Iodine Deficiency Symptoms

Iodine deficiency has reached epidemic proportions worldwide over the last 10 to 20 years. How did this happen? More importantly, how does a deficiency in iodine affect your health and the health of your family?

Table Salt: Not a Viable Option for Iodine

There are specific reasons why iodine levels in the United States and other parts of the world have declined so much since the 1970s. An increasing toxic load, as well as damaging policies from government and manufacturers, are largely to blame.

Two things happened beginning in the 1970s that led to a decline in commercial salt uptake, however.

First of all, consumers en masse began responding to allopathic health warnings about sodium’s connection to high blood pressure by significantly cutting their salt intake.

Secondly, health-conscious individuals began avoiding commercial sources of salt because of the toxins used to produce it.

Indeed, unlike in the 1920s, today’s table salt is actually bleached sodium chloride that has other harmful halides such as fluoride sodium bicarbonate added to it. Most holistic health experts recommend skipping commercial salt altogether and reaching for sea salt or Himalayan pink salt instead.

Toxins Cause Problems with Iodine Absorption

The 1970s also saw an increase in toxic chemicals, which block iodine uptake. This unfortunately has dealt a “one-two punch” to iodine levels overall.

Fluoride, chlorine, and bromide are health-damaging chemicals that happen to share the halide chemical category with iodine. As such, they are able to mimic iodine in the body, even replacing it within iodine receptor sites. During the 1970s, American bread manufacturers also replaced iodine with bromide as a dough softener for their products.

Bromide is particularly dangerous since it has the ability to replace iodine in the thyroid. Studies have shown that when iodine levels are low, bromide can induce hypothyroidism. This includes impaired ability to synthesize thyroid hormones.

Other studies indicate that excessive amounts of bromide can lead directly to goiters, as well as decreased iodine in the mammary glands and increased iodine excretion through the kidneys. In addition to commercial bread products, bromide can also be found in paint, new car interiors, and pool-cleaning products.

Fluoride found in tap water and dental products is another chemical that blocks iodine in the body. In addition, a chlorine-containing chemical called perchlorate, an ingredient in jet fuel, can also lead to dangerously low iodine levels.

A 2005 study done at Texas Tech University found that the average breast-feeding infant consumes twice the recommended maximum daily level of perchlorate, as established by the National Academy of Sciences.

Common Iodine Deficiency Symptoms

• Persistent swelling or soreness in the neck and throat
• Unexplained weight gain
• Fatigue
• Muscle soreness
• “Brain fog”
• Memory loss
• Mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression
• Cyst formations in the ovaries
• Uterine fibroids
• Complications in the prostate
• Hair loss
• Dry skin
• Fluctuations in heart rate
• Feeling colder than usual
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Gastric issues, such as colitis
• Autoimmune conditions
• Thyroid, breast, prostate, and other reproductive system-related cancers

Some of these symptoms may seem familiar to you, since they are also indicative of low thyroid function, otherwise known as hypothyroidism. This is because iodine is literally the “food” for the thyroid. Key hormones created in the thyroid, such as thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), cannot be created without it.

Other symptoms may come as a surprise. For example, did you know that in addition to being utilized in the thyroid, iodine is also housed and used in the salivary glands, breast tissue, gastric mucosa, ovaries, and the choroid plexus, the grouping of cells in the brain responsible for creating cerebrospinal fluid?

Iodine plays a part in every function in the body, and when you are deficient it affects every organ. According to National Cancer Institute statistics, thyroid cancer rates have risen 3.8% every year for the last 10 years. Rates of breast, uterine, prostate, and digestive system-related cancers have also been on the rise.

Finally, other ailments possibly related to iodine deficiency, such as autoimmune diseases and gastric system conditions, continue to affect almost everyone. Their rise began around the same time as iodine levels began to decrease in the United States as a whole.

How to Increase Your Iodine Levels: 4 Ways

Knowledge is power. Now that you know the facts about iodine deficiency and what causes it, you should also know that there are many things you can do to make sure you have adequate amounts in your body.

Here are 4 quick tips you can start today to ensure you’re not iodine deficient:

#1. Increase Intake of Lugol’s Solution

You can start with your plate. Some foods high in iodine include quality fish and seafood, seaweed and kelp, cranberries, strawberries, and green, leafy vegetables.

Because of poor soil and increased toxic load, obtaining your iodine strictly from what you eat is often not enough. In this case, a high-quality, super-absorbable, and organically-sourced iodine supplement is the way to go.

#2. Test Your Iodine Levels

You can do this on your own through a skin test or through an iodine loading test. While you are at it, get your levels of fluoride and bromide tested as well!

#3. Flush Out Toxins

This involves boosting your liver and kidney function as well as taking measures to get rid of bromide, fluoride, and chlorine in the body. Milk Thistle is a gentle yet powerful detoxifying herb that strengthens both the liver and the immune system.

#4. Reduce Exposure to Harmful Halides

Choose filtered water free from fluoride. Opt out of the use of fluoride toothpastes and dental products. Limit your exposure to chlorine and bromide in swimming pools. Choose organic sources for bread the next time you shop. There are dozens of actions you can take to limit your exposure to harmful halides. Choose one each week and stick with it!