Iodine has received a lot of attention in recent months with respect to pregnancy and how a deficiency impacts on the unborn child. However, there are many other reasons why the body needs good iodine levels. Here are a few as listed by Jorge D. Flechas, MD:
Iodine deficiency causes fibrocystic breast disease and cyclic breast pain. An iodine deficiency manifests as hyperplasia in the following organs:
- goitre = cysts, nodules, scar tissue, enlargement
- ovary = cysts, nodules, scar tissue, enlargement (polycystic ovarian syndrome).
- breasts = cysts, nodules, scar tissue, enlargement, tenderness (fibrocystic breast disease). Breast tissue uses more iodine than the thyroid, hence iodine deficiency increases dramatically during puberty (breast tissue development).
- endometrium = cysts, nodules, scar tissue, enlargement
- there is also a possible link to cysts in kidneys, liver, brain as most tissue is iodine dependent.
Goitre increases risk of endometrial, breast and ovarian cancers.
So why are we so deficient in Iodine? Perhaps it is due to all the substances in our daily life that actually block iodine absorption. These substances are chloride, fluoride and bromide. One doesn’t have to look hard to identify constant exposure to these substances. Chlorine is in our drinking water, we shower, bathe and swim in it; fluoride has recently been added to our drinking water and is also used in pesticides and insecticides; and bromide is added to sports drinks, soft drinks, oils, flour and baked goods, is used to spray fruit (strawberries) and injected into soils (where it is taken up by the plants we eat). Bromide is also used to solidify vegetable oils. With so many substances blocking iodine absorption, no wonder we are deficient.
Before supplementing it is essential that you be fully assessed and prescribed a reputable form of iodine so make sure you seek advice from a qualified natural health therapist. Any suspected iodine deficiency should be assessed by urine analysis.