For those who are interested, some more from/about this book:
p. 25 Iodine “is also responsible for the production of all the other hormones in the body . . . Iodine contains potent antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiviral, and anticancer properties.”
P. 46 “The research does not support the idea that iodized salt is a readily available source of iodine for the body.”
p. 49 “Diets that may cause iodine deficiency: 1. Diets without ocean fish or sea vegetables, 2. Inadequate use of iodized salt including low-sodium diets, 3. Diets high in the consumption of bakery products (e.g., breads, pasta) which contain bromide, 4. Vegan and vegetarian diets
p. 60 In 1829, “Dr. Lugol began treating many different infections with his [iodine] solution and had great success.”
p. 61 “Different tissues of the body respond to the different forms of iodine.” Some cells use iodine, and some use potassium iodide.
p. 70 “There are other tissues of the body that utilize NIS [a specialized system developed by the thyroid gland to concentrate a large amount of iodine as compared to its size] to concentrate iodine including the breasts, kidneys, placenta, stomach, rectum and salivary glands.” “Studies have shown that iodine-deficient individuals have an increased incidence of of anti-thyroid antibodies.”
p. 75 Iodine is responsible for maintaining the normal architecture of the glands of the body including the thyroid, ovaries, uterus, breast and prostate.”
p. 112 Discusses how to treat auto-immune disorders.
p. 139 An entire chapter that discusses the connection between selenium and iodine. “Adequate selenium levels are necessary for regulating thyroid function and iodine metabolism.” Selenium is something that our bodies can’t produce – it must be obtained through diet or supplementation, but it is also one of those nutrients where you can have too much of a good thing. Do not exceed 400 mcg/day.
p. 153 Ovaries “contain the second highest concentration of iodine in the body.” The breasts are one of the main storage sites for iodine in the body, and compete with the thyroid for what little iodine is available.
p. 167 Treating hypothyroidism with thyroid hormone, in some studies, can exacerbate breast cancer and increase the risk of breast cancer and thyroid cancer. Taking thyroid medications with correcting the existing iodine deficiency “results in an increased metabolic state” which increases the body’s need for iodine. If the body is already deficient, then the deficiency is increased.
p. 178 Other tissues that use iodine: prostate gland, gastrointestinal tract, salivary glands, bones, connective tissues, and “the fluids of almost the entire body.” Also the adrenal glands, thymus, ovaries, hypothalmus, and pituitary axis. Iodine accumulates in the prostate, salivary glands, skin, intestines and red and white blood cells.
p. 220 Some medications contain bromide, which is a goitrogen. P. 258 Discusses iodism, which “occurs when the dose of iodine is too high.” From other papers I’ve read, once the body achieves iodine sufficiency, it excretes excess iodine. If you take too large a dose and experience iodism, e,g acne, headache and other side effects, just lower the dose.
p. 265 Goitrogens, such as bromide (found in baked goods), fluoride/fluorine, chloride/chlorine, perchlorate, and thiocyanate (from cigarette smoke) bind to a cell’s iodine receptors, blocking iodine. The book goes into detail about where those goitrogens exist in our environment, from pools and hot tubs, to insecticides, medicines, produce, dairy, flame retardants used in carpet and on furniture, off-gassing in cars (that “new car smell”), etc.
p. 298 “Every cell in the body needs and requires iodine to function optimally. The white blood cells cannot fight infection without iodine. Iodine is concentrated by the glandular tissue in order to maintain normal glandular function. There is not a single hormone in the body that can be produced without iodine.”
p. 300 If you are hypothyroid and start taking iodine, it’s possible that your TSH level will increase. This is normal and T3, T4 and reverse T3 often improve.
The author emphasizes that it’s important to have nutritional support when using iodine, esp. B2, B3, magnesium, vitamin C and selenium, as well as sea salt (to help the body detoxify).
The book also states that iodine is both an oxidant and an anti-oxidant. While it mentioned that iodine is antibiotic, antiviral, and antiparasitic, it didn’t really discuss those uses, but instead focused on it’s anticancer abilities and it’s impact on treating thyroid disease. I would have like to have learned more about those other properties, as I can’t help but wonder if it would be beneficial in treating Lyme disease.
You don’t need a medical degree to read this book. It gets a little technical when explaining how the body actually processes iodine, but aside from that part, you’ll get a pretty good idea of just how important iodine is to the body, how exposed we are to the goitrogens that block iodine from binding to our cells, and how we’re not getting enough of this nutrient, esp. when factoring in all those goitrogens.
Note: The 5th edition is the most recent, and is not available on Amazon. You can order it from the author’s website,
www.drbrownstein.com.