Iodine
Health Benefits

Benefits of Iodine for Health

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Sore Throat

15 User Reviews
5 star (14) 
  93%
(1) 
  7%

Posted by John (Panama City, FL) on 01/20/2008
★★★★★

re: Iodine for Sore Throats/Ear Aches. I'm trying this for the very first time. Let me add this word of caution: KEEP TOWELS HANDY! Wherever you normally sit - say, a couch or favorite easy chair - place towels where your wrists and hands would normally rest. This is especially important if, like me, you sweat profusely even when still. I also suggest wearing clothing that you won't mind possibly getting stained, as the iodine WILL get all over.


Sore Throat
Posted by Renee (Houston, TX) on 05/14/2006
★★★★★

Iodine cured my swollen saliva/throat glands. After 2 horrible nights of restless sleep. i found this website in searching for a cure (non-prescription) Iodine was suggested. So about noon today, painted the wrists and throat areas. I found Iodine at a local drug store. It was under $2. I took a one hour nap and already felt better. The prior two days, it hurt to swallow, it was horrible to eat or drink, burning sensation during both. I ate watermelon and when i would drink i would drink as fast as possible. by 2 pm i was at a soup and salads (buffet restaurant) enjoying soup, more fruit, drinking. it pretty much took care of my sore throat and swollen glands. i read here that it takes care of skin tags. i placed iodine on the 3 i have and hopefully they will be gone. i will report back as to whether or not it works, but as far as the initial success and how great i feel, i have a positive outlook.


Sore Throat
Posted by Hannah (Morgantown) on 03/14/2006
★★★★★

I tried painting iodine and in like 10 mins i already felt a difference this stuff is amazing!


Sore Throat
Posted by Quita (Atlanta, GA) on 02/07/2006
★★★★★

I had a severe sore throat recently (I could not even swallow) and my good friend suggested painting the inside of my wrist with iodine. I thought she was crazy. But it worked! The pain was completely gone the next morning. Shortly thereafter my son became sick with a bad cold. Although she recommended the iodine for a sore throat, I used it on my 3-year old and the next day he was 100% better. I googled iodine cures and discovered this site. I am convinced!


Sore Throat
Posted by Seymore (Portland Oregon) on 02/06/2006
★★★★★

the Iodine cure worked the best, at first i thought it was weird trying to cure something that was affecting your body at the throat and cure it by painting iodine at the wrists. i also tried it because i had iodine at the time. overall it was the best cure.


Sore Throat
Posted by Hallie (The Woodlands, TX) on 11/19/2005
★★★★★

Putting Iodine on my wrists and throat did a wonder. I'm picky when it comes to tasting juice or vinegar, so the iodine was perfect!


Sore Throat
Posted by Frank (Palm Beach FL)
★★★★★

I have treated a number of sore and streph throats and loss of voice; painting iodine on the outside of the throat clears all within 24 hours. Iodine absorbs into the skin in about 6 hours. Also works for ear problems and swollen glands.


Sore Throat
Posted by Greg (Atlanta, GA)
★★★★★

Painting Iodine on my wrist gets rid of my sore throat everytime!


Sore Throat
Posted by Nita (St Pete, FL)
★★★★★

Iodine definitely works for me, however, I find it best to use the clear "decolorized" iodine, available at most drugstores. I paint it on the inside of the wrists (where the veins are closest to the skin) and on the sides of the throat.

EC: Read many more sore throat cures here.


The Importance of Iodine

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines) on 06/17/2010

The audio link below is a must listen for all women who are suffering from fibrocyistic disease, uterine fibroids, polycystic ovarian disease, endometriitis, breast and uterine cancers and people suffering from hypothyroid goiter, allergy problems, asthma, emphysema, heart tachycardia and arrhythmia, diabetes and much more.

The interview below also establishes the important relationship between the lack of iodine in our diet and the simultaneous steady increase of other dangerous halogens like bromine and fluorine in our food and drinks with all the multitude of dangerous and disturbing physical and mental problems and diseases that can arise from this.

An Interview with Dr Flechas(audio recording)

Replied by Peter
(Chicago, Il)
06/18/2010

Bill,

I eat a lot of nori seaweeds plus takes kelp capsules every day, is it possible one could consume too much iodine? Thank you for your expertise.

Replied by Rebel
(Somewhere, Usa)
06/18/2010

Hello Bill. I always enjoy your information, that you share with us on here.

I have a question about iodine painting. I know you have said that you will paint the bottom of the foot, but I have read somewhere that you can paint it any where on the body.

No matter where I paint the iodine within just a few hours it is completly gone. My wife painted herself with the same iodine and it stayed for days.

Am I severly iodine defeciant or what is going on? How would you correct this?

I painted myself twice, yesterday and both time it was gone in a few hours. Today same thing, painted about a 3 inch by 3 inch square on my belly and now it is gone, not even a trace of where I painted is there.

It is really strange, because my wife's diet and my are basically the same. She is dark complected and I am very pale.

You have become one of my favorite people that post on here and I respect your studies and knowledge.

Thank you in advanced!
Rebel

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines)
06/19/2010

Hi Rebel...Some very good questions, and I have wondered the same myself because whenever I foot-paint with Iodine tincture then, like you, the stain disappears in less than 2 hours also. I'm really not happy with this, because I have none of the symptoms of hyperthyroidism(too much iodine), which are:

* Palpitations
* Heat intolerance
* Nervousness
* Insomnia
* Breathlessness
* Increased bowel movements
* Light or absent menstrual periods
* Fatigue
* Fast heart rate
* Trembling hands
* Weight loss
* Muscle weakness
* Warm moist skin
* Hair loss
* Staring gaze

I have had none of these symptoms. I even did a experiment three days ago whereby, as well as taking the equivalent of 5 drops of 2% lugol's iodine(equivalent to an intake over 60 mgms iodine/iodide) as well, I painted half the underside of both my forearms(soft tissue) -- three times that day!! -- which still disappeared in less than 2 hours with absolutely no negative effects on my body that day or the next day. Here, I was actually trying to create the symptoms of hyperthyroidism (too much iodine) and failed miserably..LOL.

But to approach this logically, this result must also show that different people must have widely varying transdermal absorbtion rates as well as excretion rates for iodine and therefore taking and supplementing iodine this way does not allow you to know how much iodine you are actually taking and incorporating into your body, or how much is being successfully utilized or excreted.

The only way to determine correct iodine levels in your body these days is to get a blood test. But this test isn't very accurate, because the result will be compared to just your small thyroid needs and not on the much greater needs of your thyroid AND the rest of your body(your body needs something like 100 times the amount of iodine as recommended by the RDA) -- and has been fairly well proved from the Iodine Project Research, run by Drs Abraham and Brownstein, that your whole body including the thyroid -- needs a minimal daily intake of at least 12.5 mgs of lugol's every day(as opposed to the 150 microgms RDA recommended by the FDA and WHO). In their experiments and research with breast fibrocystic disease, uterine fibroids etc the Iodine Project has used upwards of 50 mg daily doses of iodine for several months to help successfully cure these acute medical problems without any bad effects.

Currently, since I have some sodium thiosulphate handy (which I periodically take to remove heavy metals, chlorine, arsenic and cyanide from my body as recomeded by Ted from Bangkok), I can perhaps use this in a simple loading test to see if large amounts of iodine are excreted in my urine over a 24 hour period after a large iodine intake. ST, when added to the urine, will be oxidized by the iodine to tetrathionate which turns the urine solution blue or blue/black (probably more like a shade of green depending on the yellowness of the urine) and can perhaps be used to judge visually -- and only very roughly mind you -- whether I am excreting large amounts of iodine after loading or not. This is not a particulalry good test, best I can do, since I haven't got the knowledge or the equiment to do a more accurate quantitative analysis. Ted from Bangkok would know how to do this analysis properly. But I will post the results if this is at all viable.

Replied by Bill
(San Fernando, Luzon, Philippines)
06/19/2010

Hi Peter...Research has show that the Japanese eat fairly large amounts of seaweed with their food, usually at every meal and they are amazingly healthy because of this diet. The benefits from seaweed and iodine are well known to provide a daily intake of iodine equivalent to between 10 - 13 mgs.

In another study, experts for years were stumped because the Japanese, whose population are amongst the heaviest smokers in the world, yet still had one of the lowest rates of lung cancer per capita in the world. This was an unexplainable paradox for researchers, until it was discovered that the Japaenese intake higher amounts of iodine via seaweed than any other country in the world.

Max Gerson, in his Gerson Cancer Therapy, used huge amounts of iodine as well as thyroid extract for his cures and I have recently come across yet another study where they found that thyroid hormones -- T3, T4 as well as iodine -- had a tendency to accumulate in the lungs. Since iodine is anti-carcinogenic, ant-cancer as well as anti-mutagenic, this must be why the Japaense smokers have such a low rate of lung cancer.

As to the reason why thyroid T3, T4 and iodine tend to collect in the lungs, this is fairly easy to answer -- the lungs have mucus glands, and so do the throat, nose, salivary glands, stomach, breasts, prostate, cervix, intestines etc. -- whose mucus glands all accumulate and use iodine as a first line defence against microbial invasion. Iodine seems to be amazingly protective to the body but only when taken in the correct amounts like the Japanese.

Replied by Isabel
(Tampa, Fl)
06/21/2010

I tried lugo's iodine, since I have so much problems with medications I took one drop in a glass of water, I got dizzines, then I tried again 6 hours after and same effects, even my thyroid test are Ok. I have all the symptoms, like thining and loss of hair, brittle nails, always cold even in summer time. What can I do???.

This site is wonderful I check it for every illness and always found something that helps me.

Replied by Annie
(Dania, Florida)
07/17/2010

Lugol's Iodine is amazing. . I have been dealing with hypothyroid for 8 years. Gaining weight, swollen body and face, feeling slow and having no energy. Dr. Has me on levoxyl 125 steady all this time. I starting searching for help and found all this information here. Well, I have been painting for the last 6 months and my latest TSH is. 116. . . Dr is in a panic, wants to lower my levoxyl dosage, wants me off iodine. NO WAY, I have never felt better, look better, and have the energy I have since Lugols. I will have to re-test next month for the Dr to read my new TSH, but I know, just like all the rest of us that take or use iodine this is the answer. . . . . I have just begin to take the drops(8 @ 2% twice daily) internally, and my "hoarse" voice is almost gone. I am so thankful and amazed by my success with iodine. For all those that suffer and have suffered, Iodine is the answer you have been searching for. I am starting my parents on iodine now.

Replied by Carmel
(Essex Uk)
11/02/2015

Have an underactive thyroid and still struggling with it despite taking the medication from the doctor - thyroxine. It is as though the side effects and the problems that you still have do not make it worthtaking it. Am now thinking of a mix of kelp (factory farmed definitely organic and mercury free) and natural thyroid pills. Please get in touch if you have any input on this, especially if you have an underactive thyroid and it is better now. EMAIL ME AT rychhmo a t a o l do t c o m. Thanks.


Thyroid Issues

10 User Reviews
5 star (7) 
  70%
4 star (1) 
  10%
3 star (1) 
  10%
1 star (1) 
  10%

Posted by ThelmaLew (Baltimore, MD) on 05/29/2009

I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism in 1999. Being that I had no clue as to what was going on with my body. I was given one pill, which I later found out was the radioactive iodine. My doctor put me on levothyroxine and told me I would have to take it for the rest of my life. Is it now too late to use the Lugol's iodine or can I still get some benefits from it?

Replied by JoJean
(La Grande, OR)
05/31/2009

The Naturopath gave my mother Iodium, I don't know what the difference between that and Iodine was, but her Thyroid never acted up after 1 month of this.

EC: More about the homeopathic remedy here: http://abchomeopathy.com/r.php/Iod

Replied by Chris
(San Pedro, Ca)
05/31/2009

iodium & iodine r the same thing, it was probably a Rx, so it might have been a brand name.......iodine does get stored & reused by ur thyroid, but illness, stress, heavy sweating & other things cause u to get low in it again.......one month is not enough time to know for sure.......

radioactive iodine destroys the thyroid......also, u can be hypo thyroid & exhibit, even in blood tests, signs of over hyper active thyroid........i think u might b screwed, the thyroid doesn't grow back......i would look into more natural thyroid supplements, like amour thyroid.......i have heard of others getting their thyroid damaged for idiot dr's........ there's a good book by: Dr. Broda Barnes, M.D.....called Hypothyroidism, the hidden illness.......u might b surprised...... the iodine supplement might help, if the radioactive stuff didn't kill the whole thing & i think i'd sue the dr who gave it to me, without telling me what it was & the consequences of taking it..........it's unfortunate that alot of people think dr's walk on water....

Replied by Samlaunch
(Knoxville, Tennessee)
09/27/2009

I had hyperthyroidism. The area around my throat (thyroid) bulged out my eyes bugged out. Then, I took three vitamins (1 of each per day) and everything shrunk back to normal: Selenium, Co Q-10, L-Lysine. From using myself as a human guinea pig, salt seems to reactivate my thyroid condition. Baking Soda is sodium bicarbonate so you'll notice sodium (Na). The vitamins would fix the problem and the baking soda would bring the problem back. I don't have cancer so I don't need to use baking soda. Then, I stumbled onto hot cocoa (flavanoids) which reduces blood pressure. Cures won't work if you misuse your body by staying out of shape and eating junk food. I don't have hyperthyroid these days and sleep soundly every night, all night. My doctor in Tennessee said that everything looks good, throat looks normal, eyes look good and heart sounds nice and calm.


Thyroid Issues
Posted by Nichole (Stanton, CA) on 12/23/2008

I am hoping you will start a new supplements section on iodine. Also another section on maybe causes of ailments, like fluoride and the problems it causes. Here is my story about fluoride, iodine, and thyroid....

I first noticed my husbands goiter close to 6 months ago, at that time it had become quite noticeable and was indeed very large. Obviously concerned for his health he went to see his doctor, who referred him to an endocrinologist, who then referred him to a surgeon. Strangely enough they told him his blood levels were normal and he didn't have a thyroid condition.... interesting since he has this giant goiter on his neck. lol

At the time there was so little that I knew about thyroid disease and I didn't have much interest in it, I was concerned for my husband but thought that surgery was the only option. Then my husband began to have panic attacks after my daughter was born, and at home no less (I now understand it to also cause and fluctuation of the thyroid hormone)! I honestly thought it was a mind over matter and went searching online to prove that he just needed to stop scaring himself. Instead what I found was that his panic attacks were actually caused by the goiter. Because I had my daughter at home without a midwife, just me him and my mother (planned it that way ; ) I had already learned a few natural remedies, while looking up honey and the wonderful benefits of it I also learned of coconut oil, though I only learned about it being good for pimples. I was interested in purchasing some coconut oil online and that's when I found some of the most amazing information. The site selling it said it helped with thyroid conditions, I wasn't going to believe them, after all they were selling it they would say anything to sell their product right? So I looked up thyroid forums and testimonies regarding the use of coconut oil and sure enough I found out that it was indeed beneficial to his thyroid. Well I ran out to the store and bought some the next day, in the car my husband was exhausted and began to have a panic attack and I told him to take some coconut oil, he only had a 1/4 of a teaspoon and ten minutes later his attack had subsided and he felt energized! After this experiment, we continued treatment and slowly worked up to 3tblspns a day where he's at now. After that revelation and since we had his attacks under control (and in fact after taking it for a week he no longer even experienced an attack) I went back online to find out what we needed to do to shrink his goiter. That's when I learned about iodine and how important it is and how many people are deficient and thus many are hypothyroid and even still many are undiagnosed with hypothyroidism. I also learned about what counteracts iodine, like soy which is a big one since it is in just about all prepackaged foods. When I found out how important iodine was for the thyroid and how the thyroid makes hormones for your whole body I became interested in what else iodine deficiency was responsible for, And do you know what I found? Lots! Here is a sight that lists all the symptoms of iodine deficiency...

But first, after realizing that my husbands thyroid was caused by a change in his diet, I began racking my brain thinking of what on earth has changed over the past year. I've been trying to figure it out for the past couple months and today I found it.

During our big change to all, well almost all, things healthy, I remembered reading about people using toothpaste that doesn't have fluoride in it.. I looked online for the reason why and WOW, what I found is shocking! Fluoride also counteracts iodine, it inhibits the uptake of iodine to your thyroid and we both know (at least by now) how important adequate amounts of iodine are to your thyroid. So I told my sister about it and she said that she didn't think we had fluoridated water, so I searched for the cities that had it in OC and that's when I came across this article ( http://www.ocregister.com/article/water-fluoride-county-1924513-muir-doctors ). I told my sister what I'd found out and how the time they added fluoride pretty much coincided with the onset of my husbands goiter and the worsening of his thyroid (I believe he has been hypothyroid for a long time as have I and my mother based on the symptoms) and my sister said that she has experienced a worsening of her asthma over the past year!

I am interested in asking friends of mine who have symptoms of iodine deficiency whether they experienced and increase or decrease in their symptoms over the last year (without divulging anything till they have answered so that my findings are not biased) I will report back later with some of my findings, but I am interested if anyone else has experienced similar problems after their area had been fluoridated.

http://charles_w.tripod.com/fluoride.html
http://www.ocregister.com/article/water-fluoride-county-1924513-muir-doctors
http://poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/symptoms.html

EC: Thanks, Nicole. We actually have pages for both iodine (remedies section) and fluoride (ailments section) on the site! We'll be posting your feedback on both of those pages, as well as on the thyroid remedies page.


Thyroid Issues
Posted by Jan (Buffalo, NY) on 04/18/2008
★★★★★

Lugol's cure for Hyperthyroidism. 2 years ago I went to the doctor for fast pulse rate. Resting it was 105 to 110 bpm. He sent me to an endocrinologist who recommended the radioactive pill approach to killing the thyroid. I asked him about Iodine. He was very specific about how dangerous it would be to treat it with Iodine. I went home and ordered a bottle of Lugol's from the internet and three days later having taken doses for 3 days, my pulse rate was below 75 and the swollen throat had subsided. It was common goiter. The allopathic treatment seems to be kill the thyroid and take T4 for the rest of your life. there should be a law against the quackery practiced in modern medicine. What a waste of 12 years of education.

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
04/28/2008
490 posts

Congratulations to Jan -4/18/08. When more people stop thinking M.D. stands for medical deity and follow their own judgement as you did & took Lugol's solution to cure your goiter instead of taking the endocrinologist's radioactive pill to kill off your hyperactive thyroid. I have a great niece who now has to take thyroid medication because of that mistake. She was only l6 when they gave her that radioactive pill!

Replied by Mary
(Illinois)
06/05/2013

Hi Jan from Buffalo, what were your other symptoms?? I've been under a great deal of stress and think I may have hyperthyroidism. I hate this nervous feeling and panic/anxiety!! Thank you. Feel free to email me:maryleej3 (at) hotmail [dot] com.


Thyroid Issues
Posted by Angie (Sparta, MO) on 12/09/2007
★★★★★

I have been having problems with being so tired the past month or two. I knew it was a low thyroid problem. I ordered some organic iodine from a seller on ebay and within hours have felt a lot better, I'm on my 3rd day and my fatigue is still a lot better.

Replied by Carmel
(Essex, England)
12/15/2015

This really interests me. I have a slightly underactive thyroid and tried the usual thyroxide from the doctor - all three brands - all three brands gave me worse problems than the original problem, was not able to work or live a normal life on them as feeling so bad. I tried the natural thyroids too and they made me feel awful in different ways. So I now take iodine/kelp together with brazil nuts - for selenium - and so far although not perfect I feel far better and am able to live a normal life and enjoy life again. Would love to hear from others. Carmel. Thanks.

Replied by Mama To Many
(Tennessee)
12/15/2015

Dear Carmel,

I had a similar experience. I felt terrible all the time and was diagnosed as hypothyroid. The prescription medication made me feel worse, too.

I went off of it and started taking Iodine, selenium, vitamin C etc. I also took Extra Virgin Coconut Oil daily for a long time. All of that made me feel much better. In fact, last time I had bloodwork done, my thyroid numbers were normal. I still take iodine and other supplements. I start feeling badly if I run out.

A blood disorder I had had for decades cleared up as a side benefit of whatever I was taking (I suspect the Coconut Oil)! :)

~Mama to Many~


Thyroid Issues
Posted by Maria J. (Orlando, FL) on 08/06/2007
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Well it's a weird story because I think Iodine helped me and then didn't do so much good. I had a pain like "something stuck in my throat" and the acupuncturist thought it was my thyroid so she gave me potassium iodine drops to drink (20 or 40 a day - remember it is not regular iodine); and these were great to alleviate the pain and gave me the strength I needed to move, because I was in a point of suffering all the symptoms of a thyroiditis or a thyroxicosis; but then I took Ibuprofen and when the swelling of my thyroid was coming down, the iodine felt terrible so I stopped taking it! I really never knew which was the perfect dosage for the potassium iodine drops! I also took kelp, around 20 pills divided in 4 or 5 times in a day and they helped me a lot, but I was never sure if this is what I needed. I end up going to a specialist who immediately asked me to leave the iodine because he thought the help was just psychological, and charged me 250 dollars for saying this! I hope the traditional doctors learn about the iodine to properly help their patients. And I also hope that people who is suffering the hyperthyroid symptoms and hypothyroid too, should consider having some iodine to help ease the pain and problems. What I recommend very urgently is to have a blood test taken meassuring your thyroid levels (TSH and T4 and T3) way before taking the iodine or Kelp, because it can change those results and affect your helath or, worst, doctors might end up giving you the wrong medication - (as it happened to me and thank God they couldn't harm my thyroid too much!). Hope you all get well! Think that you will! Maria J.



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