It's hard to believe that too low levels of this one mineral can cause you to completely fail in your weight loss goals, but it's true! Not only that, low levels can also cause a whole host of other health problems. And because it is so central to how your thyroid balances itself, if you have lab tests for thyroid function, the results might show up as low thyroid, high thyroid or even both! To find out if low levels are sabotaging your weight loss goals - and contributing to other health problems, too, do these two things.
1. Use the check list below to see if you have some of these symptoms, and
2. Follow that up with the simple self-test described after that:
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Milder Symptoms:
__ fatigue
__ brittle or ridged nails
__ skin dry and cold
__ shortness of breath
__ cold hands and feet
__ constipation
__ nervousness
__ depression
__ headache
__ irritability
__ increased cholesterol
More severe symptoms can include:
__ marked weight gain
__ sluggishness,
__ round face
__ many folds of skin beneath your eyes and jaw,
__ tongue thick, voice guttural
__ skin dry and cold
__ hair brittle and falling out
__ low metabolism
__ mind and body placid, feeling "lazy
__ problems with memory and speech
__ recurrent infections
__ chronic aches and pains including backache and arthritis
__ blood problems like anemia
__ chronic bruising,
__ minor bleeding,
__ ulcers,
__ severe muscle cramps, especially at night
__ stiffness and numbness
You may have opposite set of symptoms, which can include:
__ pulse over 120 beats/ minute
__ sweating,
__ bulging eyes,
__ restless overactivity,
__ nervousness,
__ weakness,
__ sensitivity to heat,
__ tremors,
__ increased appetite but losing weight,
__ abnormal thyroid hormone values.
If you are a woman, you may also experience:
__ excess menstruation,
__ ovarian cysts
__ cervical dysplasia
__ uterine abnormalities - uterine fibroids, polyps, endometriosis
__ female reproductive difficulties
What does iodine do in the body?
- keeps the thyroid functioning properly
- helps immune system fight infections
- helps reproductive glands and tissues functioning properly, including breasts, ovaries, endometrium and prostate
- has been shown to reverse fibrocystic breast disease
- has been shown to suppress chemically-induced breast cancer in rats
- balances estrogen levels
- stablilzes heart beat, helps regulate and keep normal rhythm
- can normalize serum cholesterol levels
- improves glucose metabolism (it attaches to insulin receptors)
- is essential for development of the central nervous system
- helps remove heavy metals
How to Test Yourself:
(Note: Do not do this test if you are allergic to iodine!)
You can monitor your own iodine levels by doing an 'iodine patch test'. This means applying about a 2 inch square of iodine tincture (that orange-colored stuff you get at the drugstore) to your skin in the morning after your shower or bath, noting the time you put it on, and then monitoring how it changes over the next 24 hours., noting how the color changes. The sooner it lightens, the more likely you need a supplement containing protein-bound iodine. If the color remains about the same as when you put it on, or has lightened only slightly by the same time the next day, your body has no need of the iodine, and so left it where you put it. In that case, it is likely you need no iodine supplementation.
How Can This Be Addressed?
(Note: Do not take supplements containing iodine if you are allergic to it!)
Get your iodine levels up. The best food sources of iodine are two seaweeds - kelp and Kombu (which is why low iodine levels are almost unheard of in Japan, where the diet includes lots of these seaweeds).
Next, if you are going to take an iodine supplement, start slowly and increase gradually. That's because when the receptor sites on your cells are not used to picking up iodine, they often act like they've gone to sleep on the job. They require a little exposure to the circulating iodine to 'wake up' and start absorbing it into your cells. During that time if you have too much iodine circulating, you might feel anxious, nervous and have a higher pulse rate, almost as if you had a temporarily overactive thyroid.
Also use a protein-bound iodine for best absorption. Why? Because iodine can be toxic due to its tendency to combine with protein. That's why it works so well to put iodine on a cut: iodine destroys the protein in bacteria, thus destroying the bacteria. To avoid this, take an iodine product that's already bound with protein (called protein-bound iodine).
According to Dr. Guy Abraham, a researcher and an authority on the safe use of iodine, the daily dose of iodine should be 12.5mg to 37.5mg per day. But you can monitor your own iodine levels. To do so simply repeat the above patch test every week or two. When the patch no longer fades and has only faded slightly in 24 hours, you can cut back.
If you are a woman suffering from reproductive system symptoms, topical iodine has been shown to be successful to assist your healing. Use 10 drops of Lugol's solution (a strong iodine solution available in most pharmacies). Apply it to an organic, cotton tampon and insert once per month for 3-4 hours or up to overnight. (Thanks to Australian herbalist Angela Hywood for this information.)
If you have been diagnosed with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, be aware that some thyroid experts say iodine is absolutely contraindicated with this condition while others insist it's not only fine, but highly beneficial. The short story is that the jury is still out on this subject. What experts do agree on is that iodine stimulates the production and activity of the thyroid peroxidase (TPO) enzyme which is the target of the autoimmune attack. Many alternative practitioners address the underlying immune condition, which they believe is often a result of a virus that closely resembles the structure of the TPO enzyme, and that supporting the body to rid itself of the virus is the approach to take. Some would argue that whether or not to take iodine if you have this condition depends on whether or not the particular virus that mimics your TPO enzyme happens to feed on iodine. If it does, nix the iodine supplementation until you're clear of the virus. If it doesn't you should be fine to get your iodine levels up.
For more information you can use for better health and greater
wellbeing of body, mind, spirit, emotions and relationships, go to http://www.betterhealthbytes.com. While you're there, request a topic you want covered.
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