Last week we delved into the ubiquitous but often overlooked problem of:

IODINE DEFICIENCY

Today I'll be answering some questions you might have:

"How do I know if I am iodine deficient?"

"How much supplemental iodine is right for me?"

"What else should know about when taking supplemental iodine?"

Let's talk about it!

BROADCASTING LIVE TODAY AT NOON (EST) UNTIL 1 PM

TO TUNE IN, CLICK THIS LINK:

http://tobtr.com/s/12228797

Testing for Iodine Deficiency

Iodine is a difficult element to get naturally in the diet, which is why much of the world has addressed iodine deficiency by fortifying foods and providing iodized salt – but iodine deficiency clearly persists in populations, including over 75 million people in the US.

A convenient way to test for iodine deficiency is to measure it in urine, since more than 90% is excreted. However, a problem with urinary iodine measurements has always been in the procedure for collecting it. With most liquid urine tests, all urine produced over 24 hours must be collected – which is logistically very difficult. Upwards of 40% of people who collect urine over 24 hours do not do it correctly and miss collections.

ZRT’s dried urine method offers a discreet, at-home testing alternative and eliminates the hassles of all-day jug urine collection. Patients collect urine on a filter strip twice during the day. Dried strips are shelf-stable for 30 days and easy to mail back to the lab for analysis.

Dr. David Brownstein says, “Of all the elements known so far to be essential for human health, iodine is the most misunderstood and the most feared. Yet, iodine is the safest of all the essential trace elements, being the only one that can be administered safely for long periods of time to large numbers of patients in daily amounts as high as 100,000 times the RDA.” The current US daily recommended allowance (RDA) for iodine is set at 150 mcg for non-pregnant adults.

My approach to dosing

I typically start with a 12.5 mg dose, sometimes 6.25 mg. Then, I have the person take 1 capsule every other day for a week or so, then every day; if 6.25 mg we then increase to 12.5 mg daily. Depending on the person and health situation I may recommend increasing beyond that.

If a person had cancer, such as breast or prostate, I would instantly jump to a 50 mg daily dose and provide information regarding doing a detox salt flush to help clear the toxins that will be eliminated quickly at that dose.

Dr. David Brownstein told me he just keeps increasing the dose until "the light bulb goes on." Others have called this the "boing" moment.

Brownstein told me he takes 75 mg daily.

So, you can see, it is not a one-size fits all.

Selenium as a cofactor is essential

Searching for information regarding iodine can be confusing, as you will find dire warnings based on faulty understanding. However, problems with iodine - such as aggravating Hashimoto's disease - are due to the lack of selenium. Iodine and selenium are a dynamic health duo. The daily dose of selenium for adults is between 200-400 mcg daily. I always make sure my clients are getting 200 mcg.