Hey everyone,
I’ve started my hypothyroid journey/battle and wondering others thoughts on Iodine. I’ve gotten one book called The Thyroid Reset Diet (by Alan Christianson) whose believes based of his research/studies that we might have too much Iodine in our diet. Another book I got, Iodine and Why You Need It by David Brownstein seems to show the opposite.
I’m sure little iodine might work for some and a lot more iodine might work for other but curious on others thoughts.
Thanks
With very limited responses to my last post on iodine (testing), I suspect members here are exhausted with iodine. But youve plenty to see by searching Posts on Thyroid forum!
I'm grateful for a sole response to my last post 9m ago because it was from the late, great Seaside Susie RIP! X
I took a supplement for about 4 years which contained 100% daily iodine. The consultant considered that a major factor in my thyroid troubles as I have no family history of thyroid problems, no antibodies, no autoimmune issues.I am very wary of all supplements now.
You would need to test iodine first and unless vegan highly unlikely you have low levels
Levothyroxine contains all the iodine you need
Iodine use to be prescribed to HYPER thyroid patients to lower thyroid levels
But as you are currently only taking 25mcg levothyroxine you need to be on higher dose levothyroxine asap
Next step is to get copies of your test results from BEFORE starting on levothyroxine
Essential to know if your hypothyroidism is autoimmune thyroid disease also called Hashimoto’s
About 90% of primary hypothyroidism is autoimmune
Links discussing iodine
thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...
drknews.com/iodine-and-hash...
Levothyroxine contains all the iodine you need
I just wanted to point out that the iodine in thyroid hormones is recycled by the body to make new thyroid hormones where possible, which is very clever.
i have put a collection of useful Information re. Iodine here: healthunlocked.com/thyroidu... iodine-a-collection-of-useful-information-because-the-search-facility-on-health-unlocked-is-totally-pants
One of the problems with iodine is that some methods of testing are extremely poor.
For example, there is a "test" called the Iodine Patch Test that is used by lots of quacks and it is completely unreliable. The result that people get depends more on how hot or cold they are and how hot or cold the air temperature is. More problems of the test are listed by helvella here (You don't have to log into dropbox - just close the login box) :
dropbox.com/s/a4xpwn6fwc42g...
...
There is also something called the Iodine Loading Test. That one is debunked in these links :
townsendletter.com/Jan2013/...
zrtlab.com/blog/archive/fla...
...
The best test is a non-loading urine test that is available from Genova Diagnostics UK. Unfortunately they are an awkward company to deal with and they do NOT like dealing with patients directly. Instead we have to do the test using Thyroid UK as a middle man and they send results to Thyroid UK rather than to the patient, then the patient has to get them from Thyroid UK.
See this link for more info :
thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...
I have found another company that acts as a middle man for the same Genova Diagnostics UK test for the same prices. They also do urine tests for thyroid hormones via urine too, although I wouldn't know how to interpret the results :
Iodine really is both difficult and controversial.
There is a huge amount of misinformation. A classic being the claims about huge intake in Japan. Research suggests the average is somewhere near 3000 micrograms a day. But for many, does vary day by day.
And Japan has higher rates of Hashimoto's than most other countries.
The UK seems to have low iodine intake. (I don't have any real, up to date, figures.) We have relied on milk for much of our iodine. But with reduced milk intake, and many "milk alternatives" this has dropped. (Some plant "milks" have added iodine intended to mimic dairy milk - but not all.)
And there appears to be a significant difference in the effect of taking iodine in someone who has always been low to those who have mostly had at least an adequate intake.
I have not read Christianson, nor Brownstein, so am not clear if they look at the two groups in their published works. But two very different backgrounds might help to explain the two very different sets of ideas?
Also, it does appear clear that we cannot just look at iodine but also have to consider the rest of our intake. Selenium is often mentioned and it is clear that without adequate selenium we cannot process available iodine properly. (Though the amount of selenium we need is small and it is easy to take in too much.)
I spent 2 years following the Iodine Group (a Yahoo group) - it is owned by Stephanie Buist, ND HC - she was a patient of Dr Brownstein who together with Dr Abraham and Dr Flechas developed the Iodine Protocol (IP).
I don't recall exactly all that was wrong with Stephanie but I'm pretty certain she suffered fibrocystic breast "disease".
Her positive experiences with the IP led her to creating the group and also to become qualified as a Naturopathic Doctor.
At the time, I was full on Goldfish Memory and found the information incredibly difficult to understand and retain but I eventually "got it" after finding graphics of the electron transport chain and The Sodium/Iodide Symporter (NIS) system.
In the end I decided against following the IP - it would have been fairly costly because the recommended supplements, ATP co-factors etc. (at that time) came from America plus I was wary of "inflaming the fire" of Hashimotos. I also did not feel that I had a bromine issue - the USA allows all sort of things that are banned in Europe - brominated vegetable oil, brominated flour, virtually all factory produced "foods" are (or were) still adulterated. Also I had stopped swimming in bleach at least 30 years ago 
The atomic number of Bromine is 35, the atomic number of Iodine is 53 (interesting inversion!) = bromine impedes the body's ability to "organify" iodine. Bromine is one of the toxic halides (chlorine and fluorine being another two).
Sorry - but you simply cannot claim chlorine is a toxic halide!
We need a substantial intake of chlorine (much of it being as sodium chloride).
The wording jumps from "halides" (i.e. ionic compounds of halogens) to chlorine and fluorine (the element names, and often used in relation to non-ionic compounds).
If you say "chlorine is a toxic halogen", I'd be fairly comfortable. As a gas it is very toxic. But if it is as a chloride salt, it wouldn't usually be toxic (unless the anion makes it so, or the quantity is large).
This switching between ionic (chloride and halide) and non-ionic words (chlorine and halogen) is one reason so much that is written fails to convince.
Just adding:
All halogens, as free elements, are toxic and unpleasant.
If you say "chlorine is a toxic halogen", I'd be fairly comfortable.
I will say that
No need to be "sorry" for correcting me - you are absolutely right! I was trying to illustrate (in a very basic way) how the elements in the Periodic Table operate. You'll have likely gathered that I'm neither a scientist nor chemist!
One of my cats has developed hyperthyroidism recently. From what I can see feline hyperthyroidism is not autoimmune but results form a benign growth. Apparently the condition can be managed without treatment or meds through a strict iodine free diet, which would imply that iodine impacts production of T4.
It would, yes. 1 molecule of T4 contains 4 atoms of iodine. T3 contains 3 atoms. That is how thyroid hormone is made. You can't have thyroid hormones without iodine.
Reducing iodine enough certainly reduces the ability of the body to make thyroid hormone.
But consuming a bit more iodine than is needed for making thyroid hormone doesn't automatically make us hyperthyroid.
In the UK, we appear to have a population iodine intake which is low, possibly deficient. Say, somewhere around the 150 microgram standard daily requirement.
In Japan, the average daily intake is somewhere around 3000 micrograms a day.
Both countries have significant Hashimoto's. indeed, Japan has a higher incidence. But clearly most of the population of Japan copes with that massively greater iodine intake without becoming hyperthyroid.
In cats, yes, the uncontrolled production of thyroid hormone causes hyperthyroidism. And we can use iodine intake as a valve to limit that.
I'm not convinced we can do the same in humans - except the few who end up with a similar issue to cats.
I’m sure little iodine might work for some and a lot more iodine might work for other
What do you mean by 'work'?
Iodine is one of the ingredients of thyroid hormones. But, if you are taking exogenous thyroid hormones, not only do do you get that iodine from if being recycled in the body, but you need less iodine because your thyroid isn't making thyroid hormones anymore.
Hey Greygoose,
By “work” I mean help a patient. Both books have stories/testimonials about using iodine or reducing intake drastically depending on the book.
Yes, I got that. But no-one is ever able to define 'help'. Help in what way?
I won´t get into the heated debate about iodine. However, some practitioners claim that iodine is needed not only to make thyroid hormone, but that it also protects against breast cancer. For that reason, they recommend taking iodine even if you don´t have a thyroid gland. It seems that Hashimoto´s is very common in Japan (due to high iodine intake) but also that breast cancer is uncommon thanks to high iodine intake (the latter statement is from Your Thyroid and How to keep it healthy" by the later Dr. Peatfield).
I have also seen advice of applying iodine for fibroadenoma and ovarian cysts, which are related to iodine deficiency. Both of course can coexist with Hashimoto.
Could a lack of iodine lower the TSH level?
On Lithium, have hypothyroidism,no longer responding to T4 and less to T3. Starting low iodine diet. 
iodine
