As you will read, it is VITAL!
Iodine is related to the ability to resist disease. Iodine is necessary for the thyroid gland to perform its work properly. The human thyroid gland is located in the front of the lower part of the neck, and all the blood in the body passes through the thyroid gland every 17 minutes. Because the cells making up this gland have an affinity for iodine, during this 17-minute passage, the gland’s secretion of iodine kills weak germs that may have gained entry into the blood through an injury to the skin, the lining of the nose or throat, or through absorption of food from the digestive tract. Strong, virulent germs are rendered weaker during their passage through the thyroid gland. Every 17 minutes, they are made still weaker until finally they are killed if the gland has its normal supply of iodine. If it does not, it cannot kill harmful germs circulating in the blood as Nature intended it should.
It is well established that the iodine content of the thyroid gland is dependent upon the iodine available in the food and water intake of the individual. If the iodine intake is low, the gland is deprived of an element it needs to do its work. This gland performs several other functions besides killing harmful germs in the blood.
The first is the rebuilding of energy with which to do the day’s work.
There is a definite relationship between the amount of energy you have and your iodine intake. The first question to be asked in the presence of a condition of depleted energy is, Is the soil of the state in which one lives iodine-poor? Second, is the deficiency being made up by supplementary means? When energy and endurance run low in relation to doing the day’s work, then consider taking iodine.
A second function of iodine is to calm the body and relieve nervous tension.
When nervous tension runs high, there is irritability and difficulty in sleeping well at night, and the body is continually on a combat basis, organized for fight and flight. All these points stress a body’s need for iodine to lessen nervous tension, relax, and enable it to organize for peace and quiet by the building and storing of body reserves against time of need. It is possible to repeatedly change an irritable, impatient, and restless child under ten years of age into a calm, patient individual within two hours by giving one drop of Lugol’s solution of iodine by mouth in a vegetable or fruit juice or in a glass of water made acid in reaction by adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. This is useful for calming a hyperactive child.
A third function of iodine in the human body relates to clear thinking.
The mind simply works better when the body is supplied the iodine it needs.
Then there is the matter of the storing of unwanted fat.
Iodine is one of the best oxidizing catalysts we have. A catalyst is the match which touches off in the body the fire that burns up the food we take in each day. If this food is not properly burned off, it may be stored as unwanted fat.
How does iodine work?
Now, while the thyroid gland helpfully stores iodine from the blood passing through it every 17 minutes, the gland may also be made to lose that stored iodine if, for example, we take in drinking water to which chlorine is added, or use too much sodium chloride, whose common name is table salt. There is a well-known law of halogen displacement. The halogen group is made up of the following elements, shown with their Relative Atomic Weights:
- Fluorine: 19.0
- Chlorine: 35.5
- Bromine: 80.0
- Iodine: 127.0
The critical activity of any one of these four halogens is in inverse proportion to its atomic weight. This means that any one of the four can displace the element with a higher atomic weight, but cannot displace an element with a lower atomic weight. For example, fluorine can displace chlorine, bromine, and iodine because fluorine has a lower atomic weight than the other three. Similarly, chlorine can displace bromine and iodine because they both have a higher atomic weight. Likewise, bromine can displace iodine from the body because iodine has a higher atomic weight. But a reverse order is not possible. A knowledge of this well-known chemical law brings us to a consideration of the addition of chlorine to our drinking water as a purifying agent. We secure a drinking water that is harmful to the body not because of its harmful germ content but because the chlorine content now causes the body to lose the much-needed iodine.
How do I know if I’m getting enough iodine?
Because we may live in an iodine-poor area; because drinking water may be treated with chlorine; because we may be sick too often, lack energy and endurance, develop nervous tension, lack the ability of clear thinking, and accumulate unwanted fat, how shall we go about bringing up the iodine content of the body to the point needed?
There are three ways:
- Eating foods which analysis has shown are particularly rich in iodine. Among these are all food out of the ocean, radishes, asparagus, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, rhubarb, potatoes, peas, strawberries, mushrooms, lettuce, bananas, cabbage, egg yolk, and onions.
- Painting a small area of the body with tincture of iodine.
- Taking preparations known to be rich in iodine. One of these is cod-liver oil. Another is Lugol’s solution of iodine. Still another is kelp.
Dosage: Add one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water to make the water acid. Hold the Lugol’s dropper horizontal in order to get a maximum drop, and add one drop of the Lugol’s solution to the mixture. Stir the contents and sip through the course of a meal.
What could happen if I don’t get enough iodine?
There is some evidence to suggest that hypothyroidism and/or iodine deficiencies may contribute to the development of fibrocystic breast tissue. Women with fibrocystic breasts experience tenderness, particularly just before menstruation. Certain foods may worsen breast tenderness such as caffeine (including from chocolate) and high fat foods. During a physical exam, the doctor can feel cysts and fibrous (hardened) tissue. A review of clinical studies found that iodine replacement therapy (particularly for those with low levels of iodine) may improve the tenderness associated with fibrocystic breast tissue. The women taking iodine experienced very few side effects.
Iodine deficiency has also been associated with ovarian cysts, breast cancer, thyroid goiter and hypothyroidism. Twenty percent of all of the iodine sits in the human skin. A lack of iodine in the skin manifests as very dry skin and skin that does not sweat when an individual becomes hot. In newborn children iodine is responsible for the development of the babies’ I.Q. Recent research shows iodine deficiency is felt to be the source of attention deficit disorder in children.
What else should I know about Iodine?
Lugol’s Iodine will cure most forms of food poison in one dose, just six drops in a cup of water will work nearly every time. Sometimes 2 hours later a second does of six drops in a cup of water may be needed. Only use ½ the dose for a child.
Work done by many researchers over the last few years has shown that iodine is utilized by many different sections of the body. Twenty percent of all of the iodine sits in the human skin. A lack of iodine in the skin manifests as very dry skin and skin that does not sweat when an individual becomes hot. In newborn children iodine is responsible for the development of the babies’ I.Q. Recent research shows iodine deficiency is felt to be the source of attention deficit disorder in children.
Iodine is utilized by every hormone receptor in the body. The absence of iodine causes a hormonal dysfunction that can be seen with practically every hormone inside the body. People with insulin resistant diabetes have a partial to full remission of their illness in the presence of taking iodine. Iodine deficiency is also felt to be the source of ovarian cysts. With iodine replacement therapy the cysts disappear and women have stopped having ovarian cysts.
Insulin resistant diabetes have a partial to full remission of their illness in the presence of taking iodine.
IMPORTANT: Never take Lugol’s Iodine if you are allergic to Iodine.
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