NEW THOUGHTS ON IODINE - DR TABRIZIAN
From the lecture by Dr Igor Tabrizian MBBS on Iodine at the OSWA meeting in Subiaco on 4 June 2011.
Iodine is an old remedy that lost its popularity in the latter half of last century but is undergoing some resurgence now.  There are even adverts on TV these days recommending Betadine (iodine) gargles for sore throats.  As kids we would have been painted with iodine for scrapes and cuts and in hospital iodine was the usual skin prep in theatre for surgery.  Iodine was known traditionally to be needed for thyroid problems but most doctors today don’t even consider giving you iodine supplementation before starting you on thyroxine tablets.  Iodine has many more other uses.

Iodine Properties
Anti-viral eg Betadine gargle for sore throat
Anti-bacterial eg leg ulcers, wound infections, boils
Anti-fungal eg cold sores, thrush, rashes, tinea
Anti-parasitic eg tape and other worms
Anti-toxin (esp mercury, arsenic, aluminium)
Part of thyroid hormone production
Hormone regulator incl adrenal, liver, pancreas, sex
Prevents auto-immunity incl thyroid
Reduces cholesterol
Improves energy
Attracts ionising radiation and excretes it
Alkalises body as is an alkaline mineral
In the 1920s iodine was added to salt (iodised salt) as Australian soils are low in iodine.  But now that avoidance of salt is popular for high blood pressure prevention, our government has recognised that the community is so iodine deficient that from Oct 2009 it has been made mandatory that iodised salt is added to all commercial supermarket breads.  Organic bread is the only exception for not adding iodine to bread.

   OTHER FOOD SOURCES of IODINE include
           Seaweed/kelp
           Cold water fish
           Eggs
           Some milks, yoghurt, cheeses
           Some fruit eg strawberries
The amount of iodine in food is dependent on the amount in the soil.  Most iodine is in the sea.  The closer to the sea we are the more likelihood that there will be some iodine in the soil and so in our foods.  Inlands soils will be iodine deficient.
To assist iodine uptake in the body we need to have adequate levels of Vitamins A, C, E, B2, B3, B6 and Essential Fatty acids.  Tyrosine is also needed and this is found in protein foods like meats, eggs, fish.

Iodine transport damage can be corrected partially by administration of reasonably high doses of Vitamin C.

Part of the problem is an increase of other toxic minerals in our environment and in our diet that are displacing iodine.  Dr Tabrizian likens this to a car park where trailers and motorbikes park in the bays so the rightful car users (iodine) can’t get the bay
These unwanted minerals are those close to iodine on the periodic table ie fluoride, chloride and bromide.

Fluoride is in our tap water and foods we prepare in this water, toothpaste, seafoods, even tea and gelatine.
Chloride is in table salt and sea salt, many vegetables, including tomatoes, lettuce, celery, olives. It is added to our tap water as chlorine to clean it and we breath it in as vapour from the hot water when we shower.  (NB - To get rid of chlorine from tap water boil it or leave it in an open bowl for 24 hours to evaporate.)

Bromide is added as potassium bromate, to breads and to citrus flavoured drinks and fizzy drinks.  Vegetable oils can be brominated.  It is found in pesticides (methyl bromate), in hot tub cleaners, plastic products, personal care products and some fabric dyes.  It is in some personal care products, asthma inhalers and even in prescription drugs.

These “Halide - bad guy” minerals can change the electrical charges on the surface of cell membranes causing reversed polarity, ineffective entry of nutrients to cells, hormonal imbalances, including insulin resistance, bone changes including osteoporosis, fluorosis of teeth and bones.

Iodine acts like an electric fence; it zaps intruders.

Iodine is needed in every cell all over the body.  It is the “walkie-talkie” that allows cells to talk to each other and listens to what signals the glands send out.

The signs of thyroid deficiency are really those of iodine deficiency even if thyroid tests are normal. 

Dr Tabrizian encouraged us to search the internet for more useful information on iodine.  Here are some pertinent internet observations that I found of interest.

Iodine is detected in every organ and tissue in the body.
In an age of increasing toxic exposures we all need more not less iodine because it has very specific protective effects against several common poisons like fluoride, bromide, and it helps eliminate lead and mercury from the body.

Dr. David Derry said, "Lugol's solution is an iodine-in-water solution used by the medical profession for 200 years.  One drop (6.5 mg per drop) of Lugol's daily in water, orange juice or milk will gradually eliminate the first phase of the cancer development namely fibrocystic disease of the breast so no new cancers can start.  It also will kill abnormal cells floating around in the body at remote sites from the original cancer.  Of course this approach appears to work for prostate cancer as prostate cancer is similar to breast cancer in many respects. Indeed, it will help with most cancers.  Also higher doses of iodine are required for inflammatory breast cancer.

Iodine plays a crucial role in the body's elimination system by inducing apoptosis, or what is called programmed cell death, and this is vital because this process is essential to growth and development and for destroying cells that represent a threat to the integrity of the organism, like cancer cells and cells infected with viruses.

Iodine kills single-celled organisms by combining with the amino acids tyrosine or histidine when they are exposed to the extra-cellular environment.  All single cells showing tyrosine on their outer cell membranes are killed instantly by a simple chemical reaction with iodine that denatures proteins. Nature and evolution have given us an important mechanism to control pathogenic life forms and we should use it and trust it to protect us in ways that antibiotics can't.
So powerful is iodine in a protective sense that it also helps us rid the body, not only of harmful chemicals and heavy metals, but also rids the body of abnormal cells meaning it qualifies as an anticancer agent.

Elemental iodine is a potent germicide with a wide spectrum of activity and low toxicity to tissues. A solution containing 50 ppm iodine kills bacteria in 1 min and spores in 15 min.

Symptoms of iodine deficiency include muscle cramps, cold hands and feet, proneness to weight gain, poor memory, constipation, depression and headaches, odema, myalgia (muscle pain), weakness, dry skin, and brittle nails.

Food sources of iodine include most sea foods, (ocean fish, but not fresh fish, shellfish, especially oysters), unrefined sea salt, kelp and other seaweeds, fish broth, butter, pineapple, artichokes, asparagus, dark green vegetables and eggs. Vegetables, such as cabbage and spinach, can block iodine absorption when eaten raw or unfermented and are called goitrogens. Eating fish won't give you iodine in mg amounts. To get 13.8 mg of iodine, you would have to eat 10-20 pounds of fish per day.

It takes 20 to 40 times the amount of Iodine needed to control breast cancer and fibrocystic disease than it does to prevent goiter.
Dr. Robert Rowen informs that iodine reduces the activity of lipoprotein(a). When elevated, this protein can lead to excessive blood clotting and vascular disease. Iodine has been used successfully in headaches, keloid formation, parotid duct stones, and Dupuytren's and Peyronie's contractures. Doses up to six times the RDA have been used safely for months to combat the excessive mucous in chronic lung diseases. He also states that Iodine is found in large amounts in the brain (including the parts of the brain associated with Parkinson's disease) and the ciliary body of the eye, a possible factor in glaucoma.

"We placed an 83-year-old woman on iodine supplementation for six months at 50 mgs of elemental iodine daily. She experienced a tremendous increase in energy, endurance, well being, and memory. At six months all her skin peeled off and was replaced by new, younger-looking skin. She was flabbergasted and amazed at her new appearance. In our experience older women (especially over 65) noticed a major difference both physically and mentally," wrote Dr. Guy Abraham, an endocrinologist who today is providing the backbone of the movement back toward the use of iodine as an essential safe and effective medicine.

Breast tissue has an affinity for iodine.

Iodine deficiency causes fibrocystic breast disease with nodules, cyst enlargement, pain and scar tissue. Drs Abraham, Flechas and Brownstein tested more than 4,000 patients taking iodine in daily doses ranging from 12.5 to 50 mg, and in those with diabetes, up to 100 mg a day. These investigators found that "Iodine does indeed reverse fibrocystic disease; their diabetic patients required less insulin; hypothyroid patients, less thyroid medication; symptoms of fibromyalgia resolve and patients with migraine headaches stop having them." We can expect even better results when iodine is combined with magnesium chloride.

Why would many people who take iodine report that they have a greater sense of well-being, increased energy, and a lifting of brain fog? They feel warmer in cold environments, need somewhat less sleep, improved skin complexion, and have more regular bowel movements. The obvious answer is that iodine is a trace mineral used to synthesize hormones and is a mineral that is very important to how hormones function at the hormone receptor sites.

A lack of iodine in the skin manifests as very dry skin and skin that does not sweat when an individual becomes hot.

Magnesium and iodine deficiencies are the causes of autoimmune thyroiditis.

People exposed to brominated compounds for prolonged periods developed multiple cherry angiomas (ie red freckles) on the trunk and extremities.
 

RETURN TO MAIN PAGE