| In the United States alone, nearly 13 million people | | | | autoimmune inflammation of the thyroid (Hashimoto's |
| suffer from some type of thyroid imbalance and are, | | | | disease). |
| usually, totally unaware of it. Iodine is a necessary | | | | Most people get enough iodine in their diet from |
| nutrient, not only for proper thyroid functioning but, it is | | | | seafood and iodized salt. But, only about 50 percent of |
| also essential for the normal functioning of body cells, | | | | Americans use iodized salt. Due to battling high blood |
| nervous system, muscles, brain development, oxygen | | | | pressure, they have been blitzed by standard medical |
| utilization, metabolism, a strong immune system, and a | | | | hype, and media attention, that reducing their salt intake |
| whole lot more. Understanding how important a critical | | | | is a smart move. However, high blood pressure is |
| trace mineral is, such as this one, to your overall health | | | | more directly caused by the body's adaption to severe |
| is well worth the time spent in learning more. | | | | dehydration. Learn more about salt and water's many |
| Many people who were deficient in iodine have | | | | health giving benefits by visiting Dr. F. Batmanghelidj's, |
| witnessed some amazingly positive results from | | | | author of "Your Body's Many Cries For Water", |
| supplementation. While it is commonly recognized in the | | | | website called watercure. |
| traditional medical community, in how this mineral plays | | | | One gram of refined iodized table salt, which has a |
| an important role in helping hormone production in the | | | | high chloride content, contains 77 mcg of iodine. Some |
| thyroid gland. Common symptoms of thyroid | | | | experts estimate that only about 10 percent of this |
| malfunctioning are; fatigue, unexplained weight loss or | | | | iodine can be absorbed by the body. Therefore, a |
| gain, muscle weakness, hair loss, concentration | | | | superior form of salt is needed by your body. A better |
| problems, increased allergies, fluid retention, and being | | | | source of iodine and several other trace minerals, |
| irritable. | | | | which is naturally present in unrefined sea salt, is a |
| According to Dr. Guy Abraham, M.D., a former | | | | wiser choice. It will cost considerably more but, the |
| professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and endocrinology | | | | health benefits are worth it. You can find this type of |
| at the U.C.L.A. School of Medicine, and a leading | | | | salt in most health food stores. |
| authority on iodine says, the limits of sufficient iodine | | | | Other sources of iodine in our diets comes from dairy |
| levels in the human body go far beyond this, other | | | | products, meat, and eggs. The level of iodine can have |
| possible body healing functions of iodine include: | | | | varying amounts, though, depending on contents of |
| 1.Regulates moods | | | | animal feed. About 40 years ago, iodate was used as |
| 2.Prevents cancer (especially in breasts, ovaries, | | | | a bread stabilizer in commercially produced baked |
| uterus, prostate, and thyroid gland) | | | | goods, further increasing our iodine intake. Recently this |
| 3.Prevents and treats fibrocystic breasts in women | | | | practice has declined, in the last 30 years, with iodate |
| 4.Regulates blood pressure | | | | being replaced with bromide as it was considered to |
| 5.Helps regulate blood sugar, and prevents and treats | | | | be safer. Other dietary sources are certain |
| diabetes | | | | multivitamins, and ingesting so-called health foods such |
| 6.Helps to prevent abnormal cardiac rhythms | | | | as kelp. They are, however, largely unregulated and |
| Dr. Abraham noticed that Japanese women have one | | | | unrecognized. |
| of the lowest incidences of having breast cancer in the | | | | If you suspect you might be deficient in this necessary |
| world. They typically eat more than 13 mg of iodine | | | | trace mineral you can perform a simple self test, |
| daily, in the form of seaweed, without suffering any ill | | | | although it may not be completely accurate. Paint a |
| side effects. It is also important to mention here, that | | | | two inch spot on a soft skin tissue area such as your |
| most physicians consider doses above 2 mg a day to | | | | inner upper arm, or upper thigh, with tincture of iodine. If |
| be potentially toxic. | | | | it takes longer than 18 hours for the stain to disappear, |
| When Dr. Abraham began his iodine research work, | | | | it is a good indicator you are iodine sufficient. If it |
| back in 1998, he discovered many other positive | | | | absorbs more quickly, say 2 to 3 hours, you may |
| benefits of treating iodine deficiencies in patients with | | | | possibly need to supplement. You may, then, want to |
| doses far above the standard recommended daily | | | | have a more accurate, in depth, simple saliva or urine |
| dose of 2 mg. | | | | test performed. |
| He noted that back in 1820 a French physician named | | | | Iodine utilization problems can be further restricted by |
| Jean Lugol also used higher doses above 2 mg to | | | | ingesting goitrogens (substances that may cause |
| treat a wide variety of health conditions. Dr. Lugol | | | | enlargement of the thyroid gland) such as fluoride, |
| successfully treated many different infectious | | | | bromine and bromides, and chlorine. The neat thing |
| conditions with his own specifically designed solution, | | | | about being sufficient in this mineral, is that Dr. |
| which is still available today by prescription, known as | | | | Abraham's work showed that sufficient iodine levels |
| 'Lugols's solution'. | | | | help promote the excretion of toxic minerals such as |
| Iodine tends to have antibacterial, antiviral, antiparasitic, | | | | lead, mercury, and cadmium out of the body, and the |
| and antifungal qualities, it also enhances immune | | | | halogens fluoride and bromide as well. |
| function. | | | | Water is the main fluid choice that will help flush these |
| Suboptimal iodine intake levels contribute to various | | | | harmful substances out of you, more quickly and |
| thyroid abnormalities, besides the obvious thyroid goiter | | | | efficiently than any other beverage. That is something |
| condition (swelling of the throat). Common problems | | | | you will be able to see and feel, as water is the basis |
| are still seen today such as hypothyroidism | | | | for all sound nutritional diet success stories. |
| (underactive), hyperthyroidism (overactive), and | | | | |