Iodine
therapy has become quite popular as a “potential” solution for hypothyroidism
today. Much of its popularity arises from its use in treating goiters centuries
ago.
But
today, could it be causing more harm than good?
It
is well known that the thyroid gland requires iodine to produce thyroid
hormone. But few people understand the potential dangers of iodine therapy and
excessive iodine consumption.
Dangers of
Excessive Iodine
Today,
iodine deficiency is extremely rare even though it is still being touted as a
major cause of hypothyroidism. Because of the misleading idea of iodine
deficiency, the market has become flooded with iodine supplements that claim to
cure hypothyroidism, which in actuality pose a greater threat to your thyroid
and health than you realize.
The
FDA recommends 150 mcg (micrograms) of iodine daily for healthy thyroid
function. This accounts for iodine in your food, as well as any additional
supplementation.
As
early as the 1970’s it was determined that people in the US were getting 10
times more iodine than they needed which grossly exceeds the recommended
allowance.
With
so much focus on iodine’s historical role in the treatment of goiters as well
as the more recent discovery of its role in the production of thyroid hormone,
very little, if any, attention has been placed on the dangers associated with
iodine toxicity.
Because
of this, most people are completely unaware that excess iodine is also a common
cause of goiters, hypothyroidism, and thyroiditis today.
History of Iodine
Therapy
The
use of iodine therapy for goiters had actually been documented for thousands of
years prior to the discovery of the thyroid gland.
One
of the first documented cases of goiter treatment goes as far back as 1600 B.C.
(more than 3600 years ago) by the ancient Chinese. At that time, what they only
understood as a swollen neck was treated with the use of burnt sponge, which
reduced the swelling.
The
fact that burnt sponge was used as a treatment for goiter continually
throughout history from 1600 B.C. through the 1800’s is a testament to its
effectiveness. However, the mechanism by which burnt sponge acted was entirely
unknown throughout this entire period.
It
wasn’t until 1820 that Dr. Jean François Condet discovered that iodine was the
active ingredient in the burnt sponge remedy. It was at this time that iodine
therapy first became popular.
However,
in 1820 as the use of supplemental iodine began, Condet also discovered the
issue of iodine toxicity and attempted to warn people of the dangers.
History Repeats
Itself – When Will We Learn From Our Mistakes?
When
I was young kid in school, I once questioned my history teacher as to the
importance of studying history. His answer, which suited me at the time, was
that studying history was important so that we don’t make the same mistakes
over again.
I
suppose there is truth to this in theory but unfortunately, this is rarely the
case in reality.
With
Condet’s discovery in 1820, the iodine “fad” began. Iodine became readily
available in supplemental form and its popularity rose dramatically. People
even wore small containers of iodine around their necks so that it was
conveniently available when they wanted it.
But
the fad didn’t last because iodine quickly gained negative publicity from its
over-use and the increased incidence of iodine toxicity.
But
this wasn’t the end of the iodine fad…
In
1896 Eugen Baumann discovered that the thyroid gland was rich in iodine.
Shortly after this discovery, in 1910, iodine supplementation was back on the
map as a very popular treatment for thyroid disorders.
Iodine Deficiency
Is Not the Cause of Goiter or Hypothyroidism Today
It
wasn’t until the major advancements in science in the 1940’s that scientists
began to recognize that there were other factors involved in the process of
hypothyroidism that iodine supplementation did not solve.
If
iodine therapy was the end-all solution then it would be safe to say that the
occurrence of hypothyroidism would have drastically decreased during this time.
The incidence of goiter may have decreased but this was also largely due to the
development of modern industrialized farming practices and the introduction of
iodine into the food supply. However, the incidence of hypothyroidism was still
quite prevalent.
As
industrialized farming practices were improved, the majority of food was being
grown in iodine rich soil and people began to consume more than enough iodine
from the foods they ate.
At
this point in time, it was understood that iodine deficiency alone, was not the
cause of hypothyroidism or goiters. As mentioned above, in the 1970’s it was
found that people were getting as much as 10 times more iodine than they
needed.
Scientists
then began focusing on other causes such as anti-thyroid foods as well as other
very interesting concepts. One such theory was that the common day demands on
the body had increased which in turn, increased the body’s need for MORE
thyroid hormone. As a side note: This is an important subject that will be
covered in more detail in the future.
Problems with
Iodine Therapy for Hypothyroidism
We’ve
already established that the recommended daily allowance of iodine is 150
micrograms. Most of the popular iodine supplements today are recommending the
use of 12.5 milligrams or more. That’s 83 times the recommended daily allowance.
Many
proponents of iodine therapy recommend as much as 50 milligrams to 100
milligrams of iodine daily which is 350 to 650 times the recommend daily allowance.
This
is a sure way to develop iodine toxicity, which is known to be quite dangerous
to your thyroid!
Iodine Therapy
Danger #1 – Excessive Iodine Causes Autoimmune Thyroiditis
There
is quite a bit of research showing that excessive iodine greatly increases your
risk of developing autoimmune thyroiditis. Considering the prevalence of
thyroiditis today, this is a topic that deserves far more attention than it
currently gets.
Below
are just a few of the many studies that have demonstrated this link:
Induction of autoimmune
thyroiditis in chickens by dietary iodine
These results
suggest that excessive consumption of iodine in the United States may be
responsible for the increased incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis.
[Spontaneous Hashimoto-like
thyroiditis in cats]
Animals with excess
iodide intake, however, show an aggravation of the autoimmune inflammatory
activity.
Iodine and thyroid autoimmune disease in animal models.
In general, iodine
deficiency attenuates, while iodine excess accelerates autoimmune thyroiditis
in autoimmune prone individuals
Iodine Therapy
Danger #2 – Excessive Iodine Can Cause Hypothyroidism
Excessive
iodine was once used to treat hyperthyroidism because of iodine’s ability to
suppress thyroid function. However, in hypothyroid people or people with normal
thyroid function, it has the same effect and can lower thyroid function far
below normal.
For
many, this is a temporary effect that subsides after the source of excessive
iodine is removed. However, there are many cases of iodine-induced
hypothyroidism that continue long term.
[Hypothyroidism related to excess iodine]
WOLFF-CHAIKOFF’S
EFFECT: The thyroid gland has a capacity to reduce thyroid hormone production
in the presence of excess iodine by reducing the organification of the iodine.
Iodine Therapy Danger
#3 – Excessive Iodine Can Cause Goiters
While
many people are led to believe that iodine is the only way to treat
hypothyroidism and goiters, most are unaware that excessive iodine can actually
have the opposite effect and cause hypothyroidism as well as the formation of
goiters.
There
are a couple of common ways this occurs…
Excessive
iodine can cause thyroid cells to divide and grow in number. This causes an
overall enlargement of the gland itself. But, when this occurs your cells lose
the ability to make thyroid hormone.
Excessive
iodine can cause Iodide Myxedema. This is where there’s an accumulation of
connective tissue as well as an increase in edema around the neck and thyroid.
This is most commonly seen in those who suffer from Hashimoto’s
Thyroiditis.Iodide
Myxedema
is also common in areas of Japan where seaweed soup is commonly consumed which
can contain 80 to 200 mg of iodide.
As
you can see, there are some very serious dangers associated with the use of
iodine therapy for hypothyroidism. The bottom line is that today, we are posed
with a far greater risk of developing iodine toxicity than we are of an iodine
deficiency.
And
instead of falling for the latest and greatest “fad” thyroid supplement, it’s
important to understand what you are putting in your body and the potential
negative effects it can have on your thyroid and your health.
Read
the following related topics:
Author Bio:
Tom Brimeyer – The
author of Hypothyroidism Revolution – is a practitioner of functional medicine,
health researcher and author on nutrition, hormones and hypothyroidism.
His personal
mission is to inspire and educate people to take control and achieve true
health by correcting their hypothyroidism and underlying causes of their health
problems instead of being stuck relying on doctors and drugs that merely cover
up their symptoms while their health continues to suffer.
