat, etc.,

have iodine in them if sufficient iodine is present in the body.

------------------------------

International Medical Veritas Association

Copyright 2008 All rights reserved.

Legal Notice: The Author specifically invokes the First Amendment rights of

freedom of speech and of the press without prejudice. The information

written is published for informational purposes only under the rights

guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution for the United States

of America, and should not in any way be used as a substitute for the advice

of a physician or other licensed health care practitioner. The statements

contained herein have not been evaluated by the FDA. The products discussed

herein are not intended to diagnose, cure, prevent or treat any disease.

Images, text and logic are copyright protected. ALL rights are explicitly

reserved without prejudice, and no part of this essay may be reproduced

except by written consent. ©2008 by Mark Sircus

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