You’ve probably heard of iodine before, but you may not be aware of exactly what iodine is and the immense history behind the use of this vital element. From the various types of iodine to the amount required for optimum health, there is a lot to know about this water-soluble trace element.
Iodine is Required for Health
Traditionally taken from the sea, as it is rarely found within the Earth’s crusts, iodine is required by the body for a number of functions. First and foremost, your thyroid glands utilize iodine to make thyroid hormones. A lack of iodine can cause the thyroid gland to swell up (known as goiter) in an attempt to increase the uptake of iodine from the blood.
Iodine is also instrumental in brain development, with an inadequate amount actually leading to the most avoidable form of mental retardation known as iodine deficiency-related retardation. Infants, in fact, may actually face lethal consequences if their mothers are severely deficient in iodine. Spiking miscarriage and stillbirth rates, and iodine deficiency can have major repercussions.
Quite simply, iodine is among the most essential substances you can give your body on a daily basis. In fact, this realization led to the amazing history behind iodine.
History of Iodine – The 20s and Now
It wasn’t until 1924 that iodine was added to salt in order to address the widespread number of iodine deficiencies sweeping the nation during that time. Specifically, Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest region were experiencing outbreaks of goiter – the swelling of the thyroid that is entirely avoidable through the utilization of proper iodine levels. The reason? Soil levels were drastically lacking in iodine, and the general public was avoiding foods rich in idoine such as kale, cranberries, and strawberries.
But it’s not the 1920s anymore. These days, processed chemicals have become the norm due to price cutting measures and an ideology of better living through synthetic chemistry. Salt that was previously harvested and sold with minimal processing now exists only as natural, sea salt sold in health food stories. Today, table salt is actually a manufactured form of sodium that is known as sodium chloride.
Sodium chloride does contain added iodine, but also comes with a host of chemical additives and a loss of nutritional value. After being bleached, processed, and loaded with substances like fluoride sodium bicarbonate, modern day table salt is more of a health hazard than an iodine-containing health substance. Skip it.
Getting Enough Iodine
One telling study performed by the University in Texas at Arlington actually revealed that table salt will not do the trick, even if you are willing to intake the toxic ingredients associated with the manufactured substance. In fact, they found that salt alone cannot properly address any iodine deficiency.
When looking into the iodine levels within over 80 different types of common iodized salt brands, they found that a shocking 27 of them did not even meet the US Food and Drug Administration’s recommendation for healthy iodine levels. A level that has been continually pinpointed as being below optimal.
The Best Iodine
For peak iodine levels I recommend the use of what’s known as nascent iodine, which is a supplemental form of iodine that is generally considered to more safe and effective than potassium iodine. Nascent iodine uniquely holds an atomic form of iodine with an incomplete number of electrons. Simply put, this allows for a higher electromagnetic charge that the body can seamlessly absorb and utilize. This is absolutely essential for detoxification processes.
-Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DABFM
