Brownstein Iodine
Brownstein Iodine
David Brownstein’s
December 2013
Vol. 6, Issue 12
Iodine Deficiency:
The Growing Epidemic
I
’ve been studying natural therapies for more supplementation could lead to bad outcomes,
than 20 years. I am fascinated by human including precipitating or aggravating a thyroid
biochemistry and how eating a good diet and disorder.
using natural supplements can help the body reach Furthermore, I was taught that iodine
optimal health. supplementation could cause autoimmune thyroid
Today, as opposed to 20 years ago, there is a disorders.
whole cornucopia of supplements available for After educating myself, and testing and treating
people who are conscientious about their health. thousands of patients, I am convinced that my
Yet out of all of the natural therapies I have medical training on iodine was incorrect.
prescribed, one nutrient stands head and shoulders
Unfortunately, most healthcare professionals still
above the rest: iodine.
don’t understand how to test for or utilize iodine in
For more than 12 years, I have been studying
their practice.
the effects of iodine on human health. During this
time, I have tested thousands of patients and found We are experiencing epidemics of autism,
that a vast majority are deficient of this essential attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
nutrient. hypothyroidism, autoimmune thyroid disorders
In fact, the rate of iodine deficiency in the such as Hashimoto’s and Graves’ diseases, thyroid
United States has actually increased during this cancer, breast cancer and fibrocystic breast disease,
time. and prostate cancer, as well as diseases of the ovaries
In this issue of Natural Way to Health, I will tell and uterus.
you why iodine is so important for good health,
along with the consequences of iodine deficiency,
and what you can do to maintain optimal levels of In This Issue . . .
this vital nutrient. Link Between Iodine and IQ...................................2
ADHD Caused By Iodine Deficiency.....................3
Iodine Deficiency Causes
Many Illnesses Case Study: Brain Fog Threatens Doctor...............4
In my opinion, iodine is the most misunderstood Finding a Knowledgeable Healthcare Provider.....5
nutrient on Earth. When I was in medical school, Unrefined Salt Is Essential.......................................5
we were told that no one needs to supplement with In the News: Cholesterol Aids Stroke Survival......6
iodine, because we get enough from iodized salt
along with the foods we eat in a regular diet. Nutrients That Correct Low Iodine.......................7
In fact, we were taught that iodine Ask Dr. B...................................................................8
The Link Between Iodine and IQ
Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a 4 to 6 weeks of gestation; group two This study showed that the longer
measure of intellect derived from was supplemented at 12 to 14 weeks that iodine was delayed during
standardized testing with a median, of gestation; and group three was not pregnancy, the lower the IQ in the
or normal, score of 100. Studies supplemented until after delivery. newborn.
have shown that iodine deficiency is The results were astounding. The This is not the only study to show
correlated with a reduced IQ. IQ of the infants in group one was a correlation with lower IQ levels
Researchers studied three groups normal — averaging about 101. related to iodine deficiency. A meta-
of pregnant women and measured The IQ of group two was 92. Just analysis of 18 studies of children
the IQs of their children. All three a short delay — 8 weeks gestation and adolescents found that iodine
groups were supplemented with — in iodine supplementation was deficiency was associated with a
200 mcg of iodine — which is an associated with a significant decline 13.5-point lower IQ score in children
amount that is slightly lower than the in the children’s IQ. Group three, and adolescents. In fact, the same
recommended daily intake for iodine. supplemented only after pregnancy, results have been found across the
The first group was supplemented at had the lowest average score: 87. world in multiple cultures.
Iodine deficiency is the link between all of these thyroxine (also called T4) contains four iodine
illnesses. atoms per molecule.
Over the last 40 years, iodine levels have
Doctors Don’t Recognize Problem fallen precipitously in the United States. How
Iodine is an essential element, which means precipitously? In fact, iodine levels have fallen more
that we cannot live without it. Every cell in the than 50 percent since the 1970s.1
human body requires adequate iodine to perform For the “naysayers,” I have one question: If excess
its function. iodine were causing all the thyroid issues that I
For instance, white blood cells need to be previously mentioned, why haven’t these illnesses
supplied with sufficient amounts of iodine in been declining during the last 40 years?
order to fight infection. Iodine is also important Remember, as iodine levels have decreased by
for proper function of the thyroid gland, which is over half, we have seen epidemic increases of thyroid
located in the lower part of the neck and produces problems including autoimmune thyroid disorders
thyroid hormone. and hypothyroidism, as well as epidemic increases in
We cannot live without adequate production cancer and diseases of the breast, ovary, uterus, and
of thyroid hormone, and the thyroid gland cannot prostate.
produce thyroid hormone without sufficient iodine All of these conditions can be caused by iodine
stores. deficiency — and each of them can be treated with
All thyroid hormones contain iodine. For iodine supplementation.
example, the most common thyroid hormone, The two main reasons that doctors do not
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Continued from page 3 provider who understands iodine and its
importance for the body. There are nutritionists,
decline and an increase in autism has been seen
chiropractors, medical doctors, osteopaths, nurses,
in other Western countries such as New Zealand,
and others that understand the importance of
England, Australia, and Italy.3, 4, 5, 6
ensuring adequate iodine intake.
In a separate study, pregnant women from an
How do you find them? The best place to start
iodine-deficient region were compared to women
is with a holistic healthcare practitioner. You’ll have
from an iodine-sufficient region.7 The women
little chance of finding a conventional doctor who
from the iodine-deficient area had lower thyroid knows about iodine.
hormone levels than women from the iodine- After finding the right healthcare provider, the
sufficient area. next step is to have your iodine levels assessed. If you
The authors hypothesized that “endemic iodine are not taking iodine, a spot urinary iodine test can
deficiency may be responsible for the impaired provide useful information.
psychoneurological development observed in However, as previously mentioned, once you are
children from that area. Appropriate iodine supplementing with iodine, it is best to rely on the
. . . prophylaxis to women in that region may 24-hour iodine loading test, which can provide more
prevent the neurobehavioral, cognitive, and motor useful information on your body’s ability to absorb
compromise of that population.” and utilize iodine.
Another study, which had 10 years of follow- Even better information can be obtained when
up, found that ADHD was diagnosed in 70 percent the 24-hour loading test is repeated. You can then
of children born to mothers living in an iodine- determine if the iodine program you are on is
deficient area. working.
This was compared to no diagnoses of ADHD in In other words, you can assess whether you are
women living in an iodine-sufficient area. becoming iodine-sufficient.
This study also found that IQ was lower in the
children born to women in the iodine-deficient Unrefined Salt Is Essential
area. The researchers found an average IQ of 88 for In order to optimize iodine levels, it is important
those children, versus an IQ of 99 in children born to use other nutrients along with iodine. The most
to mothers in an iodine-sufficient area.8 important of these nutrients is unrefined salt.
There is a big difference between refined and
Finding a Knowledgeable unrefined salt.
Healthcare Provider Refined salt is 99 percent sodium and chloride,
Though I have presented a pretty bleak picture along with toxic additives such as ferrocyanide, and
of the country’s health, all is not lost. You can make aluminum.
changes in your diet and your supplement regimen Unrefined salt, on the other hand, contains as
that will lower your chances of becoming ill with a much as 2 percent trace minerals. It is the mineral
disease related to iodine deficiency. content of unrefined salt that makes it more healthy
The first step is to work with a healthcare than refined salt.
Using unrefined salt along with iodine therapy
minimizes adverse effects. If a person has high levels
Exclusive to Current Subscribers of toxic halides such as bromine and fluoride in his
Current subscribers have instant access to any and every or her body, iodine supplementation can displace
past edition of Dr. Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health. those halides from their receptors and allow them to
Simply go here: be excreted.
drbrownstein.newsmax.com Indeed, this treatment has been used for many
Check your e-mail inbox for this month’s password. years. In the past, this remedy for bromine toxicity
(Please remember to use lowercase letters.)
Continued on page 7
‘Cholesterol
cholesterol” was invasive breast cancer measuring homocysteine, folate,
established as greater would affect their and vitamin B12 levels, and
mortality risk. This published their findings in the
than 178 mg/dL,
while less than that
is needed was a prospective May 1, 2013 issue of the American
was “low cholesterol.” to maintain cohort study of 7,728
women ages 50 to 79
Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Homocysteine is a protein
Compared with
those in the high normal cell in the Women’s Health produced in the body; it requires
cholesterol group, Initiative. adequate levels of B12 and folic
patients with low structure and The women, who acid to be metabolized. Elevated
’
all had breast cancer, homocysteine may indicate
cholesterol were
found to have an
hormones. were classified into vitamin B12 and/or folic acid
8 percent lower two groups: users of deficiency.
survival rate at three months, 11 multivitamins and nonusers of Compared to those with low
percent lower survival at one year, multivitamins, and were followed homocysteine levels, the subjects
and 27 percent lower survival for 7.1 years after their diagnosis. whose levels were elevated (greater
at five years. Overall, there was At the start of the study, 38 percent than 15 umols/L) had a 56 percent
a 97 percent increase increased of the women used a multivitamin greater risk macular degeneration,
mortality risk in low-cholesterol supplement. At the end of 7.1 which is the leading cause of
subjects. years, breast cancer mortality was blindness in the U.S.
The authors concluded, “High 30 percent lower in multivitamin Everyone should have their
admission cholesterol may be users as compared to nonusers. homocysteine levels checked yearly
associated with increased long- I was taught in medical school because elevated homocysteine
term survival after stroke.” that no one needed to take levels (greater than 10 umols/L) is
Frankly, this study is not vitamins — that we could all get cause for concern. If an elevated
shocking. Cholesterol is an enough nutrients from our food. level of homocysteine is detected,
important substance for the body. After 20 years of treating patients, further research into B-vitamin
It is an antioxidant and is also the I can unequivocally state that my levels (particularly vitamins B12
main constituent of the myelin medical school professors were and B6 along with folic acid levels)
sheath that protects the nerves of dead wrong. should be initiated.
the brain. It is needed to maintain I find nutritional deficiencies If they are low, supplementing
the normal cell structure and is — including a lack of basic with B-vitamins can lower
a precursor to adrenal and sex vitamins and minerals — in the homocysteine levels in the vast
hormones. vast majority of my patients. If majority of patients. Keeping your
Conventional medicine would we lack these essential nutritional homocysteine low may not only
have you believe that the lower ingredients, our immune system benefit your eyes — it can also
your cholesterol number is, the does not work well. lower your risk of blood clotting
better. They are wrong. A good multivitamin/mineral disorders such as heart disease and
I don’t know how anyone could supplement can provide minimal stroke.