What are the health benefits associated with adequate iodine intake?

Iodine is a trace mineral (one of the minerals needed in small amounts) that is involved in many different health processes. Thirty percent of the body’s iodine is stored in the thyroid gland (it is concentrated there) and the thyroid uses iodine to make its hormones, so when you see “T4” and “T3,” the numbers 3 and 4 represent the number of iodine molecules in each hormone. In the body T4 gets converted to T3. T4 is an inactive form of thyroid; T3 is the active form of thyroid and one is converted to the other through the liver and the kidney.

Globally, there are 1,572 million people at risk for having an iodine deficiency.

Benefits

• Supports your thyroid

• Supports cognitive function

• Boosts healthy weight loss and digestion

• Supports the reproductive system

• Balances estrogen ratios

• Topical iodine is good to remove skin tags and warts

Symptoms of an iodine deficiency

• Slow metabolic rate

• Fatigue

• Weakness

• Hair loss

• Dry skin

• Feeling cold

• Trouble learning

• Lower IQ

• Higher estrogen

Causes of iodine deficiency

• Fluoride (in tap water) blocking the absorption of iodine

• Bromate in flour products

• Grains

• Our soils don’t have the microbes to mobilize these trace minerals, so a lot of foods don’t have iodine anymore

• Consuming too many cruciferous vegetables (but you would have to consume a tremendous amount of them over a long period of time)

How to consume it

Follow the directions in the label to prevent iodine toxicity. Too much iodine can cause some side effects and can be toxic to your body.

If you have skin tags and warts you can put a drop of iodine on the skin tag and continue to do this for several days in a row. You may also want to put a little bandaid over it. You can do the same thing for a wart.

Where to get it

You can get it from the health food store or pharmacy, or order it online.

One of the best sources of iodine is called sea kelp. It has other beneficial nutrients in addition to iodine, like selenium. If you get sea kelp, it’s best to get it from a very clean and pristine part of the world. Organic Icelandic sea kelp is a fantastic choice.

You can also get Dr. Berg’s Sea Kelp Enhanced, which has a lot of benefits in addition to iodine.