Iodine

Iodine makes us smarter, more intelligent. So they say.
If you believe that the Japanese are the most intelligent people, then this is partially because they eat a lot of iodine.
Recommended daily intake of iodine in Europe and the USA is 150-300 mcg a day, while the Japanese suggest it should be over 5 mg, and in practice they consume up to 14 mg on a regular basis.

Supplementing with iodine could solve all the problems with the reproductive system: infertility, anovulation, low libido, inability of carrying a baby to term.
Iodine is a smart guy –  it knows everything, it tells others what to do, so if there is enough of it in the tissues, it makes oestrogen act on the target tissues (the breasts, the uterus, the ovaries, etc.), which might be of great importance for those women who have trouble conceiving.  

Dr. David Brownstein, author of the book “Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It” says that iodine has a significant impact on all cystic tissues, that is, on the breasts, the prostate, the thyroid.
He also suggests that taking one drop of Lugol’s solution (5% of iodine and 10% of potassium iodide in an aqueous solution, 5.54 mg of iodine) is enough in the first stage of cancer or fibrocystic breast disease to prevent the further development of disease.     

And not only that.
Muscle cramps, cold hands and feet, poor memory, dry skin that does not sweat even when a person gets really hot, hair loss, cracked nails, and depression can be cured with iodine.
Don’t these symptoms remind you of the symptoms of hypothyroidism?
Doesn’t hypothyroidism cause deterioration of mental abilities, memory, and mood?  

But, the studies on iodine supplementation are contradictory, and the statistics is inconsistent and incomplete, as it usually is! The obtained results are ambiguous, because researchers have failed to include all relevant parameters that may affect the result. Let’s be realistic, that is not even possible.

An important property of iodine is that it eliminates heavy metals, such as, fluoride, mercury, and aluminium from the body, and it is especially important that it eliminates bromine (an element from the same group in the periodic table, therefore, with very similar properties!) which binds to iodine receptors when there is iodine deficiency present. This can be another cause of underactive thyroid!

Dr. David Derry says that iodine is the best antibiotic and antiviral!
Considering that most diseases either start or develop with inflammation caused by bacteria or viruses, then this information is quite important. The thing is, the blood passes through the thyroid every 17 minutes and if there is enough iodine in the gland, bacteria and viruses are destroyed.  

Iodine is the building block of the thyroid hormones.  There are two thyroid hormones – T3 and T4.
T4 makes 90%, but 60% of T4 is converted into T3 in the liver. T3 is the only active form; it is the one that acts on the cells.
But, selenium is essential for the conversion of T4 into active T3. Large amounts of selenium in our body are used up to neutralise and excrete mercury from the body. Selenium is an antidote for mercury.
That is why we have to make sure that we are getting ample amounts of selenium.
Eating two Brazil nuts a day is quite enough.   

Therefore, we need a sufficient amount of iodine for the production of the thyroid hormones and a sufficient amount of selenium for these hormones to function!

For now, the main source of iodine for most people is iodised salt.   
Table salt is usually iodised. The Spanish (60 ppm) iodise it much more than the Italians (30 ppm), and the Italians do it much more that the rest of Europe (10 ppm).
But, keep in mind that iodine is a halogen element and it is lost during cooking. That is why you should add salt at the end of cooking.
Also, if exposed to air and light for a longer period of time, iodine evaporates.

Iodine is found in various foods such as kelp, shellfish, Norway lobster, turkey, milk, spinach, Swiss chard, courgettes, strawberries, cranberries, etc. Unfermented cabbage and raw spinach can block iodine absorption.  

There are no miraculous minerals, medicines, or remedies that can cure absolutely everything.  But everything can be cured by being smart and leading a healthy lifestyle.

If you have any of the mentioned symptoms I recommend measuring the level of iodine by doing a 24-hour urine test, and if your daily intake of iodine is less than 20 mcg then you are iodine deficient. Also, if your iodine concentration in 24-hour urine is less than 20 mcg per litre, that this is a sign of severe deficiency.
A normal iodine level should be 100-200 mcg/L. If your level is 50-99 mcg/L then you have a mild deficiency, and if your level is from 20 to 49 then you have a moderate deficiency.

700 million people throughout the world suffer from goitre!
Iodine deficiency reduces intelligence by 10-15%.

Recommended daily intake od iodine in Croatia is 150 mcg a day.
If you decide to take higher doses, pay attention to the symptoms of iodine toxicity: weight loss, drowsiness, acne, coughing, and severe diarrhoea.
Actually, iodine pushes bromine out and these can be side effects of detoxification.
In that case, you can also have headaches, so I recommend taking a break for two days, drink a big glass of water with ¼ teaspoon of salt a few times a day with lots of vitamin C (3 g) to eliminate toxins that iodine has forced out.
Then, continue taking a lower dose, but whenever you have a headache, pause for two days and keep taking salt.   

What is my advice?

Here is the answer:

• Prior to supplementation measure your iodine level in 24-hour urine  
• Eat iodine-rich foods  

Have you ever heard of samphire (rock samphire, sea fennel, St. Peter’s herb, etc.)?
It grows on rocks all over our beaches.

Imagine this!
All you have to do is pick it!
(In France, you can get it at a market).  

Cook it with Swiss chard or add it to your salad!
It smells amazing. Of iodine.