Posts Tagged ‘fluoride’

6 Feb

When Your World Goes Topsy Turvy

Posted by Kris in Dental health, Flossing, fluoride, healthy living, Hypothyroidism. Tagged: , , , , .

Late last week I felt a little like my world had imploded. I was inundated with information that was the unlocking of the proverbial Pandora’s Box. Rather like being a Christian all your life and suddenly finding you don’t believe in the dogma anymore. Yikes!

What Happened?

What you may ask had this effect on me? Ramiel Nagel’s book Cure Tooth Decay. In 250 pages the author, who is not a dentist but a health researcher, had destroyed or attempted to destroy all that I had known to be true for at least 35 years. I could casually dismiss everything he said but it was so well researched and the research answered some longstanding questions. I could not and would not dismiss it just because it wasn’t what I have been taught. Not what I had been taught and not what I am teaching because rightly or wrongly I stick to the party line in whatever office I am working in.

The Why of it All

After all my years of looking at patient’s teeth I am still in wonder that some people no matter what they do still get tooth decay. They floss every day if not twice a day, they brush religiously and watch what they eat and drink and still when they come for their exam and cleaning they leave disappointed by their dental needs. I have had people leave in tears, most notably a woman of about my own age who recently left tearful and discouraged.

She had done everything in the traditional practitioner’s book and still had a return visit required to repair new decay. We gave her a message of hope and told her not to despair but this bad news was just more bad news on top of other bad health news and she was not in the mood.

I might have approached her with some new ideas had I read Cure Tooth Decay earlier. I might not have proposed that it WILL cure tooth decay but that it MIGHT. Most of his ideas fall under the “well it can’t hurt” category and seem worth trying if only for a few weeks. I would never propose that a person with a tooth that hurts delay treatment because often if a tooth hurts it needed to be fixed yesterday (but the author does propose giving it some time).

What the Author Has to Say

Ramiel Nagel states, and there is plenty of research (check out his reference material at the end of every chapter) to prove his statement, that it may all come down to the parotid glands and their relative health. The parotid glands regulate the activity of the nutrient rich dentinal fluid and in some people parotid glands are very well-developed and in others they are not. This might explain why there are people who can drink a 6 pack of Mountain Dew a day and never have a cavity and others if they even look at that same 6 pack will have 6 areas of active decay.

He is also a believer in eating the right foods and while the diet would be very strict if watching what foods go in your mouth stopped decay wouldn’t it be worthwhile? He is an advocate of the principles touted by the Weston Price Foundation and he is especially fond of  fermented cod liver oil and Factor X butter and lots of homemade bone broth to heal existing small areas of decay.

Mr. Nagel would have you eliminate anything with phytic acid and that includes whole wheat products, brown rice and unsoaked nuts like almonds. Don’t for one second think about drinking soda, fruit juice or battery acid (no just kidding on the battery acid) and forget about fluoride, it is a “poison”.

Thyroid Connection

There is even a thyroid connection. The thyroid is regulated by the anterior pituitary gland. Often the relationship of the thyroid to the pituitary is not considered, leaving thyroid treatments ineffective. A malfunctioning thyroid also plays a role in producing tooth decay and gum disease because the thyroid plays a role in maintaining blood calcium levels. To repair thyroid function, the anterior pituitary gland usually needs attention. People on medications that affect their thyroid can have significant tooth decay problems often from lack of saliva to cleanse their teeth. Nagel also contends that people who have tartar are not assimilating their calcium and it is deposited on teeth instead of in bones where it is needed.

This information hits close to home. I form a lot of tartar on my teeth and I clean my teeth and gums regularly. When I have taken a NTx test I show bone loss of an alarming degree on a daily basis and this is no doubt connected to my ongoing battle with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. That alone might explain why I have so much tartar on my teeth despite my oral hygiene practices. I am grateful for a low rate of decay despite this malfunction but my diet is quite purposefully low in sugar and acid producing foods ( I don’t even like the taste of soda anymore).

What Should You Do?

I don’t know how to best answer that question other than by asking several questions of you the reader. Do you have a new area of decay every time you go to the dentist? Do you brush at least twice a day? Do you floss once a day? Do you drink soda and/or fruit juice of any kind? Are you a caramel or licorice fanatic? Do you use fermented cod liver oil or X-Factor Butter? What kind of toothpaste do you use? Do you employ a Water-Pik in your daily dental care? These are pretty basic questions and they would help me point you in the right direction but it may not be that simple.

There is one more important question. Are you open to new ideas? If so, read Cure Tooth Decay and take away any useful information you can employ in your day-to-day life. If you vehemently disagree with what the author says then go about your business as usual but you will never again think about dental health in the same way. I guarantee it. If you read the book and have questions, please ask. I have tried several of his suggestions and would happily hear from others who have or are thinking about it.

Events in the Coming Week

One more unrelated item before I close this week. Kathryn Niflis Johnson is holding a discussion group at her house in Woodbury, Minnesota on February 10th from 7:00-8:30. the topic is Thyroid/Adrenal Health and Dr. Paul Ratté is the featured speaker. Chloe Swan, my research buddy, and I will be there to add our two cents worth and we are looking forward to the sharing of ideas. If you live in the area and want to participate just click on the highlighted Thyroid and Adrenal Health and it will link you to the necessary information.

Santé,

Kris

6 Sep

Poison or Prophylactic?

Posted by Kris in cancer, cancer prevention, Dental health, fluoride, hypothyroid, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , .

After having a face off with my boss on the subject of fluoride in toothpaste I decided to sound off and my very own blog is the perfect place, my podium if you will. Today it becomes for this entry my anti-fluoride podium.

So here is the recreated scene as seen through my eyes. A youngish female patient (probably 12) was in my room for her 6 month check up and having taken x-rays and cleaned her teeth things looked pretty healthy IMO. The doctor sauntered in (as she always saunters) and did her perfunctory 1 minute exam and gave the all clear, her teeth were perfect.

What the doctor didn’t know was the patient had confided in me that she didn’t like toothpaste, so brushed her teeth without toothpaste, something both my husband and I do, so I saw nothing wrong with her practice. I proceeded to tell her that as long as she brushed her teeth 2 minutes twice a day toothpaste was an unnecessary component in her daily care. That is absolutely true, you do not need toothpaste it is the removal of bacteria that really cleans your teeth not some slimy, minty paste.

“Mom” doesn’t like it that said patient doesn’t use toothpaste (frankly I say pick better things to argue about or you will face a mountain of resistance down the road) and after the doctor left my room having given the thumbs up “Mom” caught “Doctor” in the hallway and reported that said patient was not using toothpaste. OMG! Crime of the century, or so you would think.

In a very sincere and condescending voice “Doctor” proceeded to tell the young female patient that she must use toothpaste and to me she repeated the statistics “she will get 30% of her fluoride in her toothpaste, so she must use toothpaste at least once a day”. Blech!! I ask you how much of this fluoride will this young patient swallow and in the end how necessary is all this fluoride to a person’s dental health?

It is a known fact that most people are being overexposed to fluoride and even the Journal of Public Health Dentistry was quoted on the Fluoride Alert site as saying “Virtually all authors have noted that some children could ingest more fluoride from toothpaste alone than is recommended as a total daily fluoride ingestion.” People are getting fluoride in their municipal drinking water, through vegetables that have been watered with chemically treated water, in toothpaste, even in their tea, you name it and it probably has fluoride in it. Worry not people if it is fluoride you want fluoride you got just try to avoid it and see how difficult it is.

There are adverse affects from fluoride ingestion that have been associated with the amount of fluoride you get just by living in  fluoridated area. These risks include brain damage with the results showing in reduced IQs. Increased risks of thyroid disease (hypothyroidism especially in those with low iodine). Diminished bone density with increased risk of fracture at levels of fluoride as low as 1.5ppm which is only slightly higher than the concentration added to water for fluoridation(0.7-1.2 ppm). Increased risks for bone cancer (osteosarcoma) in young males has been determined to be “biologically plausible” and half of adolescents who develop osteosarcoma die within a few years of diagnosis. Also people with kidney disease have a heightened susceptibility to fluoride toxicity due to impaired ability to excrete fluoride from the body. Why, oh why, do we need even more fluoride in our bodies?

To take the other side of the argument for one moment. If you believe in fluoride’s benefit, if you believe that it builds strong teeth and bones then one could argue against water fluoridation and in favor of fluoride in toothpaste and enforced use of toothpaste with fluoride. I say this because they have proven that ingestion of fluoride really doesn’t do anything for teeth it is the topical application that has proven the most effective, ergo if you must have fluoride then only have it in your body as a topical application most of which you can duly spit out.

Bear in mind as you apply a ribbon of minty wonder to your toothbrush that most fluoride comes from chemical waste, specifically industrial waste from the phosphate fertilizer industry. “The chemicals-fluorisilicic acid, sodium silicofluoride and sodium fluoride-used to fluoridate drinking water are industrial waste products from the phosphate fertilizer industry.” Admittedly, I do not know the origins of the fluoride in toothpaste I do know that the fluoride we use in fluoride treatments in the dental office is of the sodium fluoride variety. I need to do more study on the fluoride in toothpaste.

My question remains is fluoride the secret to no decay? I don’t think so. Sorry I don’t buy it and Dr. Weston A. Price proved it in the 40′s by looking at peoples who ate their indigenous diets only. They not only didn’t have decay they didn’t need orthodontists because their jaws grew to a normal size that allowed for every single one of their teeth with no mal-alignment. As soon as these people or their descendants moved in to other parts of the world and developed unhealthy diets that were not indigenous their offspring developed crowded jaws and decay.

So what causes decay? Carbohydrates, acids and sugars cause decay by feeding the bacteria that linger on tooth surfaces, your tongue, cheeks, etc. This bacteria literally poops acid onto the tooth surface. If you don’t remove the bacteria it can defecate on your teeth 24/7 and that is a lot of acid. If you add to that mix soda with its phosphoric acid and citric acid you have a virtual wasteland in your mouth, a wasteland of death and decay.

My young female patient was doing the right thing. Her brushing was impeccable, her teeth were free of plaque and calculus (which serves as a shelf to hold plaque) and she had no decay. Better than all of that she told me she doesn’t like sugary drinks and consumes water more than anything else and consumes little to no candy (here Mom has picked the right battle). I ask you why, oh why, did this young adolescent need to be forced to place poison on her teeth every day and take the chance of swallowing it in her morning or evening rush? Is the dentist simply covering herself and minimizing the risk of litigious activity down the road? I doubt it, she sincerely believes that fluoride is the savior, just like she still thinks it is okay to put amalgams in people’s mouths and to not have good air circulation in an old dental office.

Here is to coming out of the dark ages,

Kris

23 Feb

Sorry I’ll Drink My Water

Posted by Kris in Autoimmune Thyroiditis, bromide, cancer, Dental health, detox, fluoride. Tagged: , , , , .

Well I finally did it, I offended someone with my persnickety eating and drinking habits but in the process it gave me an idea for this blog, so forgive me Lois and thank you all in one fell swoop. You are still my heroine.

Many readers may not know or just need a reminder that our community water systems are laden with “acceptable” (I ask you who accepts chemicals in their drinking water?) levels of chemicals especially chlorine and fluoride which render it drinkable only if filtered with reverse osmosis or a high quality filter like the one Mercola.com sells. It really doesn’t matter where the source of your city water is once it hits the city it is chemically treated with fluoride and disinfected with chlorine. I am particularly aware of the chlorine because for most of my adulthood (not my childhood) I have lived in the country, so we have had well water without chlorine and fluoride and when I drink “city” water I smell the chlorine instantly and it is a pervasive odor if one is unaccustomed to it. On the other hand the fluoride I cannot detect but I know it is there as most communities add the chemical supposedly to “protect” the children from decay.

My skepticism of the value of fluoride goes back many years when I suggested to a young college student studying Dietetics that she base her Master’s dissertation on this issue: fluoridated water and its effect on breast tissue. That was many years ago and already I suspected that the commencement of fluoridation of community water systems might directly correlate to the increased rates of  breast cancer. Of course as I was a dental hygienist and I was standing in a dental office when I spoke these words it was superheresy and the room went so quiet you could hear heartbeats. When someone dared to speak it was the dentist who categorically denied my supposition spouting some facts and figures he had obviously heard himself at a dental convention when someone defended the preposterous idea that it would be a good idea to add deadly waste chemicals to the drinking water of every city dweller. In the end I had no proof; it was just a theory and I shut up, that is until now.

It seems that for some time scientists have known that fluoride had toxic side effects and in 2006 a Dr. Hardy Limeback stated and I quote “Fluoridation could turn out to be one of the top 10 mistakes of the 21st century.” What’s that? But it prevents decay and it does no harm? OR does it? And how long have the powers that be known that fluoride is not the miracle it is purported to be? How long have they known that chemicals added to our water supply could and would cause dis-ease?

There was a study in 1948 that proved  fluoride had the ability to suppress thyroid function and cause goiter when Steyn (Africa) found that fluoride “has definite anti-thyroid effects. He investigated the incidence of endemic goiter in the North Western Cape Province in South Africa and reported that his findings “closely agree with the … 1944 JADA editorial”, and that goiters are actually ‘fluoride-induced’.” 1944 oh my did everyone just ignore all the evidence or did they just think that goiter and thyroid problems were a small inconsequential detail compared to tooth decay which could be controlled with a health diet free of sugars and low on carbohydrates?

Jason Uttley in his paper The Cause of Fibromyalgia states that “in April of 1997, the FDA had forced toothpaste manufacturers to dramatically upgrade their warning labels after suddenly “discovering” that fluoride was severely neurotoxic. The FDA knew and must have known for some time but finally in 1997 they acknowledged its harm but still we do nothing about adding it to our community water supplies. Jason also points out that there is mounting evidence  that “we are [now] compelled to consider the likelihood that humans are experiencing damage to their brains and kidneys at the ‘optimal’ level of 1ppm.”
http://www.nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/NTEU280-Fluoride.htm

As for chlorine the Medical College of Wisconsin Research Team stated that they were “quite convinced, based on our study, that there is an association between cancer and chlorinated water.” The U.S. Council of Environmental Quality stated that “cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.” Is it any wonder that when I let city water pour from a tap I smell chlorine and it burns my nose? It is poison as is fluoride and finally as I read through copious studies the light went on I finally put the puzzle together and the picture is clear, fluoride may very well (and possibly chlorine) contribute to breast cancer incidence.

It really comes down to iodine and the iodine receptors that exist in many places in our bodies. For instance our sinuses have many iodine receptors, your thyroid has many iodine receptors and breast tissue is full of them. Fluoride is attracted to the receptors that naturally should be full of iodine and it has been shown that many females with breast cancer are very low in iodine and have high levels of bromine (iodine loading tests prove this and you can get your own from Dr. Abraham  iodine loading test

If tissue is filled with fluoride in the iodine receptors instead of iodine dis-ease occurs (for one thing the iodine would kick out the bromine) and cells go bonkers and cancers occur. In the thyroid if the receptors get filled with fluoride, instead of iodine, hypothyroidism occurs and if your thyroid isn’t working your body isn’t working properly as your thyroid controls almost every bodily function. In many cases of breast cancer the person also has an under functioning thyroid (out of whack Free T3 and Free T4). It is possible to supplement with iodine and detox fluoride (and the now pervasive bromine) but in the end wouldn’t it have been simpler to eliminate toxic fluoride from the community water supply? Instead people innocently use tap water to cook their pasta, to make their tea and coffee and even to shower in (effectively pressure washing the chemicals right through our pores in to our delicate bodies).

So forgive me my reverse osmosis water that I innocently placed on the counter to make my tea (which can also be high in natural fluorides and so far I still drink) with and quench my thirst but I have a toxic thyroid that needs clean water free of the discarded chemical called fluoride (
http://douglassreport.com/reports/fluoride/?gclid=CMWriNvpiKACFQYMDQodrVUrlQ
). Maybe someday when my thyroid is free of antibodies and I no longer need thyroid supplementation I will drink community water but until that day no one can convince me that we need to ingest those discarded chemicals. Thank you very much I will drink my own water.

P.S. I have a daughter who recently turned 37 and she has perfect teeth with not one, yes you read that correctly, not one decayed area in her mouth. She neither had fluoride treatments nor drank fluoridated water in her developmental years and her teeth are perfect and beautiful. I only wish I could say the same for her thyroid but she has been a city girl for many years now.

3 Jan

In the New Year Bone up and Build Up your Osteoblasts

Posted by Kris in magnesium, real milk, Supplements, Uncategorized, Vitamins. Tagged: , , , , , , .

2010 has arrived in a wintry rush and with temperatures somewhere in the minus 20 F I am housebound like never before. I have dogs and even they are avoiding the outside world but that could have something to do with the booties I insist they both wear when we venture out. They are so embarrassed by their appearance that the mere mention of the word “outside” sends them running and scrambling in a mad dog world kind of way. Oh well, this too shall pass and when it does I want my bones dense and ready to run.

My mind went to healthy bones this morning when I opened Al Sear’s Sunday Review and one of the articles he featured referred to the “glue” that keeps your bones together, Vitamin K2. He states, and I quote “calcium supplements have little to do with the strength of your bones. The U.S. has the highest intake of calcium, yet our rate of osteoporosis is the highest in the world.” I haven’t checked his data but I can say that the people I know who religiously took their calcium supplements and have always drunk their milk (pasteurized of course) now have diagnosed osteoporosis and take Fosamax. Are there things we can do to help build strong bones? Yes and I will list some good things to do for your bones but I will start with some of the worst things for your bones.

Fluoride is not good for your bones. It is, in the dental world, touted as being a “tooth vitamin”, but that simply isn’t true. I have a grown daughter who has had little to no fluoride ever and she has perfect teeth, she has never had a carious lesion in her mouth.  In my years of dentistry I have seen the effects of too much fluoride and it isn’t pretty, teeth become powdery and white or brown (it depends on the level of fluoride) and if it affects teeth that way it is affecting your bones in the same manner and will make them powdery, chalky and ultimately brittle. There are areas in the US where there are naturally high levels of fluoride in the well water but most people get it after it has been artificially added to their municipal water supply or innocently added to baby formula or dropped in a wee ones unsuspecting mouth. I believe we need to question things we are told and never again drop fluoride in the mouth of babes without looking up all the information published on the subject of fluoridation and what other countries are doing. Then if you agree it is harmful and unnecessary filter fluoride out of household water including water that is used for showers and bathing (fluoride entering through your skin is like just shooting up with the stuff). Several other sources of fluoride are tea (depends on the ground the leaves were grown in), toothpaste and mouthwash all of which are easily avoided.

In my opinion another untruth perpetuated by our much touted Food Pyramid is that milk sold in stores in most states is good for you. A dentist in our office tells every parent to just make sure their children drink lots of milk. It will help them grow tall and have good bones and teeth according to her. I have to turn the other way as I firmly believe pasteurized milk has nothing good left in it except for what they artificially add like Vitamin D3. In fact, pasteurization cooks everything out, so all you are left with if you are lucky is some fat. However, most people shun full fat milk and drink only the unappetizing blue skim milk which has nothing left but lactose, a.k.a. sugar; sugar the nemesis of  good teeth and bones. If you want a healthy drink of milk look at www.realmilk.com and drive miles to the nearest farmer who sells real milk full of enzymes, vitamins, calcium all naturally placed their by Mother Nature and the dear cow who produced it. If you are in the Twin Cities contact Jay Kalisch and find out where his closest delivery point is to your home.

Now for more good things you can do to feed your bones. Firstly, we come to Dr. Sears suggestion of Vitamin K2, the glue that keeps your bones together. Vitamin K2 is even available at a store near you in the produce section. Dark leafy green vegetables are full of Vitamin K but be sure and eat them raw or fermented or just steamed lightly so you don’t destroy the vitamin content. Also you can take a supplement of Vitamin K2 also known as menaquinone-7 (MK-7) or eat Natto (a fermented soybean product available at Asian food stores). Personally I like Boku Superfood, 2 scoops of which have as much Vitamin K2 as a capsule of Mercola’s K2, it tastes good and provides a multitude of vitamins and enzymes, basically everything you need in a whole food supplement.

Magnesium is an essential element missing in most American diets. We are told to take Calcium but seldom is it mentioned that you need to balance it with magnesium.  Most medical experts recommend 400-600 mg of magnesium a day in a 2:1 ratio calcium:magnesium. Magnesium needs to be taken to bowel tolerance which is to say if it gives you diarrhea you are taking too much, cut back and then add what you can tolerate. Several sources of magnesium are Calm (magnesium citrate), Thorne Research Magnesium Aspartate, Boku Superfood, epsom salt baths, Ionic Fizz Magnesium, Magnesium oil (Ancient Minerals being a top rated brand) applied transdermally, Ecological Formulas Tri-Salts (also has calcium and potassium), and the nasty tasting Magnesium Chloride (definitely my least favorite way of getting magnesium). If you add magnesium to your daily diet not only will it assist your body in using the calcium it takes in it may very well alleviate or diminish aches and pains, muscles cramps, constipation, restless leg, lower blood pressure and even help you sleep.

Vitamin D3 is another essential ingredient and it is one of the easiest and cheapest supplements to take. At my latitude of 45 degrees it is recommended that an average adult should take 4000 IUs a day in the winter months. You can produce your own Vitamin D in the summer by exposing your clean body (no sunscreen) to the midday sun for 20 minutes at least three times a week, cheap and easy. This winter I am using my Sunsplash Renew from Mercola.com three times a week, 10 minutes a side (front and back). I will have my D levels checked in February and will know if I have kept my D levels optimal. If they are optimal I will strongly endorse the Sunsplash Renew.

Lastly, but by far not the least, is exercise. Weight lifting will cause the muscles to pull on your bones and naturally help them rebuild themselves or keep them strong. Weight bearing exercise like running, jumping rope, and walking will jar the bone and cause it to produce osteoblasts and thus strengthen the bone. Once you have the foundation you too can build a fabulously strong body that will never need pharmaceutical poisons that claim to build strong bone. Run, walk, jump in to the new year and help your bones be strong at the same time.

9 Nov

Iodine Loading Test Commences

Posted by Kris in Breast cancer, functional medicine, Hypothyroidism. Tagged: , , , .

This is the day of saving all voids which is a nice way of saying catching all of one’s urine in a cup and transferring it to a large container. I am doing as my functional medicine doctor recommended eons ago; checking my iodine levels. How and why I am doing this will fill the next few paragraphs.

If you have never done an Iodine Loading test the procedure is quite simple but I am happy to have the house to myself as it makes it even easier. If you are prescribed an Iodine Loading test you will be sent or given a box with the instructions, a medium size cup, a large plastic container, Iodoral or some form of iodine and a vial and packaging to send all this back via FedEx. Then it is left to you to pick a day that is convenient to collect all voided urine for 24 hours, starting after you take your mega dose of Iodoral. The only special instruction is to avoid all Iodine containing food for 48 hours prior to the test.

Why would a person do an Iodine Loading test? Simply put, most Americans are deficient in Iodine but there is much more to the story and I will try to summarize as best I can (actually not something I excel at). First of all, we live in a world full of toxins and one toxin that has become increasingly more prevalent is Bromide. Bromide is present in the food we eat (some breads and some soft drinks), computers, fabrics, dyes, mattresses and furniture, hot tub cleaners, some cosmetics, some hair products,  prescription drugs,cell phones,fabric softeners, car interiors, televisions, and the most toxic form is found in fire retardants. When I look at that list I realize that I am in contact with Bromide nearly every day although it would not be in the food I eat as I do not ingest industry tainted food or sodas. The real problem is that Bromide will displace Iodine if a person is consuming inadequate amounts of Iodine.

If a person has a normally functioning thyroid and healthy levels of Iodine, they will maintain a  good Bromide-Iodine ratio and Bromide might not present a problem. However, if your thyroid is under functioning and you are not getting enough Iodine in your diet this Bromide poisoning may contribute to dis-ease. Science has found a strong link between breast cancer and low levels of Iodine and Bromide may be a contributing factor to the low levels of Iodine.

Depleted soil may also be a contributing factor to hypothyroidism and low levels of Iodine. In the 1920′s it was found that people living in Michigan had consistently low levels of Iodine and high incidence of goiter and thyroid problems. It seems that the soil in that part of the country was very low in naturally occurring Iodine. The solution was to add Iodine to table salt in 1924 (iodized salt like Morton’s). However, it has been found recently that most Iodine added to salt evaporates quickly, so that may not be as useful a source of Iodine as once thought. I personally do not want to eat chemically treated salt like Morton’s and sea salts have very little to no Iodine despite being high in other necessary minerals. Add to that the fact that a lot of misguided doctors recommend low salt diets which means people use Lite Salt or no salt and you are down to very little Iodine being ingested.

Sea vegetables are high in Iodine but Americans eat very little vegetables from the sea. The country that eats the most sea vegetables is Japan and they have the lowest incidence of breast cancer in the world. All in all, we Americans ingest very low levels of Iodine, so supplementation may be necessary to maintain a healthy level.

That is where the Iodine Loading test is valuable. A person should excrete 90% of the Iodine you ingest, so the doctor will give you a product like Iodoral in a specific dose. During the subsequent 24 hours you should excrete 90% of the amount prescribed and if it is less a formula can help determine how much Iodine you need to get your levels to a more normal and thus healthy level. “Iodine supplementation alters the competitive bromide-iodine relationship causing bromide excretion. Thus, bromide dominance is diminished and proper iodine enzyme metabolism may be restored.” The Iodine Loading test also can be used to check levels of Bromide and Fluoride both of which if too high contribute to dis-ease. I have opted to just check my Iodine levels because the treatment if my levels are too low will be the same (Iodoral daily) whether we check my Bromide and Fluoride levels or not and the test is about $200 less.

There is too much information out there to share in one post on the subject of Iodine and dis-ease but that is a brief and hopefully an understandable summary of my day full of urine and containers, the whys and wherefores. If you think you would benefit by taking an Iodine Loading test contact your physician, tell them you will even pay for the test if insurance won’t cover it (mine was $120 including postage) and proceed from there. After all, you are in charge of your body and you can make the choice to have dis-ease or vibrant health. Yes you can!

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