Iodine, Why You Need It: Brownstein

Dr. David Brownstein, M.D., is a Board-Certified family practitioner who approaches medicine from a holistic perspective. I've been following Dr. Brownstein's blogs for several years and very much like his preference to treat the cause of dysfunction rather than the symptoms. 

Iodine: Why You Need It: Why You Can't Live Without It provides important information to help resolve the common misconceptions around this important micro-nutrient. Dr. Brownstein and his mentor, Dr. Guy Abraham, have been singular voices for several decades on the heath impacts of iodine deficiency. This book provides the medical evidence for their findings and a straight-forward program for resolving the issue.

Importance of Iodine
Why is iodine important?

• Goiters A several shortage of iodine causes thyroid problems, resulting in the growth of goiters.
• Mitochondria ATP Iodine is involved in the production of ATP in the mitochondria of every one of our trillion+ cells. An iodine deficiency results in inadequate energy production needed to drive most of our metabolic processes.
• Thyroid Hormones Iodine is critical to proper thyroid functioning. The 1, 2, 3, and 4 in the thyroid hormones, T1, T2, T3, and T4 are -- guess what? -- iodine!
• Thyroid Disorders The rising incidence of the thyroid conditions of Hashimoto's disease and Graves' disease tracks along the same curve as our falling iodine levels. Dr. Brownstein estimates that 15-20% of the population is affected by autoimmune thyroid diseases.
• Bio-Availability To become bio-available, iodine must undergo two processes: oxidation and organification both of which require co-enzymes, particularly adequately levels of vitamins B2 and B3, so proper treatment in some cases requires additional dietary changes or supplementation. 
• Organification Organification of iodine simply means that it is bound to other organic compounds such as cholesterol, lipids and proteins. Organification requires iodine levels at 100 times the RDA levels in order to occur. At 100x RDA levels, iodine forms delta-iodolactone, a key regulator for apoptosis, and is an important anti-thyroid cancer agent. 
• Breast Issues Teenage girls are particularly susceptible to goiters because development of breast tissue puts additional iodine demands on the body which further depletes thyroid iodine levels.
• Low IQ Births It has been known for nearly 100 years that iodine deficiency in pregnant women is associated with low IQ births. Cretinism is the most severe form of iodine deficiency, first discovered in the 18th century.
• ADHD and Autism Dr. Brownstein makes the case for connections between ADHD and autism in children and iodine deficiency. "I do not believe that ADHD is a condition caused by a lack of a mood-altering drug such as Ritalin or Concerta. I believe ADHD is a condition caused in large part from nutritional and hormonal imbalances as well as an increased toxic load." 

Iodine Deficiency: An Epidemic Problem
Dr. Brownstein claims that there is an epidemic iodine deficiency problem. What is the evidence that you are likely to be iodine deficient?

• Dr. Brownstein tests iodine levels in all of his patients -- over 6,000 to date -- and 96% test low, and many below any detectable limit. 
• Hakala Research (referenced in the book) has tested tens of thousands around the world with similar results.
• Elemental iodine exists primarily in the oceans. Iodine enters our food chain through evaporation from the oceans where it is deposited in the nearby soil and absorbed into plant life. Areas of the world that are not near the ocean tend to be iodine deficient. In Dr. Brownstein's locale -- the mid-West -- glaciers removed most of the iodine in the soil and was the "epicenter" of a goiter problem that was identified in the U.S. in the early 1900's. The end result was the addition of iodine to salt ("iodized salt") in Michigan and Ohio, quickly followed by the rest of the country.
• The World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the earth's population live in iodine deficient areas, resulting in mental retardation, goiter, increased child and infant mortality rates, and socioeconomic decline.
• Iodine was added to salt to reduce the goiter problem in the early 1900's, but the misdirected movement to "saltophobia" has resulted in a decline of 50% in the past 40 years per the NHANES studies. Note that iodized salt is an industrial, unhealthy substance and should not be consumed because it is missing the 80 minerals normally found in raw sources such as sea salt.
• Iodine is a part of the chemical family known as the halogens, which occupy Group VIIa in the periodic table of the elements. The metabolic need for iodine is so great that the body will substitute other members of the halogen family if there is an iodine shortage. Flurorine and bromine which are both toxic compounds, replace iodine in deficient individuals, causing metabolic problems. When iodine levels are restored to normal, the body quickly replaces the toxic fluorine and bromine with iodine and excretes them through the urinary tract. Dr. Brownstein provides the medical evidence for this through test results with his patients and through research studies.
• Iodine was added to bakery products in the 1960's to condition bread. This added a significant amount to the average iodine intake as each slice of bread included 150 mcg. Ten years later, due to iodophobia, bromine -- a toxic substance with no biological value -- replaced iodine in bread products further exacerbating the iodine deficiency problem. 

The body needs two forms of iodine: elemental iodine and iodide -- the ionic form of iodine found in salt. The metabolic processes to convert between them are not efficient, so Drs. Brownstein and Abraham have found that supplements including both are needed in order to correct iodine deficiency. Dr. Brownstein also recommends the use of 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sea salt per day to his patients.

Iodine Testing
The most accurate iodine test was developed by Dr. Abraham and test kits are available over the internet. The test is called the iodine elimination test: 50 mg of iodine are ingested and urine is collected over a 24 hour period. If your body has adequate iodine levels, most of the 50 mgs are passed in your urine. A "normal" result is to eliminate 90% or more of the iodine.

I was tested through Hakala Research and tested deficient at 72% (>90% normal). As an interesting sidenote, I believe that I experienced a 36 hour increase in energy levels from the single LugoTab (50 mg of iodine/iodide) taken as part of the test and I have ordered LugoTab supplements! Check back for an update after I've had time to evaluate the results!

Case Studies
This is a small subset of case studies of Dr. Brownstein's patients whose quality of life was dramatically improved through treatment with iodine supplementation. Case studies in the book provide much more detail than presented below, making them much more compelling, so check the book if you'd like to drill down further.

• Kevin, 31-years old and a weight-lifter, became disabled after a flu shot and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Kevin's elimination test showed iodine deficiency at 55% elimination (normal > 90%). After a change in thyroid medication and iodine supplementation, he noticed an immediate improvement.
• Paula, age 42, suffered from severe headaches for over ten years and was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Treatment with medications provided some relief. Her iodine loading tested below the detectable limit (0%). 37.mg/day of Iodoral showed improvement in two weeks. After running out of Iodoral in two months, her headaches returned. Re-supplementation again resolved the problem and confirmed that iodine deficiency was the cause of her headaches for all of those years.
• David, age 42, ate a healthy diet, supplemented with vitamins, exercised regularly, and felt reasonably well during his 8-year treatment for hypothyroidism. He was surprised that his iodine loading test was very low at 46%. After three months of supplementation with Iodoral, David's energy levels had increased dramatically and his test results had increased to 87%. David is Dr. David Brownstein!
• Tracy, 40-years old, was treated for Hashimoto's disease for ten years and felt miserable: brain fog, poor memory, extreme fatigue, heart palpitations, irrititability, moodiness, and insufficient energy for working out. Incremental improvements occurred under Dr. Brownstein based on a change in thyroid medications, a gluten-free diet, and vitamin/mineral supplements. But she did not feel completely well until her iodine deficiency was corrected.
• Marlene, a 45-year old advertising executive, was diagnosed with Graves' disease. Her physician wanted to treat her with radioactive iodine, so she sought another opinion. She was tested at 24% excretion for iodine (>90% normal) and found to have nutritional deficiencies. After four weeks on an improved diet, supplementation, and 50 mg/day of Iodoral (iodine/iodide supplementation), she noticed a dramatic improvement in her symptoms and energy levels.
• Joan, a 60-year old teacher was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1989. Using holistic medicine and iodine supplementation and treatment for hypothyroidism, she recovered and continued to teach for 16 years until the tumors metastisized, at which point she became very fatigued. She lost 25 pounds and "I felt like I was dying." Dr. Brownstein increased her iodine supplementation to 50-62.5 mg/day. Her tumors began to disintegrate (PET scan) after 42 days and she was also able to stop the thyroid medication.
• Delores, a 73-year old woman, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She refused chemo and was treated by Dr. Brownstein with 50 mg/day of Iodoral, vitamins, minerals, and hormones as well as Celtic Sea Salt. She felt significant improvement in three months. The breast cancer was significantly reduced after 18 months and after two years, her mammograms and ultrasounds were normal.

Medical Iodine Controversy
The medical establishment does not yet recognize the significance and importance of iodine; in fact, medical schools are still teaching that iodine is toxic despite the fact that this was disproven decades ago. If you plan to discuss this issue with your physician, you might want to read Dr. Brownstein's book to arm yourself ahead of time!

Closing Observations
Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It was an eye-opener for me and prompted me to have myself tested. Dr. Brownstein provides a compelling case that many, if not most of us, are iodine deficient, what the impact of that deficiency is, and simple steps in how to treat it. If the above information is relevant to you or someone you know, you can order copies of the book from Amazon and other book outlets.