Most people have no idea what iodine does and if they do, their awareness is usually limited to the thyroid. But guess what? It is really important to helping fight breast cancer too.
Years ago iodine was added to table salt to prevent goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid gland. And for many, that was all that was needed to prevent goiter and the majority of people never gave iodine supplementation much thought again.
But now researchers are beginning know more about how important iodine for breast health and are noticing that many of us don’t get enough. Why are many of us deficient? Well, here are a few reasons:
- Salt Restriction: Some people have been using less salt under doctor’s orders to treat blood pressure problems so they don’t get as much iodine from iodized table salt.
- Increased Popularity of Himalayan and Sea Salt, which don’t have added iodine.
- Chlorine and Fluoride in our water supplies: Chlorine and fluoride are similar in structure to iodine. When the thyroid is low on iodine, these other substances can be taken up by the thyroid and hinder the production of thyroid hormones.
- Bromines/bromides in commercial foods: Iodine levels began to fall in the 1970’s when commercial bakers started substituting bromide (used in dough conditioners) for potassium iodate. Bromides are also similar in structure to iodine and can end up blocking iodine absorption. They are also added to Mountain Dew soda, citrus drinks and are used in pesticides on strawberries.
So what is the breast cancer connection? Well, it is pretty important because we are discovering that iodine is toxic to breast cancer cells. It also helps your body produce antioxidants that protect cells from damage that could lead to cancer. Plus iodine suppresses the start of benign and cancerous tumors. A study published in 2001 by a Japanese researcher found that wakame sea vegetable caused breast cancer cell death and stopped the growth of tumors more effectively than a commonly prescribed chemo and yet did not cause regular cells to die.
The recommended dose of iodine for adults is 150 micrograms per day, which is probably a minimal dose for many. A teaspoon of seaweed contains about that amount. Contact a doctor before taking iodine supplements, especially if you have Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. High intakes of iodine of more than 800 micrograms per day can cause side effects.
Health Idealist 