If you’re extra-sensitive to cold, put on weight easily, have dry skin, or feel “foggy”, you may be deficient in iodine. Other signs include a thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows, stiff joints, and dull, lusterless hair. Sound like common symptoms? Of course they do – most people don’t get the iodine they need. They may wonder for years what exactly is “wrong”, until they restore the iodine levels their bodies are crying out for.
Fortunately, iodine supplementation either alone, or more specifically targeted with L-tyrosine for your thyroid, can make a big difference. And, if you have a family history of breast, uterine, or prostate cancer, you can help your body overcome the risk by getting the iodine you need.
Do You Need Iodine?
Test Yourself For Iodine Deficiency:
The following is a list of symptoms that may be experienced by someone with low or deficient iodine levels. This is not a diagnostic test. It is meant as a nutritional guide to raise awareness of suboptimal iodine levels. It may also help you determine whether you should have further discussions with your healthcare practitioner for clinical testing.
Please read each descriptive symptom and check off any that describes how you feel.
Do you have iodine deficiency? This checklist may help you decide:
Symptoms:
- I’m sensitive to cold. My hands and feet are always cold.
- My face is puffy and my eyelids are swollen in the morning.
- I put weight on easily.
- I have dry skin.
- I have trouble getting up in the morning.
- I feel more tired at rest than when I’m active.
- I’m constipated.
- My joints are stiff in the morning.
- I feel like I’m living in slow motion.
- I have foggy brain.
- The outer 1/3 of my eyebrows is missing.
- My lips are swollen and protruding, particularly the lower lip.
- I have ringing in the ears.
- My hair is coarse and falls out, it is dry, brittle, and grows slowly.
- My hair is dull and lusterless.
- I have frequency of urination.
- I have impaired hearing.
- I have reduced initiative.
- My calves are big.
- My legs and ankles are swollen in the morning.
- My buttocks and thighs are too well padded, and when I look in the mirror, I’m pear shaped.
- I have high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
- My heart is weak and I have a weak heartbeat.
- My stomach sags and is pushed forward by the curvature of my spine.
- My body temperature is below 97.8
You said “Yes” to 12 or more symptoms: You would almost certainly benefit from iodine supplementation; check with your doctor to see if you have iodine or thyroid insufficiency.
You said “Yes” to 5 – 12 symptoms: You may want to consider testing and would be likely to benefit from iodine supplementation.
You said “Yes” to 0 – 5 symptoms: Although you have few symptoms you may want to consider taking iodine at a lower dosage for ongoing good health, disease prevention and detoxification.
Remember, iodine was routinely used by physicians until the late 1930’s at doses of 37 mg or more per day, depending upon the disorder. Aside from thyroid, recent research has proven that all cells have a receptor site for iodine, in particular the breast, prostate, ovaries and uterus, which require iodine in order to function properly.
Terry Lemerond Author and Educator, has 40 years experience in the health food industry as an owner of several health food stores and nutritional manufacturing companies. Follow him at Terry Talks Nutrition.