The Iodine Controversy: New Research Highlights Risks of Too Much Iodine
Thursday June 29, 2006
The relationship between iodine and thyroid disease is complex and often controversial. Iodine deficiency is one of the world's major health problems, and iodine deficiency disorders affect millions. Lack of iodine is even the world's most preventable cause of mental retardation.
Iodization of salt has gone a long way, and for a time, nearly eliminated the problem in some areas of the world, including the United States. But for various reasons, iodine deficiency is again on the rise in the U.S. In particular danger are pregnant women and their unborn babies, who need sufficient iodine for a healthy pregnancy and proper fetal development. Now, new research from China, published in this week's New England Journal of Medicine, , is reporting that too much iodine can also have a negative impact on thyroid health, raising the risk of hypothyroidism, and autoimmune thyroiditis.
This new research raises the debate and controversy over iodine, and also poses important questions for thyroid patients: What does iodine do to your thyroid? And how much iodine is too much?
Comments
There is a mistaken idea out there, that has been going on for years, that patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, should strengthen their own diseased thyroids, with iodine. The point that is sometimes missed, is the fact that a thyroid with advanced autoimmune attack against it, will have increased antibody attack, by temporarily strengthening the diseased thyroid. “Thyroid replacement” medication, is just that, you are relplacing your own thyroid’s production, from an outside source and shutting down its own production. Over time, this replacement slows down antibody production. Natural supplements are wonderful for anyone to take, for overall better health but iodine for an autoimmune diseased thyroid, will only increase the inflamation that is already happening.
I have experienced the same “iodine crashes” Mary Shomon describes having experienced, by supplementing with iodine.