Cardio, Cancer and Immunity-- Iodine Intake

Every cell in your body contains and utilizes iodine, and is an ongoing, DNA-driven process throughout life. The current iodine deficiency crisis absolutely merits consideration. The facts reflect that, on a daily basis, iodine is essential to life itself. The most recent National Health and Nutrition Survey found that in the U.S., human iodine levels declined 50% over the 30-year period of 1971-2000. Currently iodine deficiency affects 72% of the world’s population.

What are the foremost causes of iodine deficiency?:

1) Low to no ocean fish or sea vegetable intake.

2) “Sea” or “real” salts that in fact do not contain adequate amounts of iodine  to maintain healthy iodine levels.

3) Inadequate use of iodized salt, especially with “low sodium” diets.

4) Drinking chlorine residue-rich water from high chlorine levels in treated municipal water.

5) Ingestion of fluorine in municipal water supplies.

6) Intake of bromine in foods and beverages, such as brominated vegetable oils and carbonated drinks.

7) Over consumption of bromine bakery products, such as breads, pastas, and cereals.

8) Radioactive iodine used in medicine exacerbates iodine deficiency.

9) Declining daily overall mineral uptake levels, such as soil erosion, monoculture-based farming, highly processed food, etc

10) Radioactive pollution and exposure emanating from nuclear power plant leakage, and possibly extreme exposure to cell phone radiation.  

Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine are called “halogens” or “salts” in group 17 on the periodic table, and they all have precisely seven electrons in their outer shells. Based on atomic weight, fluorine, chlorine, and bromine are able to “displace” iodine because they can attach to the same receptor sites.   Without sufficient iodine the body is unable to synthesize some of the thyroid hormones. Because these thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body, playing a role in virtually all physiological functions, they can have a devastating impact on health.