Iodine! Do You Need To Take Iodine For Proper Thyroid Health?
My first-ever doctor's appointment in 2009 was for help managing my new diagnosis of hypothyroidism. I was naive, scared, lost, and confused. Literally anything the doctor had to say, I obeyed. He told me to go off of my birth control, and though I wasn't too cool with that at the time, I did it. He also told me to stop eating bananas and use only nonfluorinated toothpaste, which I did because it all has a high fluoride content that strips your Iodine out.
At the end of our appointment, he gave me a bottle of Iodine and said to start taking it daily with no real explanation as to what it was or why. I was torn. I had never heard of Iodine and knew nothing about taking it either. So, I went home and did what we all do: I Googled it. That was a BIG MISTAKE. What I read about Iodine was scary and not pro-thyroid health at all. And that's all it took for me to never look back at that $50.00 bottle of Iodine again.
Let me tell you; I regret that decision now. But it wasn't my fault; there are SO MANY opinions on this matter to sift through on Google that it feels like you can't get any clear answers....STILL! Just last week, when I was getting dressed, I thought, "I want a good podcast right now." So, I opened my favorite one, and the latest episode was a famous doctor talking about thyroid health. I was so excited, until, sadly, ten minutes into it, I realized the ENTIRE show was all anti-Iodine.
Angry and yelling at my phone, I eventually had enough and shut it off. I huffed and puffed around my house saying things like, "This is WHY!" "These things right here are why SO many women are not well." Again, a trusted alternative doctor was saying things that were incorrect. WHY? He fueled my hate fire even more to get the truth out.
Tangent aside, I wish I could go back through time and tell my 29-year-old self to take the dang Iodine, and here's why: Iodine is an element that is needed to produce the thyroid hormone. The body does not make Iodine, so it is an essential part of your diet. If you do not have enough Iodine in your body, you cannot make enough of your thyroid hormone. Thus, Iodine deficiency can lead to the enlargement of the thyroid.
Moreover, Iodine deficiencies can be inherited at birth. I like to look at Iodine as a sterilizer or internal bleach because it's a natural disinfectant. Iodine supports the whole endocrine system, which is made up of the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries, and testicles. For the thyroid gland to produce thyroxine and triiodothyronine, Iodine must be available from the diet. If it's unavailable, the thyroid gland swells with fluid, and an enlargement of the neck called a goiter occurs. Adding Iodine will relieve a goiter or swelling.
Your thyroid alone needs 7 mg of Iodine just to function. Yet, the government's recommendations are just too low to compensate for all the different glands’ needs and toxins we are bombarded with daily. Even the radiation from dental x-rays or the radiation coming off our cell phones now is enough to deplete some of our Iodine stores.
Despite the claim that the invention of iodized salt has solved the Iodine deficiency problem, it is far from true. The addition of Iodine to table salt only provides limited benefits to the immune system and may not reach the thyroid gland. While blood tests can detect trace amounts of Iodine in the bloodstream, they are not entirely reliable due to the elusive nature of Iodine. Therefore, I suggest undergoing an Iodine loading test, which is a urine analysis, to determine accurate Iodine levels.
Based on my experience, it is safe to say that most people are deficient in Iodine, unless they intentionally consume it through their diet or supplements. Particularly for individuals with hypothyroidism, avoiding complete Iodine deficiency is crucial as Iodine is essential for both thyroid and immune system functions. Iodine possesses antiviral and antibacterial properties, making it a critical ally in the body's defense against pathogens.
When supplementing Iodine, it is vital to start with small doses and gradually increase it. Introducing a high amount of Iodine at once may cause inflammation and a temporary rise in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which can be mistaken for an allergic or autoimmune response. My preferred Iodine supplements are Go Nutrients Nascent Iodine or J.Crows Lugol's Solution Potassium Iodide. J.Crows provides a detailed formula for dosing on their website.
Iodine can also be obtained from various sea-based foods such as Atlantic dulse flakes, kelp, bladderwrack, Hawaiian spirulina, and leafy greens like arugula, romaine and spinach. It can also be found in onions, sprouts, microgreens, parsley, and dandelion tea (my personal favorite).
It is essential to note that zinc is Iodine's best friend, a support mineral that activates Iodine's functions. Taking zinc supplements along with Iodine can enhance Iodine's bioavailability and bioactivity. I personally recommend the zinc supplement by Vimergy.
If you need additional guidance or support on Iodine supplementation and maintaining a healthy thyroid, I would be overjoyed to connect on a 90-minute coaching call.
In conclusion, I hope that my advice has shed some light on the confusing topic of Iodine supplementation and its crucial role in supporting thyroid and immune functions.
Let’s kick some Hashimoto ass.
Coach Sarah Joy