This is the conclusion of the following three studies I have cited below, “Although iodine is an essential nutrient for the production of thyroid hormones, practitioners should not recommend iodine supplementation or even iodine containing herbs such as kelp or Irish moss. There is a body of evidence suggesting that excess iodine consumption is implicated in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (13) and that iodine restriction can be of benefit”.
1. Noel R. Rose, Raphael Bonita and C. Lynne Burek Iodine: an environmental trigger of thyroiditis Autoimmunity Reviews Volume 1, Issues 1-2, February 2002, Pages 97-103
2. Yoon SJ, Choi SR, The effect of iodine restriction on thyroid function in patients with hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Yonsei Med J. 2003 Apr 30;44(2):227-
“ Excessive iodine intake may result in elevated blood glucose and blood pressure and has some influence on blood lipids, and may increase the risk of hypertension and diabetes.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30798477/
3. "After 21 days of the use of iodized salt, 84.6 per cent of the subjects had an iodine excess. We conclude that prolonged use of this iodized salt exposes the population to the risk of thyroid disorders." https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10667088/
Every client I've seen with cancer or diabetes also had a thyroid imbalance. We have had great success healing the thyroid with the herbal formula, Kanchanar Guggulu and a specific diet, rather than than the chemical, iodine. For Hashimotos and other auto immune disorders we use Haba Baraka.
Taking iodine supplements over a prolonged period of time can cause hypothyroidism by blocking thyroid hormone production. The risk of thyroid cancers such as thyroid papillary cancer or thyroid follicular cancer may also be higher in people taking iodine supplements. Thyrotoxicosis, a life-threatening complication of having elevated iodine levels, can also occur if you take iodine supplements. Symptoms include fever, confusion, rapid heartbeat and other abnormal irregular heartbeats and congestive heart failure. If you have any of these symptoms while taking iodine supplements, you need immediate medical care.
Possible Side Effects
Lugol's iodine is a liquid made up of two parts potassium iodide for every one part elemental iodine in water. It is little different from iodine.
Iodine can be corrosive to the stomach. An overdose of iodine supplement can cause abdominal pain and sometimes bloody diarrhea. Corrosive gastritis, nausea, vomiting and bleeding from the intestinal tract can also cause overdose.
“By an iodide overload hyperthyroidism could ensue as a consequence , the Jod-Basedow effect, which is more frequent in iodine deficient areas, and in patients with multinodular goiter. Iodine excess can also lead to other untoward thyroid imbalances .These pathologic consequences will disappear when iodine is withdrawn. Symptom relief from iodine induced thyrotoxicosis can be achieved with beta-blockers and in severe cases with high doses of antithyroid drugs.
Wolff-Chaikoff is the effect of iodide in normal mice which lead to an increase of intrathyroidal iodine concentration within 24–48 h and a subsequent decrease of thyroid hormone synthesis In healthy subjects there is an adaption to iodine excess by an autoregulatory mechanism within the thyroid, which serves as a defense against fluctuations in the supply of iodine and permits escape from the paradoxical inhibition of hormone synthesis that a very large quantity of iodine induces. Defective or absent autoregulation can occur in predisposed patients, as in those with euthyroid Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and in GD-patients treated with radioiodine or subtotal thyroidectomy Thus, these are more prone to develop hypothyroidism secondary to an iodine overload. Hyperthyroidism more commonly occurrs in iodine deficent subjects, and in patients with multinodular goiter.
The escape from acute Wolff-Chaikoff effect is associated with a decrease in thyroid sodium/iodide symporter causing a reduction in intrathyroidal iodide concentration [29]. There is also a form of escape following iodide therapy in GD which has been described as common [30, 31]. Thus, in treating patients with hyperthyroidism with LS an exacerbation of thyroid hormone levels could be a consequence after a period of blocking the thyroid, as the gland has become loaded of iodine substrate for hormone synthesis” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5693970/
"Higher all-cause mortality among those with excess iodine intake compared to individuals with adequate iodine intake highlights the importance of monitoring population iodine status. " https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29882490/#:~:text=Results%3A%20Over%20a%20median%20follow,confidence%20interval%201.04%2D1.37%5D).
“Conclusion: Differential expression of thyroid genes in BBdp versus BBc rats caused by excess dietary iodine may be implicated in autoimmune thyroiditis and insulitis pathogenesis.” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22058052/
Iodine-induced hypothyroidism
Vulnerable patients with specific risk factors might have an increased risk of failing to adapt to the acute Wolff–Chaikoff effect.7 Susceptible patients include those with autoimmune thyroid disease; a previous history of surgery, 131I or antithyroid drug therapy for Graves disease; subacute thyroiditis; postpartum thyroiditis; type 2 amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT); hemithyroidectomy; IFNα therapy; and concomitant use of potential goitrogens, such as lithium. Failure to escape from the acute Wolff–Chaikoff effect might also be more likely during fetal development, a period when the hypothalamic–pituitary–thyroid axis is still immature, and during neonatal life.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3976240/
Production and Manufacturing
Iodine is created from gaseous hydrocarbons (natural gas) using caustic chemicals.
Iodide is present in the salty brines of natural gas fields and is extracted to make iodine by three main processes:
Blow-out – During the blow-out process, oxidized iodine is extracted in a countercurrent air flow process based on the distinct vapor pressure of the iodine. The iodine-filled air is reduced to iodide by the addition of sulfur oxide. In the finishing process, the acidic iodide solution is oxidized by addition of chlorine to form iodine crystals.
Carbon Absorption – Carbon Absorption is most often used when the brine has a low iodine concentration. The free iodine in the acidified brine solution is captured with activated carbon and neutralized with ammonia. The iodine is extracted from the activated carbon using hot caustic soda, which produces an iodate-iodide mixture. This solution is acidified with sulfuric acid and the iodine is separated by filtration.
Ion Exchange – In ion exchange, the free iodine from oxidized brines is flown through resin-packed ion exchange columns. Once the resin is saturated with free iodine, it is transferred to an elution column that is treated with a caustic salt solution. The eluted iodine is recovered by addition of acid and removed by solid/liquid separation.
Iodine can be found in caliche ore, and the north of Chile has the largest deposits of caliche ore in the world. From a chemical company that mines this-- “Our joint venture partner mines the caliche ore deposits in Chile to produce the world’s largest supply of raw iodine.
Iodate can be extracted from ore by leaching in one of two ways depending on the ore’s nitrate concentration:
•Heap leaching for low nitrate containing ores
•Vat leaching from high nitrate containing ores
Most of the iodate solution from leaching goes through a sulfur oxide absorption tower. The iodide produced mixes with the rest of the iodate solution, which results in a suspension. The iodine in suspension is reduced to iodide, with the addition of sulfur oxide, and then recovered as a concentrated iodide solution. Most iodine precipitates out of the solution to form crystals, which are captured by flotation.”
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