Iodine and Cancer

Studies have linked insufficient iodine levels to not only thyroid disease, but a host of other diseases including fibromyalgia, and breast, prostate and other cancers. With the diminishing nutritional quality of our food supply, and toxins and pollutants we are exposed to daily, it may well be that to get sufficient levels of iodine in our body requires iodine supplements.

At a 2010 medical conference known as A4M, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (a non-profit, medical organization representing 24,000 physicians and scientists from 110 countries worldwide), Dr. Jorge D. Flechas, MD delivered a paper on iodine insufficiency and cancer. Dr. Flechas is regarded as one of the contemporary experts on the subject of iodine. In his presentation he made it very clear that the absence of iodine in the body is a promoter of cancer. Therefore the addition of iodine supplements may be a useful preventative to serious health problems.

Insufficient iodine in the breast produces fibrocystic breast disease which is a precursor to developing breast cancer later in life. In the developing fetus the first place that iodine is present is in the lining of the stomach. Lack of iodine in the stomach can lead to problems with acid production. Lack of iodine can also lead to esophageal cancer and ovarian cancer. In the uterus, lack of iodine to the endometrium can produce endometriosis which in turn can lead to endometrial cancer.

Women have considerably more prevalence of thyroid disease than men. This is due to higher estrogen levels in women. The estrogen inhibits the body’s ability to absorb iodine.

In the last 30 years, due to changes in our food habits and nutrition, we have reduced the amount of iodine in our cells by up to 50%. Iodine is no longer present in our salt, bread or milk, and today many people are radically reducing their salt intake. The result is that for many people their iodine level has become insufficient to support their health and prevent the development of disease. Iodine supplements may become an essential part of our diet in order to protect our health.

To make it even worse our society is now using more bromide (in baked goods), chloride (in water and flame retardants) and fluoride (in water, toothpaste, and dental treatments) than ever before. These are known as halogens. Iodine is also a halogen. All of these halogens compete in the body to be taken up by the same receptor cells for halogens. So if our iodine level is low, our body’s iodine receptors actually take up these other halogens which can cause toxin related diseases. Therefore the increased presence of these other three halogens is in turn contributing to the deficiency of iodine throughout the body. Add to that the increasing lack of iodine in our soils and you can now understand why it has become a real issue, and why considering the use of iodine supplements is a sensible option.

We know that estrogen-dominance from exposure to various chemicals (xenoestrogens) is also becoming a problem for many people and can increase the risk of cancer. It has been shown that iodine can prevent the risk of cancer because it decreases the responsiveness of our genes to cancer, and promotes apoptosis (the natural death of cancer cells). In addition iodine has been found to influence the proportions of the estrogens (estriol, estrone and estrodiol) such that the cancer preventing estrogen (estriol) outweighs the other more harmful estrogens.

One of the best iodine supplements I have found is Iodoral. I have been supplementing my diet daily with Iodoral iodine supplements for quite a long time.

It is always advisable to discuss your health and health maintenance plan with your own health professional. This also applies to your decision to use iodine supplements. Having the knowledge and information available to you will enable you to decide for yourself after consultation with your health professional whether you feel that the use of iodine supplements may be beneficial for you.