Iodine

Iodine, the crystal nectar!

bowel stimulant

The Lugol's iodide complex, otherwise known as Lugol's Solution of Iodine

contains iodine and potassium. The solution provided here is derived from mined
crystals (see photo), not from shellfish or kelp. Yes, this is extremely
important since most of the kelp on the planet now contains radiation. Also the
iodine in shellfish is very allergenic in addition to being the wrong iodine
molecule (more about this below).

Of all the minerals needed by the human body, why do we provide this one for
your use? Dr. David Brownstein, considered one of the top experts on thyroid and
iodine says that 95% of the people he has tested (lab analysis) are low in
iodine. Iodine is contained in the thyroid as one of it's most important
elements and works to kill germs. Every 17 minutes, ALL the blood in your body
passes through your Thyroid and gets "dosed" with iodine which acts to kill any
germs that should not be there. If you find you are Immune deficient, it may be
a simple need for Iodine. There are many uses for Iodine in the body, literally
every cell in the body needs Iodine for healthy function.
Why are most people deficient? Because our foods don't really contain enough
Iodine, and the further from the ocean you live, the more chance there is that
you are deficient. Most of the (US) population get's their Iodine from iodized
salt. Because table salt is not good for the body, people have become more
conscious of salt use, and so there is less Iodine intake. In addition to that,
Bromide and Flouride are Iodine blocking agents. We get exposed to these in our
drinking water, toothpaste, flour and baked goods, as well as almost all the
inexpensive supplements you buy, which are 'bromated'. Perchlorate, found in
soil and drinking water is another Iodine inhibitor.

Now I consider myself a purist, which means I will always look to nature and
creation to supply the answer and the best remedy. With this line of thinking, I
would be ingesting things like Kelp or Irish Moss for my Iodine needs. While
these options worked 20 years ago, it simply does not raise Iodine levels
adequately anymore. For starters, Kelp sources now contain too much toxic
pollution because the ocean has been vastly polluted. Any farm raised Kelp does
not seem to supply the proper mineral elements so the final product is not
therapeutic grade. Secondly, plant based Iodine is a colloidal type of Iodine
and is a very low dose. You would have to take many handfuls of capsules to
equate a therapeutic dose considering where most people's Iodine levels are and
where they need to be.
Self-Test for Deficiency

Every cell in your body needs Iodine in order to function optimally. It would be
to your great advantage to see if you are Iodine deficient. There is a home test
you can do to see just how much iodine you might need. Pick an area of skin that
you don't mind having a stain on for a day. Rub 3-5 drops of the iodine solution
into an area the size of about three quarters. The longer the stain remains on
your skin, the less likely it is that you need iodine. The stain should remain
for about 18 hours. If it is gone before that, your body was very deficient and
"soaked" it up to supplement (supply) the deficiency you have. Obviously, the
faster the iodine gets soaked up, the more you need it!

Please note that Lugols is a therapeutic iodine. It IS NOT the same as the stuff
used to disinfect skin before injections or surgeries. That particular form of
iodine contains ingredients (like benzalkonium chloride) that are VERY toxic if
ingested. While Lugol's iodine carries the same disinfective properties, there
are no added toxic ingredients.

Dosage
The answer on dosage really depends on who you talk to and what form of Iodine
is being discussed. Therapeutically, the body can take in Iodine and Iodide. One
is a negatively charged molecule and the other is not. The body needs both
though, and which one is most important really depends on the individual. That
is why my Iodine supplement of choice contains both kinds of iodine, both Iodide
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and elemental Iodine.

The RDA is 150 MICROgrams, which is found in most multivitamins and plant based
supplements. If 95% of the population following the RDA is found Iodine
DEFICIENT according to lab testing, then perhaps the RDA is misleading. The
Japanese, whose diets traditionally consisted of foods high in iodine, found
doses closer to 13 MILLIgrams more accurate for an RDA. At these low doses, it
could take 9 months to a year for the body to take in enough Iodine to show you
are in "normal" range. Some health experts say that 30-50 MILLIgrams daily is a
better therapeutic dose, but at these dosages you really need to be sure that
you don't have hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism as this could complicate the
situation. (Signs of hyperthyroidism include oily or sweaty skin, high blood
pressure, heart palpitations, jitteriness, bulging eyes. Signs of hypothyroidism
include sluggishness, low blood pressure, dry skin, cold extremities, fatigue
and hair loss).
According to the CDC, a single dose of 130 MILLIGRAMS of Potassium Iodide
protects the Thyroid from radiation for 24 hours. This is considered an
emergency dose because you are being exposed to radioactive Iodine-131. While
this should not be used unless you are in that kind of emergency, some cancer
doctors have used high doses like this for very short term periods to kill off
cancer cells because of Iodine's germicidal nature.
So what is a safe dose? Well I suggest you do the Iodine test described above.
Here is a rule of thumb for you. Your health practitioner might be able to give
you more exact dosages with kinesiology or their own insight:

If the stain produced on the skin lasts 10 hours or more, a drop or two a day
should be all that you need. If the stain is gone in six hours, you may need as
much as 5 drops a day of the 2% we offer. If the stain is gone in two hours or
less, you may need as much as 15 drops a day. This is considered a pretty
serious dose, so I highly recommend you discuss this with your health
practitioner.
In my experience, it is impossible to overdose Iodine if used in external
fashion (rubbed on the skin). That said, if you use too much on any area too
often, it can dry your skin out. This is not harmful, but it is irritating.
Internally, rarely have I seen as much as much as 8 drops a day cause any
problem or aggravation of Thyroid symptoms. If you find yourself very deficient
in Iodine after performing the home skin test, Use the recommended amounts in
water (ugh) or your favorite organic juice.

Ingredients and MG Calculation

Ingredients is simply a dilute formula of Iodine and Potassium Iodide in water
(2% Elemental Iodine, 4% Potassium Iodide and 94% Distilled Water).
Each VERTICAL drop of 2% solution is about 3.15 mg's of iodine/potassium iodide
(1.25 mg iodine, 1.875 mg potassium iodide) and 2 drops is about 6.25 mg's of
iodine/potassium iodide (2.5 mg iodine, 3.75 mg potassium iodide). Some people
argue that 2% is not Lugol's solution, which is not entirely correct. To achieve
5% iodine solution, simply double the amount of drops (2%) applied/used.
To use as a water purifier add 3-6 drops of 2% iodine solution per liter of
water.

PRECAUTIONS
There are three “hazards” to using iodine: staining, allergy, and a very small
possibility of thyroid suppression with longer-term use of “too much”.
Staining can be a big nuisance, but it’s not a health hazard. When iodine is
applied to skin, it can leave a faint to moderate orange-brown color, which
fades from the skin as the body absorbes it. Iodine and other iodine stains in
clothing can be semi-permanent or permanent, so don’t plan to wear anything
“nice” in the vicinity of recently-applied iodine. A bandage of sorts can be
applied to the skin over the iodine application site to keep from staining
clothing if desired.

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Iodine allergy is a possibility, although in nearly 30 years of medical practice
I’ve (Dr. Jognathan Wright) has seen it only a few times. Typically, it causes a
red, bumpy skin rash, which goes away after iodine or other iodine is
discontinued. Topical (applied to the skin surface) iodine allergy is almost
never a serious emergency. The type of “iodine allergy” that can interfere with
breathing and occasionally sends us to the emergency room is usually not allergy
to iodine or iodine molecules, but instead to much larger, possibly
iodine-containing molecules found in lobster, crab, clams and other “shellfish”.
These molecules are not present in iodine or iodine. However, if there’s any
suspicion at all of iodine allergy, it’s best not to swallow any without testing
for allergy or sensitivity.

Thyroid function can become suppressed if too much iodine is used (internally)
for too long. Many of the uses described below for iodine are short-term, from a
few days or less to a week or two. If iodine is then stopped, there’s almost no
chance of significant thyroid suppression. However, if iodine is to be used for
two to three weeks (internally) or longer, especially if it’s to be used
continuously (for example, COPD or cholesterol-related atherosclerosis)
monitoring thyroid function (via blood test) is very important. Fortunately, in
my (Dr. Johnathan Wright, MD) experience with over a thousand individuals,
internal use of less than nine drops of iodine daily has very rarely resulted in
thyroid suppression. On those very few occasions, discontinuance has resulted in
prompt recovery. So far, I’ve (Dr. Wright) never seen thyroid suppression result
from “topical” (skin surface) use of iodine.

A final “safety” note: Dr. Kunin cautions that if you use iodine as an internal
supplement “long-term”, make sure your diet contains plenty of essential fatty
acids (both omega-3 and omega-6) as well as the sulfur-containing amino acids
methionine and cysteine. If you eat animal protein daily, that’s usually
sufficient as a source of these two amino acids, but if you’re vegetarian (or
close), then take 300-500 milligrams of each daily.

Benefits and Uses

Many of the following points are from Dr. Jonathan Wrights "Nutrition and
Healing" article. Each DROP referred to below was not of the 2% I am offering,
but from the SSKI source, which is 15 times stronger than the 2% offered here.

Dr. Wright says, "When my wife and I are forced to travel by air, we drink a few
ounces of water with 10 drops of iodine which prevents any “airline sinusitis”
or other respiratory infection that often develops after several hours spent
breathing re-cycled, germ laden air." (Iodine rapidly accumulates in any and all
body secretions, including the sinuses, where it inhibits or kills bacteria,
viruses, and fungi before they can cause an infection.)

Iodine can eliminate even the most severe cases of fibrocystic breast disease.
[For the full details of this treatment, see pages 169-174 of The Patient's Book
of Natural Healing by Alan Gaby M.D. and Dr. Johnathan Wright, MD.] In “medium”
to “minor” cases, 6 to 8 drops of iodine taken in a few ounces of water daily
will frequently reduce fibrocystic breast disease to insignificance within three
to six months. Please do not do this without monitoring your thyroid
function…see “cautions" above.
Women have helped ovarian cysts disappear within two to three months with the
same quantity of iodine. Again, make sure to monitor your thyroid function! It’s
very likely that iodine helps eliminate fibrocystic breast disease and ovarian
cysts at least partly through it’s interaction with estrogens.
Iodine helps your body to metabolize estrone (a slightly carcinogenic human
estrogen) and 16-alpha-hydroxyestrone (a much more dangerous metabolite of human
estrogen) into estriol, an “anti-carcinogenic” or at worst “neutral” form of
human estrogen.
“Dupuytren’s contracture” and “Peyronie’s disease” are two fibrotic conditions
that can be helped considerably by iodine. In Dupuytren’s contracture,
thickening (fibrosis) occurs along one of the tendons in the palm in the hand,
pulling the related finger down towards the palm. As the problem progresses, the
finger often can’t be straightened any more. In Peyronie’s disease, a very
similar thickening occurs along the shaft of the penis, making erections
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increasingly “curved” and painful. In both cases, rubbing iodine into the
thickened tissue at least twice daily softens and lessens the fibrotic area over
a period of several months, allowing for more normal function. For these
conditions, it’s additionally helpful to take para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) 2
grams, three times daily, and to rub a mixture of Vitamin E and DMSO into the
thickened areas as well. However, if caught early, iodine alone will often “do
the job”. (It’s also advisable to have a glucose-insulin tolerance test done, as
there’s an unusually high incidence of “insulin resistance” in people with
Dupuytren’s contracture or Peyronie’s disease.
Keloids are abnormally thick scars, sometimes as much as an inch thick, that can
form after injury. Although anyone can get a keloid, they’re more common among
African Americans than other ethnic groups. Rubbing iodine into a keloid at
least twice daily will ultimately flatten them down to a “normal scar”, but it
can take many months to a year for particularly bad ones. The treatment goes
faster if iodine is mixed 50-50 with DMSO.

Fistulas are literally abnormal tunnels through tissues, “tunnels” prevented

from healing by chronic infection. Two fairly common types are “peri-anal
fistulas” (a “tunnel” from outside the anus to the inside of the rectum) and
“recto-vaginal” fistulas. They can often be healed by frequent swabbing inside
and out with an iodine-soaked Q-tip. Patience is required! Complete healing
often takes several months. The treatment appears to work better if the iodine
is mixed with DMSO, which enhances penetration.

Richard Kunin, M.D. of San Francisco, is a world class expert on the use of
iodine and other forms of iodine. He has found that hemorrhoids will sometimes
disappear literally overnight, when iodine (20 drops) mixed with flaxseed oil (1
ounce) is rubbed in them at bedtime. He’s also found that iodine alone will do
the same job, although it “really stings” when applied to a hemorrhoid by
itself.

Professor Louis Feiser made a point of demonstrating to all the pre-medical

students at Harvard that iodine and iodide would make oils, fats, and waxes
(cholesterol is actually a wax) more soluble in water. This known action of
iodide likely explains why iodine can be useful in the next two applications.
Over 30 years ago, two ophthalmologists observed that a combination tablet
called “Iodo-niacin” (iodide 120 milligrams, niacin 15 milligrams) taken for
several months could actually reverse atherosclerotic clogging of arteries. They
proved this effect by taking pictures of clogged arteries in the backs of the
eyes (“retinal photomicrographs”) before and after treatment. The published
photographs showed a significant lessening of the cholesterol-laden artery
clogging in the “after” pictures. Amazingly enough, no follow-up study has ever
been published (probably because niacin and iodide aren’t patentable). Despite
this, the published pictures speak clearly for themselves. 4 to 6 drops of
iodine and niacin-containing B-complex supplement used daily for anyone with
significant cholesterol-related atherosclerotic clogging can be of great help.
Thyroid function must be monitored!
Sebaceous cysts are cysts which contain oily, fatty material. They usually
appear rather suddenly on the face or in the groin or labia. Rubbing in iodine
mixed 50-50 with DMSO will almost always persuade these cysts to go away in a
week or two; it appears that the iodide “dissolves” the fatty, oily material
contained in the cysts, allowing your body to slowly re-absorb and dispose of
it.

Parotid duct stones are “stones” which can form in the saliva-carrying duct(s)
from the major salivary glands (“parotid” glands, located at the “angle of the
jaw”). 3 to 4 drops of iodine taken in water daily will almost always dissolve
parotid duct stones within four to eight months.
If you have chronic bronchitis and or emphysema (COPD), iodine is an invaluable
tool. Iodine gets "into" all body secretions, including often thick and hard to
cough up bronchial secretions, which get infected very easily. Iodine takes care
of both of these problems. It loosens secretions remarkably, making them much
easier to clear, and it prevents micro-organisms from growing easily. With
regular iodine use, bronchial infection is a much less frequent happening.
Depending on the severity of COPD, 3 to 6 drops of iodine taken in water once
daily. As COPD is usually a chronic condition, iodine use will usually be
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indefinite, so make sure to monitor your thyroid function!

For this group, using iodine mixed 50-50 with DMSO works better, as the DMSO
enables iodine to penetrate much more deeply into the tissues and kill germs.
Infected hangnails are perhaps the easiest to clear up this way, as are nagging
bacterial infections around the edges of the toenails. Rub in the mixture
several times daily, and the problem’s usually gone in a few days. Herpes
simplex (“herpes”) outbreaks can be “stopped cold” in the same way, but it often
takes longer for the “sore” to heal itself over.
Iodine can also help clear up vaginal infections. 20 to 30 drops in water, used
in a small “douche” once daily for five to ten days will usually do the job.
(There’s actually a prescription-only iodine preparation available for vaginal
infections too.) However, iodine preparations of any sort for vaginal infections
are often not popular because of the inevitable orange-brown stains they leave
on clothing.

Even though iodine and iodide are absolutely essential to thyroid hormone
formation, in most “developed” countries, hypothyroid conditions are not usually
due to an outright lack of iodine or iodide. Still, hypothyroidism is
occasionally helped by 1 drop of iodine daily. That said, remember that Dr.
Brownstein found most people are low in iodine, but it may not be causing any
hypothyroid condition.

There’s a gastronomic use for iodine: reducing the gas we all get from eating
beans! If you’re soaking beans before cooking them, add 1 or 2 drops of iodine,
and let them soak for an hour or more. (Pour off that water before cooking, and
add fresh water.) You’ll be surprised at the reduction in resulting intestinal
gas! (For those who want a technical explanation: There’s a naturally occurring
enzyme inhibitor in beans which interferes with starch digestion, producing gas.
Iodine inactivates this enzyme inhibitor.)

Water purification. An Indian physician that did work in rural parts of Africa
said,"The only drinking water available was from a local stream or river, muddy
and contaminated. After removing sediment and debris by straining the dirty
water through cheesecloth, add several drops of iodine, and wait two to three
minutes." He reported that he and his team could then drink the water. In over
30 years, he never got an infection from contaminated water. The iodine killed
any micro-organisms present.

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