IODINE IS VITAL FOR GOOD HEALTH

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IODINE IS VITAL FOR GOOD HEALTH

 

 

By Dr. James Howenstine, MD.

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

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Lack

of iodine is widespread in the United States today. For many years

iodine was added to bread in generous quantities which prevented iodine

deficiency. Each slice of bread contained 150 mcg. of iodine filling

the whole days RDA of iodine In 1960 the average diet consumed about 1

mg. of iodine daily with bakery products accounting for about 75 % of

the total. This quantity of iodine was enough to decrease the thyroid

glands ability to absorb radioactive iodine and it was also sufficient

to prevent excess release of thyroid hormone thus preventing many cases

of hyperthyroidism (Grave’s Disease).

Forty

years ago the food industry decided to remove iodine from baked goods

and replace the iodine with bromine. Iodine and bromine appear similar

to the thyroid gland and bromine easily binds to the thyroid gland’s

receptors for iodine. Bromine, however, is of no value to the thyroid

gland unlike iodine and it inhibits the activity of iodine in the

thyroid gland. Bromine also can cause impaired thinking and memory,

drowsiness, dizziness and irritability. This substitution of bromine

for iodine has resulted in nearly universal deficiency of iodine in the

American populace. Iodine therapy helps the body eliminate fluoride,

bromine, lead, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum and mercury. Could this

substitution of bromine for iodine have been carried out to increase

diseases and thus create more need for pharmaceutical drugs?

 

Among

the problems caused by iodine deficiency are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Underactivity of the

thyroid gland produces fatigue. In rodents iodine deficiency leads to

abnormal pituitary-adrenal function. The adrenal gland provides energy

and stamina.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When iodine no longer

binds to thyroid cell membranes enzymes called peroxidases are able to

damage these membranes and produce autoimmune diseases such as

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and Hyperthroidism (Graves Disease). Researcher

Dr. Guy Abraham has observed several cases of thyroiditis and

hyperthyroidism that have been corrected by the simple replacement of

iodine. For more than 100 years high doses of iodine have been known to

benefit both underactivity (hypothyroidism) of the thyroid gland and

overactivity of the thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). Iodine therapy

allows the sluggish thyroid gland to resume normal production of

thyroid hormone leading to resolution of hypothyroidism. Provision of

iodine stops the peroxidase injury to the thyroid membranes in

hyperthyroidism which permits hyperthyroidism to resolve. Thus thyroid

surgery for hyperthyroidism is no longer necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several human organs

need iodine but can not absorb it until blood iodine levels reach high

values (stomach, salivary glands). Most persons exhibit impaired

production of stomach acid as they age. This impaired capability to

produce adequate stomach acid may be a result of iodine deficiency

as iodine promotes stomach acidity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resolution of cysts

Iodine therapy resolves nearly every case of breast cysts. This

treatment also can heal ovarian cysts and works well on skin cysts when

rubbed over the cyst.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iodine is found in

large quantities in the brain and the ciliary body of the eye. Lack of

iodine may be involved in production of Parkinson’s disease and

glaucoma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lipoprotein (a) This

dangerous substance is quite important as it produces plaques in

arteries because it is very sticky and collects platelets, calcium and

fibrin from the blood circulating inside our arteries. Excessive

clotting and vascular disease resulting from high levels of lipoprotein

(a) can be reversed by iodine treatment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Health Problems

Iodine has proven value in treating headaches, keloids, and parotid

duct stones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How

Can Iodine Deficiency Be Detected?

An

accurate test for diagnosing iodine deficiency exists. Dr. Jay Abrahams

has developed a loading test to settle this issue. The patient takes 4

iodine tablets (12.5 mg each). If there is sufficient iodine in the

individual the excess iodine is excreted in the urine in the next 24

hours. If iodine is lacking the body retains most of the iodine with

little iodine appearing in the urine. Use of this test has shown that

nearly every patient with any condition known to be associated with

iodine deficiency tested positive for iodine lack. Therefore, it often

is sensible to assume iodine lack and proceed to treat with iodine.

 

However,

when a patient takes iodine for several months and has shown no

improvement this test can be used to exclude a problem with absorption

of iodine. Iodine lack is known to be a factor in the development

of breast and prostate cancer. Sixty patients with a variety of cancers

were studied. All sixty patients

were found to have serious iodine deficiency.

To

correct iodine deficiency by taking iodized salt is not feasible. You

would need 20 teaspoons of iodized salt daily to get adequate

quantities of iodine. Dr. Abrahams has developed an iodine preparation

named Iodoral to treat iodine deficiency. This is composed of dried

Lugol’s solution containing 12.5 mg of iodine per tablet. A person with

adequate iodine stores who takes 4 of these tablets (50 mg.) will

excrete 90 % of the iodine in their urine.

Dr.

Abrahams thinks that the correct quantity of iodine needed to maintain

sufficient amounts of iodine in the body is 13 mg. daily. This is

100 times more than the government recognized RDA for iodine. This

quantity of daily iodine would be distributed as follows –six mg. to

thyroid gland, five mg. for the breasts in females and two mg. for the

remainder of the body. Males appear to usually, but not always, need

slightly less than females.

Prominent

thyroid researcher, Dr. Benjamin Eskin, has shown that the thyroid

gland and skin prefer to concentrate the iodide form of iodine while

the breasts concentrate iodine. His research suggested that the body

needs both the iodide and iodine form of iodine. This is easy to

accomplish with Lugol’s solution developed by French physician Dr. Jean

Lugol in the 1820s. His solution mixed iodine (5 %) with potassium

iodide (10 %) and 85 % water. Dr. Lugol’s solution killed germs and was

used with success in treating infections and many other conditions.

This solution in the recommended 2 drop dosage contains 5 mg. of iodine

and 7.5 mg. of iodine which is exactly the quantity of iodine

recommended for daily intake by Dr. Abraham. Lugol’s solution tastes

metallic unless greatly diluted and stains clothing and skin.

A

third solution that works well in correcting iodine deficiency is

Triodide made by Scientific Botanicals of Seattle, Washington. This has

the same dosage of iodine and iodide combined with a sea vegetable

called bladderwrack. This can be obtained from natural food stores,

Tahoma Clinic Dispensary and compounding pharmacies. This contains 12.5

mg of iodine in the same 2 drop dosage.

Dr.

Abrahams recommends taking 50 mg of Iodoral (four 12.5 mg. tablets),

Lugol’s solution (8 drops)or Triodide (8 drops) daily for 3 months as a

loading dose. Then this dose should be gradually reduced to the 12.5

mg. maintenance dosage under the supervision of a knowledgeable health

care professional. Dr.Abraham feels that 14 to 15 mg. of iodine/iodide

daily is the upper maximum of safety. This is close to the recommended

dose of 12.5 mg daily so caution is necessary in managing iodine

repletion. Japanese researchers have discovered patients with

hypothyroidism who were taking 20 mg. of iodine or more daily.

 

Another

valuable iodine preparation is saturated solution of potassium iodide.

This does not have the correct ratio of iodine iodide recommended by

Dr.Abrahams for correcting iodine deficiency but it does have a

multitude of valuable healing properties. It can help open up blocked

arteries, disinfect water, cure bladder infections, reduce or eliminate

ovarian cysts, diminish unsightly keloids, loosen thick bronchial

secretions, reduce or eliminate Peyronie’s Disease and Dupuytron’s

contracture.

Endocrine

Cancers And Iodine Stores

Iodine

deficiency is a recognized risk factor in the development of cancer of

the breast, prostate, and probably the ovary and endometrium.

Breast cancer is twice as common (12.1 %) in women taking natural

thyroid hormone or synthetic thyroid hormone as in women not taking

thyroid hormones (6.2 %). The risk for breast cancer in women taking

thyroid hormones increases with time. Women who had taken

thyroid hormone for 15 years had a 19.5 % incidence of breast cancer

while women who had been on thyroid hormone therapy for five years had

only a 10 % incidence of breast cancer. This increase in breast cancer

with time suggests that correction of a iodine deficiency might well

eliminate the need for thyroid hormone and would also lower the

incidence of breast cancer.

Japanese

women, who are eating lots of seaweed, have the highest iodine intake

(13.8 mg. daily) of women anywhere in the world. They also have the

lowest incidence of breast cancer in the world. Japan has one of

the lowest worldwide rates of every type of cancer with the exception

of stomach cancer. In addition Japan has one of the lowest incidences

of iodine deficiency, goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), and

hypothyroidism. Iceland, another high iodine intake country, has low

rates of goiter and breast cancer. Two countries with low iodine

intakes (Thailand, Mexico) have high rates of breast cancer and goiter.

 

Patient

Studies.With Iodine Therapy

A

patient of Dr. Rowen named Betty had severely painful breast cysts. She

took 5 mg. of iodine daily with complete disappearance of painful

breast cysts.

Veronica,

another patient of Dr. Rowen, had advanced breast cancer with severe

hip pain from a bone metastasis. Iodine loading test showed severe

deficiency of iodine. After three months of Iodoral she still has not

restored her iodine levels but her excretion of bromine has increased

10 fold. Her cancer therapy with IPT and artemisin has been stable with

only an occasional IPT and she continues with 25 mg. of Iodoral three

times daily. Dr. Abrahams relates that he has seen two remissions of

breast cancer in persons taking 75 mg of Iodorol daily. Iodine

deficiency plays a role in allowing breast cancer and prostate cancer

to develop.

Another

physician has seen a case of prostate cancer go into remission after

taking Iodoral and supplements.

George

Flechas MD relates that many of his diabetic patients need lowering of

insulin dosage and diabetic drugs after repletion of iodine deficiency.

Dr. Rowen has observed the same thing.

Food

Sources Of Iodine

Iodine

from fish must be limited because of mercury problems. However,

sardines have such a short life span they do not get contaminated

with mercury. My suggestion would be to buy tins of sardines packed

in tomato sauce so you can avoid the transfats used in oil packed

sardines.

Brown

and red seaweeds contain the most iodine (kombu, focus, etc.).of sea

vegetables. You may still need supplemental iodine to get an adequate

quantity for repletion of iodine deficiency. unless you are eating lots

of seaweeds.

 

 

Iodoral

can be purchased from Optimox 310-618-9870 if you are willing to buy a

case. Otherwise you can probably find this in health food stores.

Lugol’s solution is a satisfactory way to obtain iodine but you will

need a prescription. The dose is 2 drops daily. Be careful in measuring

as 3 drops daily can lead to toxic symptoms.

The

evidence presented here proves that iodine is vital to human health.

Many persons will experience improved health when their iodine

deficiency is corrected.

index Words in order

Iodine,

hyperthyroidism, bromine, thyroid gland, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis,

hypothyroidism, breast cysts, ovarian cysts, skin cyst, Parkinson’s

Disease, glaucoma, lipoprotein (a), keloids, bladder infections,

arteries, bronchial secretions, Peyronie’s Disease, Duputron’s

contracture, cancer breast, cancer ovary, cancer endometrium, cancer

prostate, goiter, diabetes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© 2005 Dr. James Howenstine - All

Rights Reserved

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Dr. James A. Howenstine is a board certified

specialist in internal medicine who spent 34 years caring for office

and hospital patients. After 4 years of personal study he became

convinced that natural products are safer, more effective, and less

expensive than pharmaceutical drugs. This research led to the

publication of his book A Physicians Guide To Natural Health Products

That Work. Information about these products and his book can be

obtained from amazon.com and at www.naturalhealthteam.com

and phone 1-800-416-2806 U.S. Dr. Howenstine can be reached by mail at

Dr. James Howenstine, C/O Remarsa USA SB 37, P.O. Box 25292, Miami, Fl.

33102-5292.

E-Mail: jimhow