HealthBeat News

Author: Wellness Club

  • Kavinace Or The Lunesta Moth? You Decide!

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Folks, is it just me, or does anyone else think the Lunesta moth in those seemingly endless television ads is just about the creepiest thing that has ever been on TV? It flits about, visiting unsuspecting victim after victim, looking for all the world like it is sucking out their souls in exchange for sleep – or is it death?

    Not only does this glowing, silent, somehow vaguely malevolent moth spook me, the drug that it represents spooks me too. No, let me rephrase that: Lunesta, AKA eszopiclone, is a drug that scares the bejeebers out of me as does it’s stereoisomer zopiclone (Imovane) and it’s cousins zaleplon (Sonata) and zolpidem (Ambien and AmbienCR).

    These drugs, known collectively as the “Z-drugs” have been around since the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, and they have been shrouded in controversy since their approval by the FDA.

    Many have been critical of the “research” that has been conducted and used to obtain FDA approval. This research is almost always sponsored and conducted by the drug companies themselves, and as one analyst / researcher found:

    “Of 56 randomized controlled trials of drug treatments of insomnia which reported the funding source, all but 5 were apparently funded by the industry.”

    and

    “the odds ratio for finding results favorable to industry in industry-sponsored trials was 3.6 times as high as in non–industry-sponsored studies”

     

    Others have been critical of the effectiveness of the drugs:

    “Sometimes, efficacy data get lost. Lunesta (eszopiclone) was approved in 2004 for chronic insomnia. Sepracor, its manufacturer, began an intense direct-to-consumer advertising campaign — spending more than $750,000 a day in 2007 — featuring a luna moth that transforms frustrated insomniacs into peaceful sleepers. Lunesta sales reached almost $800 million last year [2008]. Clinicians who are interested in the drug’s efficacy cannot find efficacy information in the label: it states only that Lunesta is superior to placebo (…).3 The FDA’s medical review provides efficacy data, albeit not until page 306 of the 403-page document. In the longest, largest phase 3 trial, patients in the Lunesta group reported falling asleep an average of 15 minutes faster and sleeping an average of 37 minutes longer than those in the placebo group.”

     

    Wow! A whole 37 more minutes of sleep… at what risk?

    Still others are critical of a drug that was initially promoted to be less addictive than the benzodiazepines like Valium that it was intended to replace, but that has turned out to be just as or even more dangerously addictive both psychologically and physically than the older drugs and just as prone to misuse and abuse. It seems that unskilled attempts to stop the use of these drugs can lead to severe rebound insomnia, delerium, seizures, and other problems – especially in older people.

    Then there are the now-infamous cases of sleep-driving and other behaviors engaged in by people under the influence of these drugs. For some strange reason the Kennedy family seems to be prone to problems with this drug… Both Kerry and Patrick Kennedy have wrecked their cars while taking this stuff, and others have been known to engage in bizarre eating, sexual, and other behaviors while under the influence, with no memory of their acts afterwards.

    That spooks me… But here’s the “topper”:

    According to a 2012 study in the British Medical Journal, if you take as little as one or two sleeping pills a month you are statistically three and a half times more likely to die than someone who takes none.

    Further, Among patients prescribed hypnotics, cancer incidence was increased for several specific types of cancer, with an overall cancer increase of 35% among those prescribed high doses.

    That doesn’t just “spook” me – that scares the bejeebers out of me!

    “But dammit!” you say, “I need something to help me sleep – I’m under a lot of stress, and I need my sleep! What good is all this if you can’t help me get some sleep?”

    Hmmm… Well, that’s probably what Michael Jackson said to his doctor, and look where that got him…

    But I’m not heartless – I understand the need for a good night’s sleep, and I have suffered as everyone has from restless nights of poor sleep. There are alternatives. Safe alternatives. Effective alternatives. More natural alternatives.

    Everyone has of course heard of Melatonin as a sleep aid. Melatonin is a hormone decreases with age. Melatonin is a potent antioxidant that helps regulate Circadian rhythms. It should be used in almost all cases of insomnia. Melatonin is also an an “anti stress” hormone. 1-3 mg can be 45 minutes before bed. It can be increased in 3 mg increments as needed for sleep. Melatonin is only effective for sleep onset insomnia when a person has low melatonin levels. This occurs more commonly in older people.

    Another natural substance that we have found to be very effective is called Kavinace. Kavinace potentiates GABA, one of the main inhibitory neurotransmitters. Higher GABA levels can relieve anxiety and promote restful sleep. This supplement works incredibly well as a sleep aid and anti-anxiety formula for people who are low in GABA and we have many patients and customers who swear by it.

    Both Dr. Myatt and I use kavinace and melatonin every night and we find them very effective. Yes, we do sometimes awaken through the night, as does almost every normal person, but we find that these two supplements are important to ensuring that we get a full, refreshing nigh’s sleep.

    And no spooky little glowing moths flitting around in our bedroom…

     

    References and further reading:

    Daniel F. Kripke, M.D., Who Should Sponsor Sleep Disorders Pharmaceutical Trials? J Clin Sleep Med. 2007 December 15; 3(7): 671–673.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2556906/

    Lisa M. Schwartz, M.D., and Steven Woloshin, M.D., Lost in Transmission — FDA Drug Information That Never Reaches Clinicians. N Engl J Med 2009; 361:1717-1720, October 29, 2009
    http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp0907708

    Hypnotic dependence: zolpidem and zopiclone too”. Prescrire Int 10 (51): 15. February 2001.

    Wong CP, Chiu PK, Chu LW (September 2005). “Zopiclone withdrawal: an unusual cause of delirium in the elderly”. Age Ageing 34 (5): 526–7.

    Jones IR, Sullivan G (January 1998). “Physical dependence on zopiclone: case reports”. BMJ 316 (7125): 117. PMC 2665371.

    Aranko, K; Henriksson, M; Hublin, C; Seppäläinen, Am (Jul 1991). “Misuse of zopiclone and convulsions during withdrawal.”. Pharmacopsychiatry 24 (4): 138–40.

    Kerry Kennedy DUI Arrest Likely Caused by Sleep Driving — Just Like Cousin Patrick’s Capitol Hill Crash (Updated) , Forbes 7/14/12.
    http://www.forbes.com/sites/kaifalkenberg/2012/07/14/kerry-kennedy-was-likely-sleep-driving-just-like-her-cousin-patrick/

    FDA Says Pills Can Cause ‘Sleep-Driving’ The Associated Press, Wednesday, March 14, 2007
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/14/AR2007031401027.html

    “Hypnotics’ association with mortality or cancer: a matched cohort study,” British Medical Journal.
    http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000850.full

  • Relief From IBS – Some Personal Observations

    By Nurse Mark

     

    I have a confession to make. I have suffered for many years with varying degrees of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (I.B.S.) – also known as “cranky gut.” Like many people, I am fairly clear on what makes it better and what makes it worse, and also like most sufferers I have tried endless remedies in a search for something that will allow me to enjoy the foods I love without worrying about the um, “repercussions.”

    Those of you who suffer from IBS know the routine: You eat something and almost immediately it seems that your gut is registering it’s displeasure – the belly rumblings are the first sign, then comes the gurgling from a little lower down telling you that whatever you just ate is going to be making a quick trip through you. Bloating, cramping, and volumes of gas follow, and a dash to the restroom completes the picture a short while later. Others may find themselves suffering the discomfort of constipation as their gut goes on strike in protest.

    Often that quick dash to a restroom is not the end of it – your gut is now upset, and you know you are in for a few days or even weeks of discomfort, annoyance, and inconvenience until things settle down again.

    There are a few simple things that I have found to be helpful for me – avoiding irritating foods is of course the most important. Things like cow’s milk or anything with lactose, simple carbohydrate-containing foods like breads and sugary sauces and desserts, and the “sugar alcohols” that are found in many “low carb” foods are almost guaranteed to get my insides into an uproar.

    Lots of healthy fiber in the diet works wonders to keep me happy and regular. Myatt Bread and Myatt Muffins are a daily staple as are Super Shakes with plenty of Organic India Psyllium. Fiber Flow capsules are great for travel.

    Like most sufferers I’ve been prescribed drugs – which have never really worked. And I’ve never been happy with the long lists of side effects and ill effects of the drug offerings. So aside from keeping some over-the-counter loperamide (“Immodium” is one trade name) for rare “rescue” use to stop out-of-control diarrhea I’ve just said “no” to the drugs.

    Probiotics are helpful for many people – and they certainly help me. Dr. Myatt’s 35 Billion Probiotics are the most potent available and are enteric coated to ensure that all those happy little gut bugs make it all the way to where they need to be to reestablish your healthy gut garden.

    If I think I’ve gotten into some “bad food” (it happens – especially when traveling), then Charcoal Capsules will absorb toxins and quickly stop diarrhea. We always carry a bottle of Charcoal Capsules when we travel.

    Since IBS alters bowel motility meaning that digestion is altered for the worse, digestive enzymes can be very helpful. Similase taken with meals can work wonders and help to assure proper digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

    But I’m saving the best for last. There is one remedy that has provided me with more relief than anything else. This traditional remedy has been used for centuries and is now even attracting the notice of conventional medicine with some researchers suggesting that this substance might be “the drug of first choice” for IBS.

    What is this “the drug of first choice” for IBS? Peppermint oil. But not just any peppermint oil will do. It must be enteric coated so that it passes through the stomach where it could cause heartburn or stomach upset and into the bowel where it can work it’s magic. Mentharil Peppermint Oil Complex is a formula that also contains Rosemary and Thyme – two additional bowel-soothing herbs. Mentharil is enteric coated to reach the small intestine and then the colon where it releases it’s contents.

    I usually take a couple of capsules each day – one in the morning when I get up, and one in the evening before bed. That seems to keep my bowel very happy and calm. When I first began using Mentharil I took one capsule three times daily between meals, just to get things “calmed down.” Some authorities have suggested higher doses, but I’ve never found it necessary – the relief that Mentharil gives is quick and profound at the lower dose.

    Are there any “side effects” to Mentharil? None really that I have found or heard of – though some people notice a slight mint taste if they burp, and occasionally report a faint minty “tingle” when passing stools.

    So, why suffer any longer? Mentharil is safe, natural, and effective relief for the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

    Why not give it a try?

     

    Further reading and resources:

    From The University of Maryland Medical Center:

    One study examined 57 people with IBS who received either enteric coated peppermint capsules or placebo twice a day for 4 weeks. Of the people who took peppermint, 75% had a significant reduction of IBS symptoms. Another study comparing enteric coated peppermint oil capsules to placebo in children with IBS found that after 2 weeks, 75% of those treated had reduced symptoms. Finally, a more recent study conducted in Taiwan found that patients who took an enteric coated peppermint oil formulation 3 – 4 times daily for one month had less abdominal distention, stool frequency, and flatulence than those who took a placebo. Nearly 80% of the patients who took peppermint also had alleviation of abdominal pain.

    Source: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/peppermint-000269.htm

     

    From the National Institutes of health PubMed:

    Taking into account the currently available drug treatments for IBS PO (1-2 capsules t.i.d. over 24 weeks) may be the drug of first choice in IBS patients with non-serious constipation or diarrhea to alleviate general symptoms and to improve quality of life.

    Grigoleit HG, Grigoleit P. Peppermint oil in irritable bowel syndrome. Phytomedicine. 2005 Aug;12(8):601-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16121521

     

    Additional references and studies:

    Cappello G, Spezzaferro M, Grossi L, Manzoli L, Marzio L. Peppermint oil (Mintoil) in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: a prospective double blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Dig Liver Dis. 2007 Jun;39(6):530-6.

    Ford AC, Talley NJ, Spiegel BM, Foxx-Orenstein AE, Schiller L, Quigley EM, Moayyedi P. Effect of fibre, antispasmodics, and peppermint oil in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2008 Nov 13;337:a2313. doi: 10.1136/bmj.a2313. Review.

    Kline RM, Kline JJ, Di Palma J, Barbero GJ. Enteric-coated, pH-dependent peppermint oil capsules for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome in children. J Pediatr. 2001;138(1):125-128.

    Madisch A, Holtmann G, Mayr G, Vinson B, Hotz J. Treatment of functional dyspepsia with a herbal preparation. A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial. Digestion. 2004;69(1):45-52.

    Magge S, Lembo A. Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Gastroenterology Clinics. 2011;40(1).

    Rakel: Integrative Medicine, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA. Saunders Elsevier. 2007.

    Shen YH, Nahas R. Complementary and alternative medicine for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Can Fam Physician. 2009 Feb;55(2):143-8.

  • Men – Use This Daily For A Significant Reduction In Cancer Risk

    By Nurse Mark

     

    A study of male physicians 50 years of age and older found modest but significant reduction in cancer rates associated with daily [XXX] use.

    Pharmacy Times

     

    Wow! This article, published by a mainstream on-line pharmacy news magazine and reporting on the results of a major study published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) contains some life-changing, game-changing news.

    According to the researchers, who conducted a large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of more than 14,000 male US physicians aged 50 years or older for over a decade, simply taking this one thing every day could produce a “significant reduction in cancer rates.”

    Is it a new drug? No.

    Is it a new diet? No.

    Is it some new form of exercise? No.

    Is it some newly discovered herb or vegetable from the Amazonian rain forest? No and No.

    Well what is it then?

    Simple, easy, and safe, it is your daily multiple vitamin.

    According to the researchers:

    Conclusion:  In this large prevention trial of male physicians, daily multivitamin supplementation modestly but significantly reduced the risk of total cancer.

     

    So, you can expect to see more about this breakthrough any day now, as the major news outlets pick up on this important health information, right?

    Wrong. This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on November 14, 2012 – nearly six months ago. And you probably haven’t heard about this until just now.

    Because the substance that caused the “significantly reduced the risk of total cancer” is a simple, cheap, daily multiple vitamin this study has gone unnoticed and virtually unreported.

    If this had been some new, expensive, breakthrough experimental drug produced in tiny quantities in the secret laboratories of BigPharma you can be sure that we would know all about it. Newspaper headlines would be shouting it’s praises. Television ads would be exhorting you to “ask your doctor if this could be right for you!” Shortages would be causing near-riots, and BigPharma stocks and profits would be skyrocketing.

    But BigPharma isn’t that good. They really don’t have anything to offer that’s as good as what Mother Nature can give us in the form of simple healthy vitamins and minerals. And it’s hard to find a way to patent vitamins and minerals – so BigPharma really isn’t very interested.

    Now, to be fair, the vitamin used in the study was a well-known brand – Centrum Silver – made by the BigPharma giant Pfizer. Even so, because it’s a vitamin and not a miraculous new wonder-drug even Pfizer can’t seem to get anyone to take notice of this study. And that’s too bad – because even though Pfizer’s Centrum Silver is a lightweight as a daily vitamin, it proved the worth of vitamin supplementation in this study.

    We call these “one-a-day” tablets like Centrum Silver “pixie dust” around here because of the teeny, tiny little amounts of actual vitamins and minerals that they contain – check out the Centrum Silver label and then compare it with the label of a serious Optimal Dose daily multivitamin like Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi.

    And remember, ingredients like FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Red No. 40 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake, Polyethylene Glycol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Pregelatinized Corn Starch, Modified Food Starch, Sucrose, Talc, Titanium Dioxide, Maltodextrin, and Sodium Aluminosilicate have no place in any respectable vitamin. You will find these ingredients in vitamins like Centrum Silver – but you’ll never find them in Maxi Multi!

    So, men (and women too) can quickly and easily “significantly reduce the risk of total cancer” with one simple addition to their daily routine – just by adding an Optimal Dose daily multivitamin like Maxi Multi.

    Are you taking this important step to safeguard your health?

     

    Resources:

    PharmacyTimes.com news report: http://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/Daily-Multivitamin-Use-Produces-Modest-Cancer-Reduction#sthash.0wzb67ep.dpuf

    Centrum Silver vitamin tablets – be sure to look at the “product labeling” information! http://www.centrum.com/centrum-silver-adults-50-plus#tablets

    Now compare that to the product label for Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi Optimal Dose Daily Multivitamins!

    JAMA Report: Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cancer in Men – The Physicians’ Health Study II Randomized Controlled Trial http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1380451

  • Gimme One Good Reason… To Take A Multiple Vitamin!

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Just One? Howzabout A Baker’s Dozen Proven Reasons to take a Good Multiple Vitamin…

     

    While conventional medicine and newspaper headlines continue to preach that nutritional supplementation isn’t important, the results of medical research shows just the opposite. Here are some recent medical findings that should convince you to keep taking a high-quality, optimal potency multiple vitamin/mineral supplement. If you’re not sure what an “optimal potency” formula consists of or what you should be taking for your age and sex, refer to The Wellness Club web site’s nutritional supplements page for an up-to-date ingredient list and optimal dose recommendations.

    1. Harvard researchers have found that sub-optimal levels of folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 are a risk factor for heart disease and colon and breast cancers.
      (Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) June 19, 2002)
    2. A six-month study showing that folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 helped prevent recurrence of blocked arteries in patients who have undergone coronary angioplasty.
      (Journal of the American Medical Association, August 28, 2002)
    3. Vitamin K is a critical nutrient for skeletal integrity, with evidence of vitamin K supplementation reducing bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women and a significant positive relationship between vitamin K status and indices of bone health in men.
      (24th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, September 20 – 24, 2002, San Antonio, Texas)
    4. Alzheimer’s disease: Association with zinc deficiency and cerebral vitamin B12 deficiency.
      (Journal of Orthol. Psychiatry (CANADA), 1984, 13/2 (97-104))
    5. Supplementation of the elderly with vitamin E has been shown to enhance immune response, delay onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and increase resistance to oxidative injury associated with exercise.
      (Proc Nutr Soc. 2002;61:165-171)
    6. Vitamin E intake, from foods or supplements, is associated with less cognitive decline with age.
      (Arch Neurol. 2002;59:1125-1132)
    7. Researchers at Cambridge University in England looked at serum vitamin C and how long people lived. People who had the lowest levels of vitamin C were twice as likely to die compared to those with the highest serum vitamin C levels. This study was based on the findings from over 19,000 people.
      (Lancet 2001; 357:657-63)
    8. 26.4% of esophageal and gastric cancers are attributable to low selenium levels.
      (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Mark et al., 2000)
    9. Calcium supplementation is associated with a significant – though moderate – reduction in the risk of recurrent colorectal adenomas. The effect of calcium was independent of initial dietary fat and calcium intake.
      (N Engl J Med (United States) Jan 14 1999, 340 (2) p101-7.)
    10. Data from the Nurses’ Health Study conducted at the Harvard Medical School showed that long-term supplementation with folic acid reduces the risk of colon cancer by 75% in women! 90,000 women participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, making this an especially significant finding. The authors of this study explained that folic acid obtained from supplements had a stronger protective effect against colon cancer than folic acid consumed in the diet.
      (Annals of Internal Medicine (1998; 129:517-524)
    11. Regarding asthma, the lowest intakes of vitamin C and manganese (a trace mineral not to be confused with magnesium) were associated with more than five-fold increased risks of bronchial reactivity. Decreasing intakes of magnesium were also significantly associated with an increased risk of hyper-reactivity.
      (Thorax (United Kingdom), 1997, 52/2 (166-170))
    12. Antioxidant supplements reduce the risk of cataract. One study evaluated 410 men for 3 years to ascertain the association between serum vitamin E and the development of cortical lens opacities (cataracts). The men with the lowest level of serum vitamin E had a 3.7 times greater risk of this form of cataract compared to men with the highest serum level of vitamin E.
      (American Journal of Epidemiology Sept. 1996)
    13. Encouraging moderate exercise and dietary supplementation with calcium and vitamin D are the major nonpharmacological management measures used to prevent and treat osteoporosis.
      (Drugs and Aging (New Zealand), 1996, 9/6 (472-477)
    14. Nutrient intake of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is deficient in pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), zinc, copper, and magnesium.
      (Journal of Rheumatology (Canada), 1996, 23/6 (990-994))

    OK, OK… a “Baker’s Dozen” is thirteen, and I just listed fourteen good reasons to take an Optimal Dose Daily Multiple Vitamin. So how many good reasons do you need?

     

    And remember – there is no way that a full compliment of optimal-dose vitamins and minerals and trace minerals can be made to fit into one tablet or capsule of any size that could possibly be consumed by you or me – it’s just not possible, no matter how hard you squeeze it! An Optimal Daily Dose multiple vitamin will require from six to nine capsules daily. To learn more about what an Optimal Dose Daily Multivitamin formula should look like please check out Dr. Myatt’s Maxi Multi – a standard by which you can judge your current multiple vitamin.

  • Allergic To Iodine – What To Do?

    By Nurse Mark

     

    Allergic – perhaps one of the most overused and misunderstood terms in the medical lexicon.

     

    We get questions often from people who are certain that they are “allergic” to any number of things, including essential elements such as iodine, sulfur, and even calcium.

    Here’s an example:

    I’ve had low thyroid all my life, but am allergic to iodine (the doctor gave me iodine drops and my jaws locked). I use iodized sea salt. I have just about every disease you mentioned (on our informational page about iodine) – arthritis (everywhere), fibromyalgia, lumps on my thyroid and low thyroid, ovarian cysts (hysterectomy), breast cysts, chronic bronchitis – what can a person who is allergic to iodine do?

    First, let’s review our basic knowledge about iodine:

    Iodine is a non-metallic essential trace element in human nutrition. Currently considered in conventional medicine to be primarily a thyroid nutrient (thyroid hormones T4 and T3 are composed largely of iodine), Iodine is actually found in many organs and tissues in the body including salivary, parotid, submandibular and pituitary glands; pancreas, testis, breasts, prostate, ovary, adrenal gland; stomach, heart, thymus, and lung. (1,2,3).

    Most people know that iodine is required for normal thyroid hormone production. But iodine also plays an important role in immune function, cancer prevention (especially of breast, thyroid and prostate cancer), diabetes prevention and reversal, atrial fibrillation correction, overweight and obesity, “brain fog” and low energy, breast and ovarian cysts, liver detoxification and menopausal symptoms.

    Iodine is also an important anti-microbial and can often relieve skin, lung, GI tract and other infections when antibiotics fail. In fact, from 1900 to 1960’s, every US physician used iodine (as Lugol’s solution) to treat low and high thyroid conditions, infections and many other conditions with excellent results.

    Allergic?

    No-one is truly allergic to iodine, any more than one could be allergic to water – iodine is a trace element that is essential to life. It is naturally present throughout our bodies. Many people have reactions to other components of things that may contain iodine, and iodine has been unfairly implicated – we call it “Found at the scene of the crime, but not guilty!”

    It is interesting to note that this person describes using iodized sea salt. Iodine is iodine, and iodized means iodine has been added. Obviously, the problem that was experienced when given “iodine drops” (and we don’t know what these were nor how they were administered) was not due to the iodine but to some other ingredient or component of the “drops.”

    What can someone like this do? They should work with an iodine-savvy holistic physician like Dr. Myatt who will help to correct the iodine deficiency that is causing so many problems. A skilled physician will get to the bottom of the “allergy” so that appropriate forms of iodine supplementation can be used and the deficiency is corrected.

    Here’s some more facts about iodine.

    • Studies show that we may need a LOT more iodine than the current RDI of 150 micrograms, and that many if not most Americans are iodine deficient.
    • Conventional doctors are “iodine-o-phobic” (afraid to recommend higher-than-RDA doses of iodine) because they are not familiar with the vast body of research showing that higher iodine levels are beneficial.
    • Low iodine levels are associated with higher rates of low and high thyroid function; breast and thyroid cancer (and possibly many other types of cancer); ovarian cysts (including polycystic ovaries); fibrocystic breast disease; heart arrhythmias; lung and other infections; fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue to name only a few.
    • Because very high doses of iodine can cause heart palpitations and excess thyroid function (both which resolve upon stopping supplementation), initial testing of iodine levels and monitoring by an holistic physician may be the safest way to take iodine.

    More Iodine information:

    Iodine Test (spot and 24-hour excretion test for total body iodine sufficiency)

    Iodine Supplements (concentrated source of high-potency iodine)

    Modfilan (Seaweed Source of Natural Iodine) (low dose, all-natural source of iodine)

     

    References

    1.) C. Spitzweg, W. Joba, W. Eisenmenger and A. E. Heufelder. “Analysis of Human Sodium Iodide Symporter Gene Expression in Extrathyroidal Tissues and Cloning of Its Complementary Deoxyribonucleic Acids from Salivary Gland, Mammary Gland, and Gastric Mucosa.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Vol. 83, No. 5 1746-1751. (1)”Iodine in medicine and pharmacy since its discovery-1811-1961,” Proc R Soc Med, 1961:54:831-836.
    2.) Dai G, Levy O, Carrasco N. 1996 “Cloning and characterization of the thyroid iodide transporter.” Nature. 379:458-460.
    3.) Smanik PA, Ryu K-Y, Theil KS, Mazzaferri EL, Jhiang SM. 1997 “Expression, exon-intron organization, and chromosome mapping of the human sodium iodide symporter.” Endocrinology. 138:3555-3558.