Iodine

Iodine supplementation can be simple and effective in true iodine deficiency. Iodine can safely be taken at doses up to 100,000 times the RDA without toxicity in healthy individuals. Approximately 1.88 billion people worldwide are iodine-deficient. Iodine deficiency is extremely widespread. A skin patch test applying iodine solution can serve as a preliminary check for deficiency but is not a precise diagnostic method. Iodine deficiency causes glandular tissue to become swollen, tender, and cystic. Iodine concentrates in glandular tissues including thyroid, breasts, ovaries, and prostate, where it regulates cell growth, apoptosis, and fluid balance. Iodine is the raw material from which thyroid hormones are synthesized. Iodine is required for thyroid hormone production because T4 and T3 contain iodine. Every single cell in the body requires iodine, not only the thyroid. Iodine is a trace mineral that directly targets estrogen dominance by balancing and reducing excessive estrogen. Iodine is involved in enzymes that protect against excess estrogen, and deficiency can result in fibrocystic breast tissue and ovarian cysts. Breast tissue consumes nearly as much iodine per day as the t…