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study. It removes toxic chemicals '‘—fluoride, bromide, lead, What professor of English Albert Guerard (1914-2000) wrote aluminium, mercury—and biological toxins, suppresses auto- about new truths applies especially to iodine: "When you seek a immunity," strengthens the T-cell adaptive immune system'® and _ new path to truth, you must expect to find it blocked by expert protects against abnormal growth of bacteria in the stomach.” opinion." The reigning truth on iodine is that the thyroid gland is In addition to the thyroid and mammary glands, other tissues the only organ in the body that requires this micronutrient, and a pos: an iodine pump (the sodium/iodine symporter). Stomach daily intake considerably more than what the thyroid gland needs mucosa, the salivary glands and lactating mammary glands can is potentially harmful. The new truth is that the rest of the body concentrate iodine almost to the same degree as the thyroid gland also needs iodine—in milligram, not microgram, amounts. Tell (40-fold greater than its concentration in blood). Other tissues that that to a thyroidologist and the response will call to mind this have this pump include the ovaries, the thymus gland (seat of the admonition on new truths. adaptive immune system), the skin, the choroid plexus in the brain These are the four most common formulations of inorganic (which makes cerebrospinal fluid), and (nonradioactive) iodine, as iodide (I-) the joints, arteries and bones. and with or without molecular iodine Today's medical establishment is (I,): potassium iodide (KI) tablets, in Indeed, a reasonable wary of iodine (as it is of most doses ranging from 0.23 to 130 mg; naturally occurring, nonpatentable, hypothesis is that, like goitres super-saturated potassium iodide nonpharmaceutical agents). oat A 7. SSKI), 19-50 mg of iodide per drop; Thyroidologi sts cite the Wolff and cretinism, fibrocystic Iagol solution, 6.3 mg of molecular tharos cffect and warn wo blond disease of the breast and todinehionide per drop; an dora thyroid-stimulating hormone) bloo each tablet containin .5 mg o levels can rise with an iodine intake of breast cancer (and also iodine/iodide. Both Lugol's solution a milligram or more. The uterine fibroids) are and Iodoral are one-third molecular Wolff-Chaikoff effect, a temporary os a . iodine (5%) and two-thirds potassium inhibition of thyroid hormone iodine-deficiency disorders. iodide (10%). Studies done to date synthesis that supposedly occurs with indicate that the best iodine supplement increased iodine intake, is of no is one that includes molecular iodine clinical significance." And an elevate: (1), which breast tissue prefers. TSH, when it occurs, is "subclinical"—meaning that no signs or Iodine was used for a wide variety of ailments after its symptoms of hypothyroidism accompany its rise. Some people discovery in 1811 up until the mid-1900s, when thyroidologists taking milligram doses of iodine, usually more than 50 mg a day, warned that "excess" amounts of iodine might adversely affect develop mild swelling of the thyroid gland without symptoms. thyroid function. It is effective in gram amounts for treating The vast majority of people, 98-99 per cent, can take iodine in various dermatologic conditions, chronic lung disease, fungal doses ranging from 10 to 200 mg a day without any clinically infestations, tertiary syphilis and even arteriosclerosis. adverse affects on thyroid function.’ The prevalence of thyroid The Nobel laureate Dr Albert Szent-Gyoérgi (1893-1986), the diseases in the 127 million people in Japan who consume high physician who discovered vitamin C, wrote: "When I was a amounts of iodine is not much different than that in the USA. medical student, iodine in the form of KI was the universal Everyone agrees that a lack of iodine in the diet causes a spectrum = medicine. Nobody knew what it did, but it did something and did of disorders that includes, in increasing order of severity, goitre and something good. We students used to sum up the situation in this hypothyroidism, mental retardation and cretinism (severe mental little rhyme: retardation accompanied by physical deformities). Health If ye don't know where, what and why, authorities in the USA and Europe have agreed upon a Reference Prescribe ye then K and I." Daily Intake (RDI), formerly called the Recommended Dietary The standard dose of potassium iodide given was one gram, Allowance (RDA), for iodine, designed to prevent these disorders, which contains 770 mg of iodine. which the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates afflicts 30 Regarding KI and other iodine salts (like sodium iodide), the per cent of the world's population. The RDI for iodine, first venerated 11th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, published proposed in 1980, is 100-150 wg/day. Organisations advocating this in 1911, states: "Their pharmacological action is as obscure as amount include the American Medical Association, the National their effects in certain diseased conditions are consistently brilliant. Institutes of Health's National Research Council, the Institute of | Our ignorance of their mode of action is cloaked by the term Medicine, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, — deobstruent, which implies that they possess the power of driving the WHO Expert Committee and the European Union International _ out impurities from the blood and tissues. Most notably is this the Programme on Chemical Safety. These health authorities consider case with the poisonous products of syphilis. In its tertiary stage— an RDI of 100-150 pg/day of iodine sufficient to meet the and also earlier—this disease yields in the most rapid and requirements of nearly all (97-98 per cent) healthy individuals. unmistakable fashion to iodides, so much so that the administration This consensus on iodine intake flies in the face of evidence of these salts is at present the best means of determining whether, justifying a higher amount. This evidence includes animal for instance, a cranial tumour be syphilitic or not." studies, in vitro studies on human cancer cell lines, clinical trials This 19th and early 20th century medicine continues to be used of iodine for fibrocystic breast disease and epidemiological data. in gram amounts in the 21st century by dermatologists. They treat An intake of 150 wg/day of iodine will prevent goitres and the inflammatory dermatoses, like nodular vasculitis and pyoderma other recognised iodine-deficiency disorders, but not breast gangrenosum, with SSKI, beginning with an iodine dose of 900 disease. Prevention of breast disease requires higher doses of mg a day, followed by weekly increases up to six grams a day as iodine. Indeed, a reasonable hypothesis is that, like goitres and tolerated. Fungal eruptions, like sporotrichosis, are treated cretinism, fibrocystic disease of the breast and breast cancer (and initially in gram amounts with great success. These lesions can also uterine fibroids) are iodine deficiency disorders. disappear within two weeks after treatment with iodine. Indeed, a reasonable hypothesis is that, like goitres and cretinism, fibrocystic disease of the breast and breast cancer (and also uterine fibroids) are iodine-deficiency disorders. NEXUS 29 DECEMBER 2007 — JANUARY 2008 www.nexusmagazine.com