Cardio, Cancer and Immunity – a link to Inefficient Iodine Intake?

Dr. Theresa Dale, PhD, CCN, NP, maintains that every cell in the body contains and utilizes iodine, and is an ongoing DNA driven process throughout life. Due to an iodine deficiency crisis, does this alarm merit consideration when examining causes of cancer, cardiovascular or thyroid diseases?

Dr. Theresa Dale maintains that every cell in the body contains and utilizes iodine, and is an ongoing DNA driven process throughout life. But is there an iodine deficiency crisis, and does this merit consideration? An experienced backpacker while mountain climbing may use iodine tablets to purify drinking water. Perhaps a mother may use an iodine-based disinfectant to clean a minor skin wound or scrape on her child. These are conveniences, but on a daily basis, is iodine essential to life itself?

The most recent National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES study performed every 10 years) found that United States human iodine levels declined 50% over the 30 year period of 1971 to 2000. W.H.O. stated that 129 countries soils are profoundly iodine deficient, one third of the world’s population live in iodine deficient areas and mortality rates are 50% higher in iodine deficient populations. These facts are called ‘clues’. Currently, 72% of the world’s population is affected by iodine deficiency.
These statistics motivate Dr. Dale’s Wellness Center for Research and Education to focus on general causes and solutions of iodine deficiency.

What are the foremost causes of iodine deficiency? Here are 10 disturbing reasons,
just to name a few:

*Low to no ocean fish or sea vegetable intake;
*‘Sea’ or ‘real’ salts that in fact do not contain adequate amounts of iodine to maintain healthy iodine levels;
*Inadequate use of iodized salt, especially with ‘low sodium’ diets;
*Drinking chlorine residue-rich water from high chlorine levels treated municipal water (chlorine is a goitrogen);
*Ingestion of fluorine (as fluoride) in municipal water supplies (fluoride is a major goitrogenic agent);
*Intake of bromine in foods and beverages such as brominated vegetable oils, electrolyte/sugars replenishers, carbonated drinks, etc.;
*Over consumption of bromine bakery products such as breads, pastas, cereals, etc. (bromine is a major goitrogenic agent);
*Radioactive iodine used in medicine exacerbates iodine deficiency;
*Declining daily overall mineral uptake levels such as soil erosion, monoculture-based farming, highly processed foods, etc.;
*Radioactive pollution and exposure emanating from nuclear power plant leakage, and possibly extreme exposure to cell phone radiation.

The latter reason is an impressive 21st Century concern. Dr. Dale’s Radiation Pack, formulated according to homeopathic principles together with bioavailable iodine, has become the foremost remedy researched to safely detoxify nuclear, EMF, EMR, etc. exchange.

Fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and astatine are called “halogens” or “salts” in Group 17 on the Periodic Table and they all have precisely 7 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. Thyroxine, an important thyroid hormone, comprised of one tyrosine molecule plus 4 iodine molecules can be constructed with 4 molecules of fluorine, bromine and/or chlorine – instead of iodine – rendering the T4 absolutely useless. Since our current environment is flooded with fluorine, chlorine and bromine with a deficiency in iodine, there is a lot of catching up to do.

Approximately 4% of the body’s mass consist of minerals and under normal circumstances, the body contains approximately 20 to 30 mg of iodine, most of which is stored in the thyroid gland located in front of the neck, just under the voice box. Smaller amounts of iodine are also found in lactating mammary glands, the stomach lining, salivary glands, and in the blood. Interestingly, women have a higher iodine need than men do and iodine is a core ‘essential’ element in fetal development.

According to Dr. Theresa Dale, author of Revitalize Your Hormones, without sufficient iodine, the body is unable to synthesize thyroid hormones, and because these hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body, playing a role in virtually all physiological functions, an iodine deficiency can have a devastating impact on health and well-being.

Thyroid hormone synthesis is tightly controlled. When the amount of thyroid hormone in the blood drops, the pituitary gland secretes a hormone called thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). As its name suggests, TSH then stimulates the thyroid gland to increase its uptake of iodine from the blood, so that more thyroxine (T4) can be synthesized. T4 by definition contains 4 iodine atoms. When necessary, thyroxine is then converted to the metabolically active triiodothyronine (T3), a process that involves stripping one iodine atom from T4. In areas where there is little iodine in the diet, typically remote inland areas and semi-arid equatorial climates where no marine foods are eaten, iodine deficiency gives rise to hypothyroidism, symptoms of which are extreme fatigue, goiter, mental slowing, depression, weight gain, and low basal body temperatures, to name some indicators.

Iodine deficiency is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation, a result which occurs primarily when babies or small children are rendered hypothyroidic by a lack of the element. The addition of iodine to common table salt has largely eliminated this problem in the wealthier nations, but as of March 2006, iodine deficiency remains a serious public health problem in the developing world. Iodine deficiency is also a problem in certain areas of Europe. In Germany it has been estimated to cause a billion dollars in health care costs per year. Iodine levels have fallen 50% over last 30 years (from an already seriously low level) and throughout this time there has been a simultaneous increase in thyroid related conditions, autoimmune disorders and numerous cellular mutagenic problems.

In alignment with this information, Dr. Dale probed into three or four areas where dietary and lifestyle changes along with preventative supplementation, primarily Dr. Dale’s formulated IodinePlus,
may improve health.

(1) Stomach cancer: some researchers have found an epidemiologic correlation between iodine deficiency, iodine-deficient goiter and gastric cancer; and a decrease of the incidence of death rate from stomach cancer after implementation of the effective iodine-prophylaxis has been reported also. The proposed mechanism of action is that iodide ion can function in gastric mucosa, detoxifying poisonous reactive oxygen species, such as hydrogen peroxide.

(2) Breast cancer: the breast strongly and actively concentrates iodine into breast-milk for the benefit of the developing infant, and may develop a goiter-like hyperplasia, sometimes manifesting as fibrocystic breast disease when iodine levels are low. Studies indicate that iodine deficiency, either dietary or pharmacologic, can lead to breast atypia, an abnormality in a cell, and increased incidence of malignancy in animal models, while iodine treatment can reverse dysplasia. Laboratory evidences demonstrate that the effect of iodine on breast cancer is in part independent of thyroid function and that iodine inhibits cancer promotion through modulation of the estrogen pathway. The combination of iodine and iodide alters gene expression and inhibits the estrogen response through up-regulating proteins involved in estrogen metabolism.

(3) Cardiovascular health and diabetes: Dr. Michael Donaldson says, “Iodine stabilizes the heart rhythm, lowers serum cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and is known to make the blood thinner as well, judging by longer clotting times seen by clinicians. Iodine is not only good for the cardiovascular system, it is vital. Sufficient iodine is needed for a stable rhythmic heartbeat. Iodine, directly or indirectly, can normalize serum cholesterol levels and normalize blood pressure. Iodine attaches to insulin receptors and improves glucose metabolism, which is good news for people with diabetes.”

Minerals cannot be made in the body and must be obtained in our diet. Concentrated food sources of iodine include sea vegetables, yogurt, cow’s milk (preferably raw), eggs, strawberries and mozzarella cheese. Fish and shellfish can also be concentrated sources of iodine. When dietary sources are not enough, Dr. Theresa Dale, Certified Clinical Nutritionist and Dean of the California College of Natural Medicine, recommends using biologically available iodine, IodinePlus, yet warns of the dangers of taking the wrong type of iodine. Doctors and all health care practitioners want to be well-informed on Minerals and their interactions now more than ever.

Health Professionals and all other inquiries welcome.
For more information, call Theresa Dale’s office at (800) 219 1261.

Theresa Dale, PhD, CCN, NP
Founder, The Wellness Center for Research & Education, Inc.
Dean, California College of Natural Medicine