We all need more IODINE
IODINE IS a trace nutrient in the human diet that is vital to life. Readers will readily associate iodine with the thyroid gland but there is much more to iodine than the thyroid.
It is true that iodine is essential for the thyroid gland to function, but 70 per cent of the body’s iodine is distributed to other tissues, particularly the breasts, eyes, stomach, the cervix, ovaries, prostate, salivary and sweat glands. Other than the thyroid, the highest concentration of iodine is found in women’s breasts.
The thyroid is the body’s main storage site for iodine, and when levels of iodine are low, the thyroid competes with other organs and they all become depleted. Thus, a deficit increases the risk of many disorders, including breast cancer, cysts and fibrocystic disease.
IODINE – AN ANTI-CANCER NUTRIENT
The life cycle of normal cells involves growth, division and death. New cells then replace the dead cells and this normal cycle is repeated. Apoptosis is the medical term for the programmed death of our cells and ensures their normal life span.
Abnormal cancer cells, however, do not undergo this process and their uncontrolled growth damages and destroys the body.
Dr David Brownstein, MD, in his book Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, explains that iodine is an anticancer nutrient that promotes apoptosis when taken in doses much larger than the recommended daily allowance (RDA). His research indicates that chronic iodine deficiency, or the body’s failure to properly use iodine, promotes cancers and growths in organs such as the breasts, ovaries, uterus and prostate.
IODINE AND THE BREAST
As previously mentioned, women’s breasts are major sites for iodine storage and the element is essential for the healthy structure and function of breast tissue. Breast cancer is preventable and iodine is a key nutritional agent to protect the breast.
Iodine deficiency is associated with a higher incidence of breast cancer, and researchers believe that an increased iodine intake will help prevent breast cancer and treat pre-existent breast cancer.
IODINE DEFICIENCY
Toxic chemicals hinder iodine intake by blocking the body’s absorption of this impor tant mineral. These toxins, known as halides, include bromide, fluoride and chloride. Iodine is also a halide but is the only one with therapeutic benefits to the body. Over 40 years ago, unhealthy bromine replaced iodine as an ingredient in baking flour. Bromine is a known breast carcinogen, and this one change by the food industry created an epidemic of bromide toxicity and associated iodine deficiency. Bromine is also used in crop fumigation, pest control, in some carbonated drinks and several prescription medications.
Exposure to chloride and fluoride found in toothpaste, some water supplies and many drugs further compound iodine deficiency. But adequate iodine in the tissues prevents the uptake of these toxic halides and helps eliminate them from the body.
RADIOACTIVE IODINE
Women are also at risk from exposure to a dangerous form of iodine called radioactive iodine. According to Michael Friedman, ND, in his book The Fundamentals of Naturopathic Endocrinology, the accumulation of radioactive iodine in breast tissue is a significant cause of both breast cancer and other types of breast lumps.
Radioactive iodine from the nuclear fallout disaster at Fukushima, Japan, threatens everyone as this poison quickly spread worldwide to injure anyone it contacts, especially those who are iodine deficient. Most women are overweight or obese, and their need for iodine is increased as their fatty tissues absorb more radioactive iodine.
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