Thyroid

Avoid This if You Want to Keep Your Thyroid Healthy

Posted by: Dr. Mercola
September 05 2009

Bromides are a common endocrine disruptor. Because bromide is also a halide, it competes for the same receptors that are used in the thyroid gland (among other places) to capture iodine. This will inhibit thyroid hormone production resulting in a low thyroid state.
Iodine is essential for your body, and is detected in every organ and tissue. There is increasing evidence that low iodine is related to numerous diseases, including cancer.  Various clinicians and researchers have found iodine effective with everything from goiter to constipation.
Bromide can be found in several forms. Methyl Bromide is a pesticide used mainly on strawberries, found predominantly in the California areas. Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) is added to citrus drinks to help suspend the flavoring in the liquid.

Potassium Bromate is a dough conditioner found in commercial bakery products and some flours.

Sources:

  Natural Thyroid Choices: Bromide

  Iodine 4 Health

If you are like most people, you probably haven’t spent much time thinking about how much bromine you’re absorbing from your car upholstery or your Mountain Dew. But bromine toxicity is a definite danger from some surprising sources, and it can wreak havoc on your health.

Bromines All Around You

Bromines are common endocrine disruptors, and are part of the halide family, a group of elements that includes fluorine, chlorine and iodine. What makes it so dangerous is that it competes for the same receptors that are used to capture iodine.
If you are exposed to a lot of bromine, your body will not hold on to the iodine that it needs. And iodine affects every tissue in your body -- not just your thyroid.
You are already exposed to far too much chlorine and bromine. Bromine can be found in a number of places in your everyday world, including:

• Pesticides (specifically methyl bromide, used mainly on strawberries, predominantly in California)
• Plastics, like those used to make computers
• Bakery goods and some flours often contain a “dough conditioner” called potassium bromate
• Soft drinks (including Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Sun Drop, Squirt, Fresca and other citrus-flavored sodas), in the form of brominated vegetable oils (BVOs)
• Medications such as Atrovent Inhaler, Atrovent Nasal Spray, Pro-Banthine (for ulcers), and anesthesia agents
• Fire retardants (common one is polybromo diphenyl ethers or PBDEs) used in fabrics, carpets, upholstery, and mattresses
• Bromine-based hot tub and swimming pool treatments

According to van Leeuwen, who has extensively studied the effects of sodium bromide on thyroid function:

“Although the bromide ion is widely distributed in nature, the main route of exposure in humans stems from bromide residues in food commodities as a result of the abundant use of bromide-containing pesticides, like methylbromide and ethylene dibromide, for soil fumigation in intensive horticulture and for postharvest treatment.”

One clinical consequence of overexposure to bromine is suppression of your thyroid, leading to hypothyroidism, which will be discussed shortly. Another is bromide toxicity.

Bromine -- The Bully of the Halide Group

When you ingest or absorb bromine, it displaces iodine, and this iodine deficiency leads to an increased risk for cancer of the breast, thyroid gland, ovary and prostate -- cancers that we see at alarmingly high rates today. This phenomenon is significant enough to have been given its own name -- the Bromide Dominance Theory.
Aside from its effects on your endocrine glands, bromine is toxic in and of itself. Bromide builds up in your central nervous system and results in many problems. It is a central nervous system depressant and can trigger a number of psychological symptoms such as acute paranoia and other psychotic symptoms.
In fact, in an audio interview, physician Jorge Flechas reported that, between 1920 and 1960, at least 20 percent of all hospital admissions for “acute paranoid schizophrenia” were a result of ingesting bromine-containing products.
In addition to psychiatric problems, bromine toxicity can manifest as the following:

• Skin rashes and severe acne
• Loss of appetite and abdominal pain
• Fatigue
• Metallic taste
• Cardiac arrhythmias

Baby Boomers might recall a popular product from the 1950s called Bromo-Seltzer. These effervescent granules, developed by the Emerson Drug Company of Baltimore, were used to treat heartburn, upset stomach, indigestion, headaches and hangovers.
Bromo-Selzer’s original formula contained 3.2 mEq/teaspoon of sodium bromide -- hence the name. The sedative effect probably explained its popularity as a hangover remedy. Bromides were withdrawn from the American market in 1975 due to their toxicity.
Bromo-Selzer is still on the market, but no longer contains bromide.

Bromines in Your Bread Box: Potassium Bromate

The ban on bromines have not prevented them from sneaking into your foods and personal care products.
You probably are not aware of this, but nearly every time you eat bread in a restaurant or consume a hamburger or hotdog bun you are consuming bromide, as it is commonly used in flours.
The use of potassium bromate as an additive to commercial breads and baked goods has been a huge contributor to bromide overload in Western cultures.
Bromated flour is “enriched” with potassium bromate. Commercial baking companies claim it makes the dough more elastic and better able to stand up to bread hooks. However, Pepperidge Farm and other successful companies manage to use only unbromated flour without any of these so-called “structural problems.”
Potassium bromate is also found in some toothpastes and mouthwashes, where it’s added as an antiseptic and astringent. It has been found to cause bleeding and inflammation of gums in people using these products.

Sodium Bromate and BMOs

Mountain Dew, one of the worst beverages you can drink, uses brominated vegetable oil as an emulsifier. Not only that, it contains high fructose corn syrup, sodium benzoate, more than 55 mg of caffeine per 12 ounce can, and Yellow Dye #5 (tartrazine, which has been banned in Norway, Austria and Germany.)
A weapon of mass destruction -- in a can.
Even drinking water can be a source of bromide. When drinking water containing bromide is exposed to ozone, bromate ions are formed, which are powerful oxidizing agents. Such was the case in 2004 when Coca Cola Company had to recall Dasani bottled water.
Sodium bromate can also be found in personal care products such as permanent waves, hair dyes, and textile dyes. Benzalkonium is used as a preservative in some cosmetics.
Finally, bromine and chlorine were the most common toxic elements reportedly found in automobiles, according to the blog of David Brownstein, MD (March 2007). They showed up in the seats, armrests, door trim, shift knobs and other areas of the car.
Think about how much time you spend enclosed in your outgassing Chevy… windows up with no air circulation.
The United States is quite behind in putting an end to the egregious practice of allowing bromine chemicals in your foods. In 1990, the United Kingdom banned bromate in bread. In 1994, Canada did the same. Brazil recently outlawed bromide in flour products.
What’s taking us so long? Another case of our government protecting big industry -- instead of protecting you.

Iodine Levels and Cancer Risk

Iodine levels have significantly dropped due to bromine exposure; declining consumption of iodized salt, eggs, fish, and sea vegetables; and soil depletion. In the U.S. population, there was a 50 percent reduction in urinary iodine excretion between 1970 and 1990.
What’s this doing to our country’s health?
The Japanese consume 89 times more iodine than Americans due to their daily consumption of sea vegetables, and they have reduced rates of many chronic diseases, including the lowest rates of cancer in the world. The RDA for iodine in the U.S. is a meager 150 mcg/day, which pales in comparison with the average daily intake of 13800 mcg/day for the Japanese.
There is a large body of evidence suggesting that low cancer rates in Japan are a result of their substantially higher iodine levels.Iodine has documented antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties.
A strong case can be made that your iodine RDA should be closer to what the Japanese consume daily, if breast cancer ratesare any indication. Low iodine can lead to fibrocystic breast disease in women (density, lumps and bumps), hyperplasia, and atypical mammary tissue. Such fibrocystic changes in breast tissue have been shown to reverse in the presence of iodine supplementation after 3-4 months.
If you are interested in being tested for iodine deficiency, the urine iodine challenge test is the best way to assess your iodine level.

Bromine and Your Thyroid

Adding to the negative health effects of bromine, the damage to your thyroid health deserves special mention.
As stated in the first part of this article, bromine exposure depletes your body’s iodine by competing with iodine receptors. Iodine is crucial for thyroid function. Without iodine, your thyroid gland would be completely unable to produce thyroid hormone.
Even the names of the different forms of thyroid hormone reflect the number of iodine molecules attached -- T4 has four attached iodine molecules, and T3 (the biologically active form of the hormone) has three--showing what an important part iodine plays in thyroid biochemistry.
Hypothyroidism is far more prevalent than once thought in the U.S. The latest estimates are that 13 million Americans have hypothyroidism, but the actual numbers are probably higher. Some experts claim that 10 to40 percent of Americans have suboptimal thyroid function.
Many of these folks may actually have nothing wrong with their thyroid gland at all -- they may just be suffering from iodine deficiency.

Seven Tips for Avoiding Bromine and Optimizing Iodine

Trying to avoid bromine is like trying to avoid air pollution -- all you can do is minimize your exposure. That said, here are a few things you can do to minimize your risk:

1. Eat organic as often as possible. Wash all produce thoroughly. This will minimize your pesticide exposure.
2. Avoid eating or drinking from (or storing food and water in) plastic containers. Use glass and safe ceramic vessels.
3. Look for organic whole-grain breads and flour. Grind you own grain, if possible. Look for the “no bromine” or “bromine-free” label on commercial baked goods.
4. Avoid sodas. Drink natural, filtered water instead.
5. If you own a hot tub, look into an ozone purification system. Such systems make it possible to keep the water clean with minimal chemical treatments.
6. Look for personal care products that are as chemical-free as possible. Remember -- anything going on you, goes in you.
7. When in a car or a building, open windows as often as possible, preferably on opposing sides of the space for cross ventilation. Utilize fans to circulate the air. Chemical pollutants are much higher inside buildings (and cars) than outside.

Avoid Unfermented Soy

Another major contributor to thyroid dysfunction that I did not discuss above is unfermented soy. Soy isoflavones can wreak havoc on your thyroid.

Kaayla Daniel's groundbreaking book, The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food is a powerful exposé that reveals the truth about the soy myths that have infiltrated our culture.

It's ironic that soy has become so accepted as a health food when, as Dr. Daniel states, thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid- and hormonal dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility--even cancer and heart disease.

So if you want to keep your thyroid healthy, you’ll definitely want to avoid unfermented soy products of all kinds, including soy milk.

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One thing not mentioned in the article is that when you buy iodine, such as Lugol's iodine, the seller (via website or store, etc.) cannot tell you the opitimal daily amount required for your situation (based on 24 hour urine percent iodine excretion analysis).  They can't tell you because the powers that be (FDA, etc.) have determined a daily intake safe upper limit which is so low (any more is toxic- they say) that, at that amount, there will be no benefit. Sound familiar- think vitamin D.  This is the biggest mistake I have encountered with persons who supplement with iodine without all of the truthful information.  They follow the goverment's guidelines and, of course, there is no improvement.  This is what the government wants- to show you that natural treatments don't work, because you need to buy drugs to treat illness.  The main message here is always go to a naturopathic doctor who is experienced with iodine supplementation but does not sell iodine, lest he/she is forced to mislead you.

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Iodoral is a good iodine supplement in my opinion. It has a good instructions on a piece of paper that comes with the product. I used it for 6 months to build up my iodine and fight bromides and fluorides. I also use kelp/sea veg capsules.

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Bromine is used to modify plastics so that they pass flamability testing. Never burn plastics in a fireplace or campfire. The smoke produced can be extremly toxic.

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When I was having problems with uterine fibroids, my sister sent me an article on iodine. Basically, put some tincture of iodine on your skin (in my case over my uterus). If the tincture is absorbed in less than 24 hours, you are deficient. I kept putting it on until it stayed on for 24 hours. I haven't been back to a gyn, but I don't have to go to the bathroom as much as I did before I started the tincture, and I haven't had any bleeding, so I'm convinced the fibroids are gone.
For kicks, I put a patch on each of my sons. One son, who eats everything and anything, is good. The other son, a very picky eater, is always deficient. I have found he is much calmer when I am putting the iodine on him. If I forget one weekend, he tends to get angry and agressive. He has other issues, but iodine has been a help!

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This is great and I will try it.  Thyroid functioning was a major problem that I had to correct when I had breast cancer.  I had a non-functioning thyroid for 10 years and was on synthroid much of that time.  Then I started detoxing my body esp. from mercury.  When I finished all the detoxing of my elimination systems my thyroid started working again on it's own after I weaned myself off synthroid.  I think it is important to do a detox of body once a year and stay on organic diet with real salt and sea salt.  I have also added sea kelp and fermented vegies to my diet.  Can't go wrong with that!!

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I think it is very simple.  Use Lugol's solution.  A few drops now and then, will take care of the problem.  I'm been using Lugol's for about 4-5 months now.  Iodine will displace the Floride, Bromide and Mercury. 
---Actually, it's the other way around.  Iodine is displaced by lighter halogens, and they displace one another.  For example, bromine displaces iodine, but chlorine displaces bromine, and fluoride displaces all of the above!  For more information on various forms of iodine and more about halogen displacement, check out www.squidoo.com/IodineHealth
----R_R_K_1, when the thyroid has been removed, the correct thyroid medication to take is Armour or other natural, desicated pig thyroid, which has T1,T2,T3 and T4. Levothyroxin is a synthetic T4. The liver has to convert it into T3 in order for the cells to use. Iodine is not only for the thyroid, but also stores in the breasts, and prevents cancer, in the nasal tissues and prevents viral infections, etc. As usual, your doctors don't know what they're talking about. You need to see an alternative medical doctor who has some common sense. It also sounds like you need to take a look at your diet.
-----Re; MajStrom
The halogen gases are in order of toxicity:  Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, and sometimes Astatine.  They all form -ides.  I am hypothyroid and was prescribed Synthyroid.  But, a friend in the medical community advised me it would be safer to use a natural source of iodides; "Pure Norwegian Kelp" capsules which are available from health food stores. I buy 100 capsules for about $6.90.  I take one capsule a day and it keeps me up and running just fine!  I also purchase Zephyrhills Spring Water which is high in calcium that can protect your body from fluorides.  In fact, calcium gluconate is the most effective antidote for fluoride poisoning.
A good source of data on fluorides is the Journal of Dental Research, Special Issue, International Symposium on Fluorides, Vol. 69, Feb. 1990.  Page 827, Posters No. 7, notes the caffeine/methylxanthines in coffee, tea and Coca-Cola combines with fluorides in processing water, results in a 2-fold increase in blood plasma.  Sounds like hyper-kids to me!  Same page notes fluorides can cause gastric problems.  The entire book is quite informative.
I heard that people who were diagnosed as "Hyper-thyroid" were prescribed fluorides to offset the iodine.

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If you react to chloride you are iodine deficient. A few years ago I reacted to the water in a chlorinated pool. I started taking around 12 milligram/day and the problems went away after a while.
PS. You can also buy and split high dosage potassium iodine tablets that are made for protection after a nuclear accident or a terrorist attack.----
Hello guam38, as a teen I had an acne flare up every summer, and now I wonder if it was because our swimming pool was treated with all these chemicals. No one else seemed to be affected. At the time we had a Japanese lady housekeeper and I loved her traditional Japanese cooking and I remember how much I enjoyed eating seaweed with her. When my mom took me to the doc I remember him telling me to avoid seaweed because it was high in iodine. My mom was told to buy salt that was not iodized so we had two salt shakers on the table, one for me and one for everyone else. Once I gave up the seaweed and iodized salt [and everything else on the list, nuts, cocoa etc.] my acne became chronic and I suffered from it all year long. Of course the doctor put me on anti-biotics. Not knowing anything, I took them. Only when I moved away from home and started eating the iodine rich foods I loved did my acne start to clear up. Fifty years later I still have some pretty deep, visible scares on my shoulders from the outbreaks I had in my teens. I hope you find something for you son.
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Doesn't chocolate contain bromine? I have a vague recolection that this bromine was the reason that chocolate was deemed unhealthy. Can anyone substantiate this point? Theobromine, yes. I have no idea whether it is "a bromine" but it seems reasonable to assume so.Tea also contains theobromineIn another artical Dr. Mercola has said, "...theobromine is harmless to humans but can kill dogs..."
I believe the article was about using theobromine as a pain killer and that it was as effective as codeine. If memory serves it seems to be a good thing for certain human ailments but really really bad for dogs.
Do a search.
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You would never get enough iodine in iodized salt to reap the benefits without the downside of that amount of salt.  The sea veggies are a way better choice.  A variety of all veggies.  Even though I eat a very clean diet, have shower filters and filter or distill my drinking water, I still supplement with iodine.  I know if I'm cold and nobody else is, I've probably forgotten to take my iodine.

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Remember, iodized salt isn't really "salt".  It's a fake big pharma salt.  Only sea salt is what is truly akin to the salt in our bodies.  Better to add Losol Iodine...can't be overdosed on, as it is water soluble and your body will only absorb what it needs.  It's the safest to use.  Also, any stain mistakes you make, will wash out, whereas regular iodine will not.
---I did not know that iodine would help expel mercury.  Great to know.  National brands of iodized salts are no good.  Sea salt is better by far.  I have often thought that ordinary rock salt might be good for us.  It would have many trace minerals present and it is very cheap to buy.  Problem is grinding it for use.  Must be a stone grinder, not metal as many hand grinders are.  Organic veggies home-grown in soil that has not been over-farmed is a good alternative way to get the trace amount of iodine we all need, along with many other trace minerals vital to good health.  Ditto for ozonated well water which always has trace minerals from soil.
---Four years ago, I went off synthroid, and all of the other medications that I was taking (as a result of the side effects of the synthroid).  I am still breathing today!  I do take a thyroid supplement by NOW.  Two years ago, when I went to the GYN, because of fybroids, and had my last mammogram, because of pre-cancer tissue, I was blood tested and my levels went to 50, where the "safe" range is .5 to 5.5.  I was sent to a endocrinologist who immediately prescribed (to my horror) levothyroxin.  I held on to the script for over a week.  I did get it filled, but reluctantly.  I remembered meeting a accupuncturist and immediately contacted him and was treated for six weeks (at a hugh cost).  I was re-tested and my level dropped to 18!  I went back to the endocrinologist who was amazed at how the numbers dropped.  He said "you are doing well on the medication, yes?" I replied, well.... then I reached in my purse, pulled out the bag with the full bottle of levothyroxin and said "I have never opened this."  I told him I was treated with accupuncture.  He said he had no explanation how this treatment could have helped and said he did not want to see me anymore in his office.  For my fybroids and pre-cancer breast tissue, I started to take Seven Forests Tortoise Shell Tablets found onwww.wellnessworks.net and no more fybroids and my breasts are in no more pain or do I have lumps.  I am, after reading all the wonderful comments here, going to add the iodine supplement found on www.magneticclay.com/.../Default.aspxand see how that goes. 
----R_R_K_1,  I must agree with dr jimni on that your doctor is full of it.   After finding an alternative medical doctor, try asking them about Salacia tea for your other problems (high triglycerides, cholesterol, and sugar levels).  I've recently came across this tea and heard many success stories. I've been reading a lot about it lately.  In a nut shell,  it reduces the amount of carbohydrates that your body absorbs and by doing so naturally you lose weight.  And it's highly effective with people who are diabetic or borderline diabetic because it's also very helpful in reducing sugar levels.  The tea is rather inexpensive and all you have to do is drink it before meals consistently and you will see results.  Hopefully your health will be restored.  I think you can find it on ebay.   I searched online for salacia tea (here in Japan) and it's very very expensive, up to $100 or so a month but it is rather popular because it's so effective.  Check it out. 
---To all wanting to know more about iodine supplementation please join me at the IODINE Yahoo grouphealth.groups.yahoo.com/.../iodine      Natural Thyroid Choices is my website (which Dr. Mercola referenced) and we have over 3,000 members all using iodine in one form or another for thyroid conditions, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, fibrocystic breasts, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, skin cancer and much more.   The Iodine 4 Health website also referenced is our research repository for the group.  I am the owner and 9 1/2 yr thyroid cancer survivor who was poisoned by bromide and mercury.  I suggest also reading the book   "Iodine Why you need it why you can't live without it"   by Dr. David Brownstein.  It can be obtained on www.drbrownstein.com
Thank you to Dr. Mercola for commenting on how dangerous and prevalent bromide is.
See you on the Iodine board.....
Stephanie
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Thank you Ladybug!!  I am a cancer survivor also and can verify that mercury was the culprit in my thyroid problems and probably lo iodine as well.  It was thru detoxing my body from mercury and consulting a medical intuitive, that I was able to get back on track and get my thyroid functioning back  It has been 11 years since stopping all medication and glandulars.  Of course along with all the above I started eating sea salt and organics.  I also increased fermented foods and sea kelp to my diet.
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We stopped using Iodised salt a few years back when I found out the 'free flow' agent in it contained aluminuim. We eat fish twice a week and when we can't I supplement with lugols.

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It was a huge relief to me to read (maybe on this site) many years ago that Iosol iodine would relieve breast tenderness. If it occurs, I paint them with iodine before bed, drink an extra glass of water, and in the morning, I am fine. This was especially helpful for PMS. (An occasional soft drink can cause inflammation for me.)
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There is a fantastic iodine group on Yahoo, run by a woman who studies with/is a patient of Dr. Brownstein, one of the authorities on iodine supplementation.  There are many knowledgeable posts there and from what I've read, the worsening of the condition while doing the iodine protocol properly (with adjunct supplementation) is actually detoxing symptoms.  An informed doctor would know that - check out the group: Lots of other great health info there, too.
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In solution, a halide of lower atomic number (fluorine, chlorine, bromine) will upon exposure replace a halide of higher atomic number (iodine). This is a good reason to make sure there is adequate iodine in the diet (sea vegetables, everyone). In the thyroid, the iodine store is protected by colloids (living carbon compounds), otherwise we'd all be iodine deficient. If there are either symptoms of low thyroid function (cold in the extremities, weight gain, thinning hair, sluggishness, etc.), or a family history of low thyroid, better to be safe than sorry and supplement with Lugol or Iosol or another high-quality supplement. Since most municipal water supplies are both chlorinated and fluoridated, we should all be filtering our water, then adding liquid ionic trace minerals and BLESSINGS to the end product before consumption. I have marveled for a decade and a half that cultures globally bless our food, but not our water, without which none of us could live! Of course, anthropologically, this makes perfect sense: in ancient times, fresh water was abundant most places, but famine was always a possibility. Gabriel Cousens's water blessing consists of three Hebrew letters: Vav, Mem, Bet. We can also say very simply, "God bless and heal our water." Whatever works for you culturally; something we're uncomfortable with isn't likely to assist us! I wish all of you health and peace.
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Good post - but I have read repeatedly that most sea vegetables are now so contaminated that eating them for the iodine defeats some of the purpose!  It is said that it's better to use natural supplemention with lugol's or iodoral.  www.naturalthyroidchoices.com - I have gotten a lot of great info there~ (these are not my sites
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Scintilla,
You have it backwards.  Fluorine is the lightest halide with a molecular weight of 9, followed by chlorine, bromine, and iodine.  Being the lightest, fluorine is the most reactive of all halides, and therefore displaces the heavier molecules.  Taking large doses of iodine helps restore the proper ratio of iodine to lighter halides, even though they are more reactive, by allowing iodine to 'grab' more open receptor sites due to the shear quantity of iodine present.
One issue I noticed with Dr M's article is this:  he correctly states that ozone forms bromate ions when exposed to drinking water, yet later he recommends using an ozone filter on you hot tub or pool.  Skin absorption being what it is, how could that be an answer if the water comes from the public water system?  Also, does that mean that drinking water from a machine, such as Glacier, that uses several filtration techniques, including ozonation, is full of bromate ions?  I think I'll contact the company for an analysis.
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Hi, I swim (a lot) in a pool which uses a bromine salt as a "healthier" alternative to chlorine. Is the bromine salt is a health risk? Thanks, Ken  :^)


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I had heart palpitations for a while, and discovered that CoQ10 stops that, and also improved the health of my gums.  If you have bleeding gums, you may need the CoQ10, and that would be an indication you may need it.  Or, you may just try that and see if it improves that condition or not.

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jojo_3 you may need magnesium. Natural Calm is a great supplement.  Several years ago, my husband and I were having heart arrhythmias for no apparent reason. We didn't have heart disease, but I found in an old diagnostic medical book that arrhythmias could be the only warning before a heart attack. This led me to discover that magnesium is used during heart surgeries. The magnesium won't hurt you, and the magnesium citrate in Natural Calm is very bioavailable. You can get great prices on line. A friend of ours had a client scheduled to have a pace maker installed because he had an irregular heart beat.  She asked us what we thought she should recommend. Due to our personal experience we said Natural Calm. He took it to his doctor who told him "it won't hurt you but it won't help you either". Guess what? The man took it and in three days his irregular heart beat was gone. He continues to take it.  Also, he cancelled his date with the pace maker doc.
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My suggestion is to try supplementation with T3... There is a synthetic product available, and you may have to experiment with the time that you take it... T3 is the highly concentrated form of Thyroid hormone that is made, normally, when the body synthesizes it from T4 by splitting off one molecule.  The thyroid ALSO produces straight t3 and some believe that it is the component which is responsible for the good mood effects of healthy thyroid activity.
You need both t4 and t3, in my opinion-- which is not a professional or medical opinion.  I would suspect that when you feel tired, it is at different times of the day-- that is when I would try to supplement the T3--  Besides being up to 10-times more potent than t4, it is VERY short-lived and will dissipate rapidly so I wouldn't think that it should pose a dosage conflict/problem with your t4 supplement.  I don't know why endo's are so reluctant to prescribe this, but they are.  Perhaps there are dangers that they don't want you to be exposed to??? Or perhaps they don't want to actually correct your condition-- I would hope that is not the case.  Scotty/Sioux City
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ejfull:  Too much iodine can cause hypothyroidism. I have a friend who had her thyroid removed 2 years ago and had to be on meds. She learned of a product that was a balanced nutritional product that she began and in several months her doc reduced her thyroid meds. Has now had the meds reduced several times. The product name is RELIV.  It contains Irish moss-red alge, and a brown kelp, as well as many other herbs. You can look it up at RELIV.com. She is so balanced that she could go off the meds, but her doc doesn't share her experience.
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Dave-o :  Part of the issue with a lack of iodine is that it is not in the soil unless you are around the ocean. Maybe that's why it is found in pineapple. The amount in any food is dependent on the soil content.  It comes from the sea, so the soil would also need to be sea side soil to have an appreciable amount.  Also, it is not conserved in the body for the long term, so we need a daily supply. The things that hinder iodine are fluoride, which ejects the iodine from our bodies. Diuretics also create an iodine deficit, and there is a substance in cabbage family vegetables called isothicyanates that interfere with iodine. That doesn't mean we don't want to eat those things, it just means that we need to make sure we eat food that will provide us with a daily source. Remember that even if you purify your water from fluoride, there are many sources of fluoride in our food supply.  Any product that uses municiple water in it's ingredients will reduce our available iodine levels. Soooo, eat dulse, or other pure sea vegetables, it's an inexpensive way to protect you health.
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I remember several years ago I was so excited when the local YMCA started using bromide instead of chlorine in the swimming pool.  We thought this was a great improvement.  Now, I guess the "Y" has learned better too, and they are actually using saline!  I hope this is a good alternative.  I haven't read anything negative about saline yet.  It is like swimming in the ocean.  It does make my lips a little "puckered".  ;)  It's hard for us who swim as our main form of exercise.  It is pretty much the only exercise I can still do on a regular basis due to joint damage.  It makes me feel wonderful, but I have always worried about the chemicals used in the water.
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Also for removing toxins and heavy metals,,, research, the miracle mineral supplement. {MMS}

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My sister was recently diagnosed with a thyroid problem and she eats breads from the bakery and bakes with flour that contains bromine. So this makes since.
What are some of the symptyoms? For example the Dr. told my sister the increased size in her "front stomach" was a sign of thyroid disfunction.  Colonics were
suggested and she has had two. I also made toddies of raw vinegar , honey, and coconut oil (From Tropical traditions) and the next day she was cleaned out. We
contionued two more times. (I put 1 tsp of honey into a 4 oz glas of vinegar and a tablespoon of coconut oil into an oz of hot water to disolve the honey.) I also use
pure sea salt from Tibet and she now uses this.  Not much I can do about the handles in the car abnd etc., but its a beginning. Taking a teaspoon of coconut oil a day
wouldn't hurt for preventative care?  (It really isn't OIL and tastes good)  We use Stevia from Texas too. It has pycnoginal for preservatives and has no bitter after
taste.  

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I wouldn't rely on thyroid tests only to determine whether s.o. is hypo- or pherthyroid. The "normal" ranges are established by measuring the mean average of different people. But as hormonal levels are very individual, s.o. might be perfectly healthy even if he/she is outside the reference range. On the other hand side, you might be deficient, even if your lab results say you’re “fine” because your optimal level is different from what you actually are.
So, I would put more emphasis on symptoms /complaints than on lab results.
Plus, thyroid problems are not solely caused by iodine deficiency or bromide toxicity. The thyroid gland could be host to an infection, eg. with candida.. A lot of Hashimoto patients have a systemic fungus infection without them knowing it. Taking hormones does nothing for them except treating symptoms. There are other causes, too.
This is why finding out the source and cure of one’s health problems sometimes is a very long journey. The best way is to try and live as healthily as possible, and your health will improve, even if you will never find out  what exactly caused your problems.
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Armour is not what it used to be.  They reformuated this spring (2009) and many people who have used it for years are having problems with it. It has more cellulose as a filler. Many people have switched to Nature-throid or Westhroid causing a back-up of 90 days.  They are having manufacturing difficulty because the raw ingredients have to go through testing to meet RLC Lab's standards. Go to www. Stopthethroidmadness.com for more details and alternative sources.  Don't click on the link to the Thailand source because the link contains a viral worm.

-----Try Maca as a source of iodine and zinc, both help your thyroid.  Maca is an adaptogen that regulates your hormones.

--GUys when take iodine , make sure you take selenium as well, because selenium is required for one enzymes which participates in iodine uptake in the thyroid. Logol iodine can be used trasdermally, just paint on the skin and it will be absored, sure some of it will evaporate, but it much safe as orally taken iodine could be harmful to the intestial flora.
Orally better to take nasciet iodine, which is better absorbed. www.magneticclay.com/.../nascent-iodine-supplement-1.aspx
Also there simple test to check it you need iodine, put few drops of iodine on the skin and spread it thinly. If iodine completely disappears within 24 hrs you are iodine deficient. If after 24 hrs the mark still there you dont need iodine. I dont know how accurate this test.
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Yet another reason to shop asian supermarkets for seaweed/kelp products to put in soups, salads, and sushi sandwiches. Get fresh seaweed to make a salad. The prepared stuff has a little too much MSG. Or just take seaweed/kelp in a tablet if you don't like the flavour.
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Everyone should be taking an iodine supplement every day & not just kelp - though that is good for iodiDe.  One can even paint one's feet or wherever with drug store iodine.  When my cat was throwing up periodically, I gave her iodine in her water & it stopped.  A man told me a doctor recommended iodine for his nausea, too.
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suggest you check out Weston Price on the benefits of coconut oil
--(all previous posts were from Mercola and vv the nest post is from cure zone)
I do not suggest ingesting Elemental Iodine of any form of which iodral is. One may easily overdose on iodral and become Poisoned, just read the Poison label.

I suggest using Natural Kelp to supply needed Natural Iodine bound with many needed Alkaline Minerals and Live Carbons!

Most folks are short of needed Calcium and the Lime Water is a Very effective method of supplying Calcium mixed with the Alkalizing Drink!