HOMEOPATHY AND LACK OF IODINE

I recently came across a book called “Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It“ by Dr. David Brownstein.

Up until now I had not paid attention to this mineral, although I knew it has a vital role in our thyroid function. However, it turns out that its role is much bigger than that.

First of all: what is iodine? According to the National Institute of Health, Iodine is a mineral found in certain foods, like sea food, dairy, eggs. It is very important for the healthy function of thyroid. Lack of iodine is directly responsable for the typical “goiter” visible in patients with thyroid issues. The amount we need depends on our age and women need more of it during pregnancy.

In general we are told that most people get enough iodine through their diet and that is also the reason why iodine has been added to table salt, called “iodised salt”.

Dr. Brownstein, however, argues that many more people than we think need iodine supplementation and his argument makes sense to me.

Think about it: how many people eat fish every day? How many people do you know, who have given up on dairy and eggs due to allergies or diet habits? Salt itself has almost been “demonised” in recent times, due to its links with high blood pressure. As for iodised salt, only 10% of the iodine is actuallly absorbed by our body.

No wonder I see so many women with thyroid issues in my practice!

Wait, there is more…

Iodine plays a very important role in brain function and low rate of this mineral have been linked to conditions like ADHD in a study conducted in 2016.

As a homeopath, this is very interesting, because the remedy Iodum and its compounds (Calc Iod, Ars Iod and so on) is widely used for thyroid conditions and ADHD, for example. It is interesting that the characteristics of the remedy Iodum are:

-muscle weakness

-tiredness

-hair loss

-dry skin

-brittle nails

-anxiety

-chatty, active, agitated, overactive

-can be argumentative and aggressive

Of course, this does not mean that Iodine or its homeopathic equivalent are the right remedy for everyone diagnosed with thyroid dysfunction or ADHD. However, it is probably a good idea to check our iodine levels anyway, just like we would check our iron levels or other minerals and vitamins in our body.

More information on how homeopathy can help you with thyroid issues, click here