82: Iodine for Hormone Support & What You Need to Know

I’m always looking for ways to reduce stress and support my hormones. If that’s your goal, today’s episode is jam packed with gold nuggets. We’re talking about possibly the most underappreciated micronutrient: iodine. Iodine deficiency is a huge problem these days. Levels have fallen nearly 50 percent over the last 40 years. 60 percent of women of childbearing age are deficient in iodine with over 10 percent severely deficient! And eating iodized table salt is not the answer. 

Iodine Facts 

• Essential micronutrient required at all stages of life 
• Once officially recognized as the cure for goiter (enlarged thyroid) but the medical system no longer acknowledges this, despite the fact that iodine is the oldest allopathic medicine dating back 200 years! 
• Involved in thousands of different functions in the body 
• Essential for healthy thyroid, healthy ovaries, breasts and prostates 
• Deficiency is linked to increased risk of breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and prostate cancer 

Iodine Deficiency as the root cause of many health issues:

• Memory loss
• Depression
• Infertility 
• Rheumatic pain
• Repeated infections 
• Migraines
• Skin issues
• Migraines
• Anemia 
• Constipation
• Poor vision 

Iodine Deficiency Symptoms 

• Cold hands and feet 
• Brittle nails
• Constipation
• Depression
• Dry, scaly and puffy skin 
• Edema 
• Headaches 
• Hoarse voice
• Impaired mental function
• Muscle cramps 
• Poor memory
• Losing hair, bald spots, or sparse and coarse hair 
• Weakness 
• Weight gain 

Iodine & Your Hormones 

• Essential for every hormone receptor in your body 
• Helps synthesize thyroid hormones and helps to prevent hypo- and hyperthyroidism 
• Improves hormone signaling and hormones sensitivity 
• Indirectly helps to improve insulin sensitivity and improve glucose metabolism 
• Growth and brain development of baby fetus can be abnormal without enough iodine 

Food Sources of Iodine 

• Unrefined sea salt 
• Seaweeds
• Grass-fed butter
• Pineapple
• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Eggs
• Dark, green leafy veggies 
• Kelp 
• Fish broth 
• Seafood 

Iodine Supplements 

Most food sources are not enough to overcome iodine deficits. Supplementation is needed for a few months at higher levels in order to become sufficient long-term, and 

Nascent form is best. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider if you are considering supplementation. 

At-home test. Use Nascent form iodine, add to q-tip and put on the inner thigh. If the stain is gone in the morning, that means you may be deficient because of rapid absorption. 

Featured in this episode…

Organic Immunity Greens supplement powder