Thyroid Optimization can only be achieved by following certain rules of the body, and by giving the thyroid gland the nutrients that it needs to produce thyroid hormones like T3, the active thyroid hormone, and T4, the inactive thyroid hormone. These hormones are basically made from iodine, zinc, selenium, and copper.
Did you know that of these 4 minerals for thyroid health iodine, which is the most important is often completely missing from the diet of many people?
There was a time when Iodine was considered a "cure all" for many aliments but this knowledge has been eroded away in favor of prescription drugs and the like.
Iodine was often recommended for a variety of things such as wound healing, bacterial overgrowth, killing viruses and even known to prevent cancer.
Benefits / Evidence You are Lacking Adequate Iodine
- Fatigue Fighter - If you feel tired often there is a good chance you are deficient
- Cold Sensitive - Wearing a jacket in the summer?
- Dry hair lacking natural luster - Have hair break often when combing?
- Extra weight - Iodine optimizes metabolism and keeps extra weight of
- Low Libido - The body goes into conservation mode when this mineral is lacking
- Poor Focus - Do you feel it difficult to read sometimes? This is a strong sign of deficiency.
- Early aging of skin - Is your skin cracking or not as smooth as it was not that long ago?
- History of Viruses - Iodine, if absorbed well prevents many viruses from multiplying
- Helps with Migraines - Severe headaches and migraines are one way the brain tells us that we are deficient in minerals - especially magnesium and iodine.
- Food Cravings - Iodine helps with reducing food cravings, as does chromium, vanadium, and zinc.
- Intelligence - Mothers with plenty of iodine have children with IQs 20 point higher, research shows (share this with a soon-to-be mother you know!)
Unsurprisingly, since this mineral and this knowledge has been lost cancer, the build of toxins, and dysfunctional thyroid problems are on the rise.
How and why did this happen?
A couple of ways... a) Many of us mistakenly think that we get enough iodine from table salt but much salt today has no iodine, not to mention the salt that does have iodine does not have enough for the thyroid to operate optimally.
and b) In the 40s a poorly researched paper was published, a paper that coincided with medication from drug companies putting out drugs that supposedly remedied many of the issues that iodine solved naturally. This led to iodine being pulled out of the diet with disastrous effects.
It is likely that drug companies are to blame for the widespread hypothyroidism cases we now see with so many of our patients that do our HTMA, or Hair Analysis.
In Conclusion
Since the thyroid is a "distributor of energy" in the form of thyroid hormone, we want to insure that it does not spit and sputter out hormones but instead delivers these hormones smoothly so we can thrive. Iodine and other minerals are key to achieving this.
Live Optimally,
Barton Scott Nutritionist and Founder of Upgraded Formulas