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The Iodine Group | |
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Mary Shomon (Patient Advocate)
Q. Is That So? The Claim: All Thyroid Patients Should Take IodineShomon M Feb 22, 2007
"Taking iodine or foods/supplements that contain iodine to help your thyroid can be problematic, because many cases of autoimmune thyroid disease -- by far the most common cause of thyroid conditions in the U.S. -- are not due to iodine deficiency."
"Your physician or nutritionist can test your iodine levels via a urinalysis test. But, if like many patients, you decide on your own to try kelp, iodine, or a thyroid-support supplement (almost all contain high iodine), be aware of the risks."
"Most doctors say not to worry about some iodized salt, or the iodine present in a food item such as an occasional sushi dinner. But even alternative nutritional doctor Stephen Langer, MD, author of Solved: The Riddle of Illness, the follow-up book to Broda Barnes' Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness, advises against taking iodine or kelp supplements for people with autoimmune thyroid disease...."
"Personally, I'm one of those people with autoimmune thyroid disease who simply does not do well with supplemental iodine. The times I have tried iodine supplementation in any form -- beyond the very small amounts of iodine contained in some supplements -- I have had what I call an "iodine crash." Within a day, I notice my thyroid enlarging slightly (goiter), and feeling tender. Within three days, I am exhausted and achy all over my body."
"Be careful about iodine -- it may be a help to you, but like me, you may also be sensitive to supplemental iodine."
The Iodine ControversyShomon M June 29, 2006
"On one side of the controversy is the serious issue of iodine deficiency. Iodine is obtained through food, water, iodized salt, and supplementation.
"The thyroid uses iodine to produce thyroid hormone, making iodine an essential, necessary nutrient.
"Iodine is particularly critical for pregnant women and fetuses, as well as young children. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 2 billion people, including 285 million school-age children, are iodine deficient. And among them, iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) affect some 740 million -- with almost 50 million of them suffer from some form of brain damage resulting from the iodine deficiency...."
"On the other side of the controversy is the recognition that excessive iodine can trigger autoimmune thyroid disease and hypothyroidism. According to animal studies, high iodine intake can initiate and worsen infiltration of the thyroid by lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that accumulate due to chronic injury or irritation. In addition, large amounts of iodine block the thyroid's ability to make hormone...."
"For the rest of us, the answer for optimum thyroid health is, therefore, to get enough -- but not too much -- iodine. You might be deficient in iodine if you have, for health reasons, cut iodized salt out of your diet, or switched to non-iodized sea salt...."
"But, unless you are planning to get pregnant, are currently pregnant or you're breastfeeding, you'll want to be very careful about taking iodine unless you and your practitioner have some very strong evidence that you are deficient. If your practitioner recommends iodine supplementation as a thyroid treatment, you may wish to ask for a more specific test that can measure iodine levels -- the "urinary excretion" test. This test which evaluates the iodine excreted in the urine, and gives an indirect but fairly accurate assessment of iodine levels, and can document deficiency."
Iodine and the ThyroidShomon M June 5, 2003
"The relationship between iodine and the thyroid is complicated. Some alternative practitioners simplistically declare that all thyroid patients should take iodine -- or an iodine-containing herb like kelp.
"That practice can be problematic for many
people, because many cases of autoimmune thyroid disease -- which
is by far the most common cause of thyroid conditions in the U.S.
-- are not due to iodine deficiency. The likelihood that your
thyroid problem is caused by iodine deficiency is a factor of
your geographic location, diet, and use of salt and iodized
products, but the odds are, you are not iodine deficient. "Your physician or nutritionist can test your iodine levels via a urinalysis test, if you wish to be evaluated. If, like many patients, you decide on your own to try kelp, iodine, or one of the many thyroid-supporting supplements (almost all of them contain high amounts of iodine or kelp), to see if they can help you, be aware of the risks. A percentage of patients are very sensitive to iodine/kelp supplementation, and find that it aggravates their thyroid problem.
"Personally, I'm one of those people who simply does not do well with much in the way of supplemental iodine. I do fine with food that contain iodine -- such as seaweed or seafood. In fact, I periodically find myself craving sushi and a good seaweed salad, and can eat it with no after-effects whatsoever. But the several times I have tried iodine or kelp supplementation in any form -- beyond the very small amounts of iodine contained in some supplements -- I have had what I call an "iodine crash."
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