Iodine In Human Health

1
Iodine In Human Health Disease ByDr. Erik
Von Kiel
Lecture 1-24-08, Allentown PA
2
Iodine

• Element 53 molecular wt. 126.9
• (Very large element A challenge to
  transport.)?
• (In the blood stream done so by specific
  Thyroid hormone.)

3
Periodic Table of the Elements
4
Iodine

• Is A halogen 2nd last column to the right side,
  of the periodic table of the elements starting
  with
• F (fluorine) All have 7
  electrons in
• Cl (chlorine) the outer
  orbit so are
• Br (bromine) all very
  reactive but
• I (Iodine) more
  reactive the
• At (astitine) smaller
  they are.

5
Iodine

• (Greekviolet)
• Is violet in the gaseous stage
• Usually brown in liquid solution
• Discovered in 1811 by Bernard Courtis while
  making gun powder, extracted from seaweed during
  Napoleons reign.

6
History of medical use

• First used in the 1800s for goiter (enlarged
  thyroid)
• This was the first single element disease
  treatment and is still used for this purpose.,
  but minimally, as now goiter is (wrongly in my
  option) treated with thyroid hormone.
• Example of goiter in picture

7
History of medical use

• Used also in medicine for over 100 years as an
  antiseptic
• Initially topically but before the era of
  antibiotics (ww II on ) was used orally and
  intravenously in some times very large doses (as
  much as 400mg daily IV) with out significant side
  effect.
• Kills single cell organisms by binding with
  tyrosine , or histadine and breaking their cell
  walls.
• There is never resistance!!!

8
Chemistry

• Iodine I-2 - is the elemental form
• Iodide the salt form
• Examples potassium iodide (KI)
• sodium iodide (NaI)
• Lugols solution (oldest and most popular form)
  ..
  10 Iodide
• 5 iodine
• Super saturated potassium iodide (KI)
• is all KI form

9
Physiology

• Iodine is found in all fluids and cells or
  vertebrate animals
• In the thyroid gland stored follicles in the
  colloid center bound to a large protein
  thyroglobulin
• The thyroid releases thyroxine (T-4)
  triiodothyroxine (T-3) both travel in the blood
  to all cells
• Uptake into the cells by T-3 form only
• TSH stimulates release from the thyroid

10
Classic negative feed back loop
In hypothalmus
TRH (thyroid releasing
hormone)?
In pituitary TSH (thyroid
stimulating hormone)?
In thyroid
Release T-4 T-3

11
Von Kiel no negative feed back

• Cell uptake (T-3 attachment)?
• Nuclear Mitochondrial uptake (Iodine uptake)?
• DNA uptake
• Regulation of all body function
• This likely accounts for misleading
  understanding of blood tests vs symptoms.

12
Iodine ingestion in Japan vs USA

• US average consumption per day 240mcg
• US RDA 150mcg/day
• Japan average consumption per day 12mg per day
• This a 50 fold greater intake in Japan where
  breast cancer is still rare, and also they have
  much less prostate cancer!!!

13
Japanese source of Iodine

• Seaweed
• -Brown algaekelp
• -Red algaenori (sheets usually with
  sushi)?
• -Green algaechlorella
• Average iodine is 0.5-8.8mg per gram of algae

14
Other food sources

• There is very little iodine in any other foods
• land based (terrestrial) plants have trace
• iodine (0.001mg/per gram of food)
• Japanese consume seaweed 4.5 grams/day
• At 3.1mg/gram of iodine x 4.5 grams/day of
  seaweed13.8mg of iodine per day consumption
• Seaweed concentrates iodine 20x
• Other sources would include fish, natural Celtic
  sea salt, iodized commercial salt, but as noted
  above these are relatively poor sources.
• 30 years ago USA average iodine intake was
  480mcg/day and one in twenty women got breast
  cancer. Today average intake 240mcg/day and one
  in seven or more women get breast cancer.

15
USA Iodine intake

• Primary source of iodine by US citizens today is
  iodide salt
• 45 of US house holds still use non iodized
  refined salt and in the last three decades -
  thanks to American doctors most citizens have
  decreased their consumption of salt by 65
• Also bread manufacturing stopped using iodine
  and the soil is more depleted
• And pure sodium chloride inhibits iodine
  intestinal uptake

16
Problems with iodine absorption

• inhibited by halogens
• Chlorine salt/pools/showers/water/bevera
  ges etc.
• Flourine water supplies/beverages dental
  treatments/tooth paste/RX-vitamins
• Bormide- pools/whirl pools/bread bread
  products/medicines/soft drinks/energy drinks/pest
  control/fumigants in agriculture
• Intestines can only absorb 10 of iodine in
  iodized salt but nearly 100 in unrefined sea
  salt

17
Breast cancer and iodine deficiency

• Estimated that 15 of US women have moderate to
  severe iodine deficiency (defined as less then
  15mcg/liter in urine)?
• About the same percent of women are getting
  breast cancer!!!
• Women with goiter (large visible none cancerous
  thyroid gland) have 3x greater incidents of
  breast cancer

18
Bromine (Bromidereduced form)

• Used to use iodine in bread production, aprox.
  150mcg/slice
• But was taken out for fear of too much iodine
  replaced with bromide (both used as anticaking
  agents)
• Now not only have decreased iodine but bromide
  further blocks uptake/absorption/utilization of
  iodine in the body

19
Bromine (Bromidereduced form)

• Sources
• Termite/pest control
• Sprayed crops (Will have elevated
  levels)?
• Soft drinks Mountain Dew
• AMP Energy
  drink
• Gatorade (Some
  products)
• Medications
• Atrovent
  inhaler/nasal spray
• Ipratopium
  nasal spray
• 
  Pro-panthine
• 
  Pyridostigmide bromide

20
Bromine (Bromidereduced form)

• Bromide is a toxic nonessential element.
• Absolutely ridiculous to add this food or
  medicine and needs to be avoided.
• Side effects delirium, psychomotor retardation,
  schizophrenia hallucinations, dullness,
  apathy, concentration difficulties , severe
  depression, head aches, irritability.
• All can be seen with even low level toxicity

21
Goitagens

• All halogens (except iodine)
• Fluorine
• Chlorine
• Bromine
• Astatine
• Legumes
• Soy bean products
• (Non fermented)

22
Iodine uptake into all cells/fluids

• Highest uptake is thyroid first, then breast,
  (women) then red and white blood cells. But there
  is a pump for nearly all tissues.
• Thyroid stores iodine and gets first dibs
• Estimated 20-50mg iodine stored in
  thyroid
• Apx. 2-3mg/day uptake
• Breast estimated 5mg iodine/day for 110lbs
• woman. Larger woman larger breasted
• woman need more.
• Factor in obesity and breast cancer (wrongly
  tired to fat in the diet) except brominated
  vegetable oils.

23
Iodine is the elemental master body regulator.

• Controls regulates DNA function hence all
  cellular functions of metabolism, protein
  synthesis growth.

24
Iodine severe deficiency

• In the fetus severe deficiency is know as
  cretinism severe mental and physical growth
  retardation.

25
Thyroid function

• The thyroid stores iodine in colloid center of
  the follicles bound to thyroglobulin threw
  hydrolysis iodine is released bound to
• T-4/T-3 and released to the blood.
• T-3 binds to all cell walls and iodine is
  uptaken to the nuclear mitochondrial DNA and
  controls DNA activity
• Hence is the master element

26
Classic medical school instruction

• In medical school it is taught that iodine is
  only utilized by the thyroid, to make thyroid
  hormone and thats it.
• Since it only takes 70mcg/day to produce the
  requisite amount of T-4/T-3 that we should only
  consume mcg amounts -gt then 1-2mg/day is
  excessive and potentially harmful.
• Other wise its only use in medicine is as an
  external antiseptic, which kills 90 of germs in
  a surgical wound in 90 seconds.

27
Iodine in the body

• Found in all cells and all fluids of the body.
• Some tissues concentrate iodine ie-have iodine
  pumps that concentrate iodine 30x
• They include Thyroid, breast, all glands,
  (cystic structures), salivary glands, cerebral
  spinal fluid (CSF), brain (particularly the
  substantia nigra asc. With Parkinson's dz),
  chroid plxus, cilary body of the eye, bone, nasal
  secretions (natural antibiotics), cervical
  tissue.

28
Functions of iodine Dr. Von Kiels extensive
list.

• Anti infectious to most single cell organisms
  (prokaryotes)
• Anti bacterial
• Anti protozoan
• Anti fungal
• Anti viral
• Mucolytic agent (breaks up mucus)?
• Apoptosis
• Cell death regulator
• Kills cancer and
  bacterial cells apparently by
• reacting with tyrosine or
  histidine on cell walls.
• High concentrations of
  iodine in areas of body with high
• apoptosis activity.

29
Functions of iodine Dr. Von Kiels extensive
list.

• Development
• Apoptosis is also
  critical part of
• all development. Ie
  fetal hand
• - needs to form by
  killing cells
• sort of sculpture
  it out.
• All metamorphosis
  ie
• catpiller to
  butterfly is example
• of apoptosis
• Anti carcinogenic (as above)
• Anti cystic ie treats of prevents enlargement
  of cysts
• (Dr. Von
  Kielism- you show me cystic any
• any thing and I
  will show you an iodine deficiency)

30
Functions of iodine Dr. Von Kiels extensive
list.

• Deactivates poisonous venoms (ie snake etc.)?
• Anti autoimmune (autoimmune at least in
  part is iodine deficiency.) (Makes proteins
  spilled into the blood non allergic )
• Antioxidant for polyunsaturated fatty acids
• Cervical tissue protector (Dr. Meyers used to
  apply it directly the cervix and uptake studies
  show uptake within 2 mins. )
• Pregnancy - placental uptake to 5x more then
  mothers concentration
• Fetal development very high apoptosis during
  development need very high concentration of
  iodine.

31
Functions of iodine Dr. Von Kiels extensive
list.

• Detoxifies chemicals
• Halogens
  F/Cl/Br
• Mercury
  Hg
• Others
• Detoxifies other large poisons
• Food
  poisoning
• Snake
  venom
• Others
• Anti allergenic does this by making external
  proteins non allergic
• Thyroxine appears to be independent of thyroxin
  in early fetal development. Also there is a surge
  thyroid hormone at birth for the conversion of
  mother to lung breathing,

32
Conditions iodine used for historically

• Severe deficiency myxedema muous in all
  organ systems
• Breast disease (cystic or cancerous)
• Dupuytrens contractors
• Excessive mucus production
• Hemorrhoids
• Migraine head aches
• Keloids
• Cystic conditions
• Parotid duct stones
• Salivary gland stones

33
Conditions iodine used for historically

• Peyronies disease
• Thyroid disease (less thyroid hormone
  made/needed the more Iodine)
• Parkisons disease
• Fibromylgia
• infectious disease
• Venoms
• Allergies
• Autoimmune disease
• Cancer
• Severe skin infectious disease (fungal eruptions
  used up to 900mg to 6 grams/day)

34
Conditions iodine used for historically

• Inflammatory skin disease (nadular vasculits
  pyroderma gangrenosum)
• Syphillis even tertiary stage
• COPD
• Asthma
• ASCVD
• DM
• Essential in spleen liver and brain function
• Appears to be necessary in fat metabolism
• Aids in the assimilation of minerals calcium,
  silica, phoshorus.

35
Selenium

• It is my observation that the majority of the
  cases of iodine toxicity or adverse effects is
  because of selenium deficiency.
• Selenium appears to be essential along with
  iodine for proper thyroid function.
• Selenium works hand in hand with iodine in all
  chemical reactions that iodine is involved with.
• Best form of selenium is selenomethionine
  (organic selenium)
• Best source is nutritional yeast. (Saccharomyces
  cerevisia)

36
Meridian lines

• Iodine coupled with glutamine controls urinary
  bladder meridian with coccyx disc reflex .

37
What did Weston Price say about iodine?

• Certainly was very familiar with iodine as it
  was very well established nutrient in his day.
  
• Mentions at least three times in the book
  Nutrition and Physical Degeneration pages 41,
  265, and 275.

38
What did Weston Price say about iodine?

• Switzerland - known iodine deficiency region
  as is nearly all mountainous and other glacial
  regions such as the great lakes ie Weston
  Prices practiced dentistry in Cleveland, Ohio
  in an iodine deficient area as he was well aware.
  
• Most of Switzerland had rampant tooth decay when
  he visited, but not in the high mountain valley
  (Loetschenthal valley)
• For generations large numbers of Swiss people
  sufferd goiter other thyroid diseases but by
  the time Weston Price traveled in Switzerland
  iodine supplementation had resolved the majority
  of thyroid disorders but they still had tooth
  decay so he ruled out iodine deficiency as a
  cause of tooth decay.
• Of course in the loetschenthal valley they had
  much higher intake of saturated fat rich in
  vitamins A D and butter rich in X- factor (Vit
  K-2) and he rightly connected this to the reduced
  cavities and other dental/bone disease.

39
What did Weston Price say about iodine?

• However, no studies where carried out to check
  if a higher iodine content existed in the reduced
  dental disease area, of the high mountain valley
  and consequently whether iodine also was a
  factor. (especially a reduced infection if not
  decay)
• He did a study un the Herisau community to see
  if Vit D via sunlight reduced dental decay in
  children and it did not.
• He did find a strong correlation with dental
  disease and tuberculosis in Switzerland and other
  parts of the world. But again could iodine also
  have played a roll here. We do not know because
  he did not research that possible correlation.

40
What did Weston Price say about iodine?

• Page 265, high mountain people in Peru
• Also know low iodine region, but they had good
  dental structure
• They obtained their vit. D largely from guinea
  pigs they raised
• But they also knew well of iodine as a protector
  from big necks that the non native whites
  commonly had and they would get as well if they
  did not get iodine rich food.
• These sources where fish eggs and kelp which
  where traded with coastal natives and brought
  from the sea all the way up to the Andes
  mountains where they lived.
• So could again iodine have played a roll in
  prevention of dental disease we do not know.

41
What did Weston Price say about iodine?

• Page 275 (not indexed)
• Weston Price analyzed the nutritional content of
  food of all cultures he studied
• But the only group mentioned where he analyzed
  iodine content was Eskimos (inuits)
• Their native diet was 49x greater in iodine
  content then westernized Eskimos diet!! This is
  the largest differential of all nutrients he
  studied.
• Again, could this have played a roll in
  maintaining healthy bodys/teeth, unfortunately
  this was not studied so we do not know.

42
Iodine and breast cancer Theory by Dr. David
Derry
43
Iodine and breast cancer Theory by Dr. David
Derry

• Connection between fibrocystic breast disease
  and cancer
• Two most hormonally manipulative tissues in the
  body uterus and breast
• Throughout the menstrual life of a women
  continues build up and break down of the tissue
  and with out full saturation of iodine does not
  always get complete build up and break down and
  this is the development fibrocystic breast
  disease.(FBD)
• Remember iodine critical for proper apoptosis
  both in build up and break down phases.

44
Iodine and breast cancer Theory by Dr. David
Derry
45
Iodine and breast cancer Theory by Dr. David
Derry

• Dr. Derry believes iodine can prevent the
  progression of normal cells to cancer, and that
  high dose iodine treatment can reverse this trend
  up to cancer in situ
• After invasion he believes it can be used in
  very high doses to prevent cancer growth
• I have in clinical practice found this to be
  true and continue to correspond with Dr. Derry on
  this issue

46
Reported benefits of high dose (mg/g) iodine

• Greater sense of well being
• Increased energy
• Lifting of brain fog
• Feel warmer in cold environments
• Need somewhat less sleep
• Improved skin completion
• More regular bowel movments

47
Suspected benefits of high dose (mg/g) iodine

• Eliminate/reduce cystic breast disease
• Eliminate/reduce breast cancer
• Reduce cancer in general
• Reduce cystic disease of any thing
• Reduce/treat infectious disease
• Improve allergies
• Many other suspected benefits

48
Dr. Von Kiel on Iodine

• I see iodine as DNA stabilizer. So probably a
  key factor in longevity/life extension planning.
• Master element
• An ever decreasing availability in food
• An important part of anti cancer protection
  including brain, and other organs, susceptible to
  insult of micro/radio waves ie cell
  phones/micowaves etc.
• Very important for infections of all types in
  safe but high doses potentially even IV (have
  used my self)

49
Potential or suspected adverse effects from high
dose iodine use

• Allergy
• Autoimmune thyroid disease
• Detoxification reaction
• Iodine induced hypo thyroidism goiter
• Iodine induced hyper thyroidism
• Iodism
• Thyroid cancer

50
Potential or suspected adverse effects from high
dose iodine use

• Review of the above slide
• Allergy Rare (Except I-131)
• Autoimmune - I dont believe exists If so
  small risk ironically the treatment is high
  dose iodine.
• Detoxification reactions Iodism Is generally
  broime detoxification at least in many cases
  (increased salivation/sneezing/head
  ache/acne/sense of fever). The same can occur
  with Fl, Cl, rarely At (Astatine)

51
Potential or suspected adverse effects from high
dose iodine use

• Review of the above slide
• Iodine induced hypo thyroidism/goiter Rare and
  usually would be deficiency causing this. In the
  case of high dose it would have to be a high dose
  in a deficiency state, causing a transient
  decrease in thyroid hormone production and then
  would later correct.
• Goiter in Japanese of Hokkaido Not caused by
  high dose iodine

52
Potential or suspected adverse effects from high
dose iodine use

• Review of the above slide
• Iodine induced hyper thyroidism Iodine intake
  in a previous iodine deficient person or
  population can cause a transient increase in
  thyroid hormones. If high enough could cause
  hyper thyroid state (palpations, nervousness,
  weight loss, even flare up under lying atrial
  fibrillation),
• But these symptoms normally will gradually
  decrease or if very high iodine dose would
  diminish with reduction of iodine dose.

53
Interesting facts

• Swiss researchers have found that replacement of
  iodine in deficiency state not only resolves
  goiter but thyroid toxicosis cretinism, but
  actually improved minor deficiency's of
  intellect! So now there is evidence of not just a
  all or none issue of cretinism or health but an
  all in-between states of marginal iodine
  deficiency and its more marginal effects on
  intellect.
• I suspect is a factor in who is more susceptible
  to vaccine reactions among other issues of
  health.

54
Thyroid cancer

• About 1 of all cancers in the USA women greater
  then men 31
• Has increased in incident asc. With decrease of
  iodine in diet yet some literature attempts to
  implement iodine intake as a cause of thyroid
  cancer which is not consistent with the data at
  large.
• Iodine supplementation has been shown to improve
  the prognoses of cancer (differentiates type of
  cancer)
• Radiation exposure has been strongly linked to
  thyroid cancer. Radiation exposure during war and
  peace time accidents are examples of this . They
  are also examples of how if the thyroid is fully
  saturated with iodine there is great protection
  of thyroid cancer.
• Residents in Poland who took potassium Iodide
  after the Chernobyl accident clearly showed a
  reduction of the expected amount of thyroid
  cancer.

55
Thyroid cancer

• Hence Exposure to I-131 whether because of war
  time or peace nuclear exposure or from
  medicinal use - I-131 is clearly in my opinion
  very toxic
• Hence I am greatly apposed to the use of I-131
  in medicine which is still used extensively
• Dr. John Gofmans, Medicinal Radiation as the
  Leading cause of heart disease and cancer.
  Should be enough to scare any one into very
  carful with medicinal X-ray/nuclear exposure

56
Thyroid cancer

• I-131 nuclear studies demonstrate a cold spot
  showing no uptake for cancer but hot spot for
  other thyroid conditions
• Thus it is interesting when cancer develops
  iodine appears to be toxic to cancer. Esp.
  thyroid and breast (two very high uptake tissues)
  
• I have found iodine in high doses an excellent
  treatment for these cancers. It doesn't dissolve
  the tumor but stops its growth.

57
Loading challenge test

• First morning urine is discarded
• 50mg iodine/iodide drink
• Collect 24hrs urine and send to lab
• If saturated will discharge greater then 90
  (45mg) in urine

58
Review

• Iodine is becoming ever more deficient in our
  diets
• Iodine blockers are becoming more prevalent
• Iodine is the master element controlling DNA
• Deficiency is related to cancer esp. breast,
  thyroid likely prostate
• Deficiency connected to many conditions even
  intellect
• RDA is dangerously low
• Supplementation in higher doses in my opinion is
  critical for good health. In other words I
  believe the RDA should be 6-15mg/day
• Remember the selenium connection
• Proceeded cautiously and always remember
  Disclaimer - never do any thing with out
  consulting your doctor.