August 2014 Newsletter

• Protect yourself.
• Products highlights from the Website -  www.maximumwellbeing.com 
• Health snippets - From around the world.
• August Deal.

If you want to be happy, you must be happy on purpose. When 
you wake up, don’t just wait to see what kind of day you’ll have. 
You have to decide what kind of day you’ll have. - Joel Osteen

I mentioned we would be covering more about Iodine and its importance in the last newsletter. There is so much that I would like to cover in relation to this issue, rather than bore you will all the insights I will keep this relatively brief(famous last words:) but will continue again next month from where we leave off, so here goes.

There are a couple of books that are excellent sources of information; Lynne Far­row, The Iodine Cri­sis and David Brown­stein, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You can’t Live With­out It, either of these offer some great insight into the subject, you will find others and if you want even more interesting reading search these names as well - Dr Guy. E. Abraham M.D., Dr Jorge D. Flechas M.D. and John C. Hakala.

There are many interesting facets to this whole topic, but perhaps the most important thing to understand is that the vast majority of the global population are Iodine deficient, we are living in a time where 98% of the NZ population is low in Iodine and 80% of have a dysfunctional thyroid.

Low Iodine levels go hand in hand with the manifestation of hypothyroidism.
I have heard of people questioning the fact and asking "does the intake of iodine cause hypothyroidism?". Understanding the basics of thyroid physiology will lead us quickly to the correct conclusion - iodine is ESSENTIAL for normal thyroid function and unfortunately there are manmade forms of iodine that are indeed toxic.  

Did you get that point? 98% of our local population is low in iodine - So this affects many people, and that most likely includes you!

Lets look at some of the interesting aspects of Iodine.

What is Iodine? Iodine is an essential trace element and is uniquely required for and in the production of hormones. Hormones that contain Iodine are involved in some significant processes in the body and they include - embryogenesis, differentiation, cognitive development, growth, metabolism, and maintenance of body temperature. The thyroid gland is recognised as a major storage site for Iodine as it is highly concentrated in this one gland, the sight of a goiter or a visibly enlarged thyroid is a very common response by the body when there is a simple deficiency of Iodine.

It is the most deficient trace element in the world with a massive chunk of mankind functioning below optimal level due to its deficiency and how about this for a bombshell - Low intake of Iodine is the world’s leading cause of intellectual deficiency. We will come back to that later.

1) Apart from Tungsten, Iodine is the heav­i­est essen­tial ele­ment (halo­gen) next to tung­sten used in bio­log­i­cal functions

2) Iodine has antibac­te­r­ial, anti­fun­gal, antivi­ral, anti-cancer

3) Iodine tends to con­cen­trate in the body’s endocrine/glandular systems

4) Overall amount stored throughout the body should be 1,500 – 2,000 mg

5) There is an esti­mated 96% defi­ciency in gen­eral global population

6) A frank defi­ciency of Iodine can cause goi­ter, thy­roid issues, men­tal retar­da­tion, breast and prostate can­cer, behav­ioural dis­or­ders like ADHD, hyper­ten­sion, fatigue, infer­til­ity, SIDS, SADS, ovar­ian and breast cysts, mul­ti­ple scle­ro­sis, excess mucus production

7) Iodine is a naturally occurring element that is found in the soil, sea salt, sea veg­eta­bles and fish

8) Historically Iodine was added as a dough con­di­tioner to bread through the 60's - 70's more recently it was replaced by bromine

9) All halo­gens (halides) com­pete in life sys­tems and inter­fere with absorp­tion (flu­o­rine, chlo­rine, bromine)

10) Breasts need up to 5 mg/day of iodine. The thy­roid 6 mg/day; the thy­roid should store 50 mg in an adult in iodine saturation.

The first question that comes to mind is HOW? How did we get to the point where so many of us just don't get enough Iodine?
What has hap­pened to make such a high per­cent­age of the pop­u­la­tion iodine-deficient?

Aside from the obvious lack in certain foods and a highly processed diet that often will contribute very little from a nutritional point of view, the other side of the coin shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, and while it is another less than desirable aspect of our modern life we have all played our part in creating a more toxic world.
In other words TOXINS. Iodine has been shut out of our body by industry’s increased use of other halo­gen ele­ments, most well known of these being chlo­rine, flu­o­rine and bromine com­pounds which com­pete for the body’s Iodine (halo­gen) recep­tors and Iodine trans­porter cells. The presence of these halides makes it difficult for our body to assimilate Iodine.

The use of chlo­rine and flu­o­rine in the pub­lic drink­ing water sup­ply has ensured that Iodine has been steadily sup­planted. Sim­i­larly, the use of bro­mides and bro­mates in antibac­te­r­ial pool cleansers, agri­chem­i­cals, bromi­nated veg­etable oils, phar­ma­ceu­ti­cal drugs and inhalers, and fire-retardant mate­ri­als has cre­ated the mod­ern, linked epi­demics of bro­mide tox­i­c­ity and iodine deficiency.

Talking to some colleagues recently an interesting conversation started suggesting that a group not often assessed for toxicity issues, but none the less a group with some frightful statistics when it comes to mental problems along the lines of depression and suicides - that is dairy farmers. WHY?
Consider the daily cleaning of milk vats and equipment - once again commonly using chemical cleaning agents that are loaded with chlorines and/or bromates.
So if you know dairy farmers who are not on top of their game low iodine and thyroid issues could certainly be part of the problem.

The most well known point about Iodine is knowing that it is required to maintain the normal physiology of the thyroid gland. But what many don't realise is that only 30% of the body's iodine stores are found in this gland.
Iodine is of significance when considering reproductive health especially for women and cancer prevention. It is well researched that Japanese women have historically had very low rates of breast cancer and are known to consume high levels of iodine in the form of sea vegetables.

Another lesser known thing about Iodine is its ability to resist radiation. And here we have another modern pitfall for us all. We know the thyroid gland is highly sensitive to and can be damaged by radiation on all the different levels that would include not only the obvious x-rays and medical tests but the more subtle exposure to our cell phones and mix of wireless products we love to use. If we are low in Iodine then our body will not be able to protect itself from EMF's and radiation.

Now coming back to this point from earlier - Low intake of Iodine is the world’s leading cause of intellectual deficiency - I am not sure what to make of this, it is quite clear that health authorities know a low intake of Iodine is the world’s leading cause of intellectual deficiency and yet nothing seems to be happening to address it.

So if the health authorities know this and are not doing anything to address this global deficiency then essentially they are happy to be creating a progressively less intelligent population.

That is of course if we continue to reproduce at all as Iodine is critical in the whole fertility cycle.
A change that was made back in the 1980's in the baking industry was due to erro­neous con­cerns that Iodine being used as a dough conditioner might cause prob­lems with the thy­roid gland, sci­en­tists advo­cated iodine to be replaced by bromine in the 1980s. Iodine sup­ports fer­til­ity where as bromine sup­presses fer­til­ity. 
In fact bromine offers NONE of the benefits that iodine does so what type of "science" this decision was based on is a bit of a mystery.

In one article I read the authour suggests that Bromine pesticides and fire retardants are the new DDT? Bromine exposure is the biochemical equivalent of global warming.
"The result: environmental bromines that abound, poison the thyroid and brain, slow down metabolism and sedate the mind. Weight gain, illness and brain fog increase. Nutritional iodine is the perfect antidote for bromine poisoning. Its depletion is the cause of the Iodine Crisis." 

Here is a little about Bromine - I have written a about Bromine before but to recap here are some of the things we know about this toxic halide.

Bromines are simply endocrine disruptors - they mess with your hormones. They cause problems because they quite simply compete for the same receptors that are used by the body to capture Iodine.
You will find Bromine in the following:

• Methyl bromide - a pesticide used in crops such as strawberries
• Plastics - such as those used to make computers and accessories
• Baked goods and some flour - dough conditioner as potassium bromate
• Soft drinks - in the form of BVO's(brominated vegetable oils) used as an emulsifier
• Medications - everything from inhalers like Atrovent to nasal sprays and even anesthetics
• Swimming Pool cleaning chemicals - also for spa pools/hot tubs
• Fire retardants - in your home this could be on or in clothing, curtains, carpets, bedding and mattresses

The following is a quote from one researcher - Van Leeuwen, who has extensively studied the effects of sodium bromide on thyroid function:

"Although the bromide ion is widely distributed in nature, the main route of exposure in humans stems from bromide residues in food commodities as a result of the abundant use of bromide-containing pesticides, like methylbromide and ethylene dibromide, for soil fumigation in intensive horticulture and for postharvest treatment."

I am trying not to get off the subject, but here is a reminder of what bromine toxicity could look like for you:

• Cardiac Arrhythmia's
• Fatigue
• Metallic taste
• Severe acne and skin rashes
• Abdominal pain and loss of appetite

Lets get back to the Iodine story.
Information at a recent seminar with Dr Darryl Turner suggests Iodine is one of those fundamentals required for breast cancer patients and their aim should be for "Iodine Saturation"
Studies also conclude that a high intake of iodine is associated with a low incidence of breast cancer, and a low intake with a high incidence of breast cancer.

Breast tissue is rich in the same iodine-transporting proteins used by the thyroid gland to take up iodine from the blood. Your breasts contain one of the highest concentrations of Iodine in your body. It is theorised that an absence of iodine renders the breast epithelium more sensitive to oestrogen stimulation. 

Symptoms of Iodine deficiency are varied and associated conditions could include with breast hyperplasia, and other hormonal imbalances including ovarian cysts and polycystic ovarian syndrome, oestrogen excess, obesity, insulin resistance, syndrome X and cancer.

Some common signs and symptoms of Iodine deficiency:

• Lethargy and general tiredness
• Dry hair or skin
• Requiring more sleep than usual
• Weak muscles
• Constant feeling of cold hands and feet
• Frequent muscle cramps
• Poor memory
• Changing moods
• Constipation
• Easy weight gain
• Thinning eye-brows(the outer third)
• Irregular or heavy mense
• Puffy hands or feet
• Coarse hair or hair loss

Iodine plays various roles in breast health:
• It desensitises oestrogen receptors in the breast (and reduces oestrogen production in overactive ovaries).
• Reduces fibrocystic breast disease which often precedes breast cancer.
• Causes cancer cell death, by slowing down cell division and reducing blood vessel growth to tumours.

A Canadian doctor  - Dr David Derry - states that there would be a precipitous drop in cancer rates if the level of Iodine was raised above saturation point of the thyroid.

Dr Derry wrote a book some years ago titled "Breast Cancer and Iodine", another great example of simple and concise work with cancers and fibrocystic breast disease that many have benefited from, unfortunately another Dr became a little upset after a patient he had NO success with was "cured" by Dr Derry. The outcome was a very lopsided court case resulting in Dr Derry losing his licence to practice medicine. Another case of a physician thinking outside the box and having great success with thousands of patients, unfortunately medical authorities don't like it when one of theirs doesn't followed the approved protocols.

Iodine is essential to the developing newborn brain; thus a mother stores iodine in breast tissue to supply iodine directly to the nursing infant. 

But it isn't as simple as - low iodine = low thyroid function = poor breast health. There is so much more to this whole picture, breast tissue is one area, diabetes is another, not to mention your heart.

Yes, a low (hypo)thyroid condition due to a deficiency in iodine can also have a dramatic impact on long term cardiovascular health.
Thyroid disease directly affects and alters the normal functioning of the heart. The data continues and we are told that subclinical hypothyroidism is insidious and in some instances a heart attack can be the only initial manifestation. Subclinical simply means that the standard tests come out as normal or within the "normal" parameters so most physicians will then make the assumption all is OK.         

I can see this article is getting rather long, so lets look at perhaps the most important thing for now.
How do we accurately test if we are low in Iodine?
A great question, we know that the standard tests for these things and thyroid function are only very crude indicators so the test we are now able to offer has been developed by Dr Darryl Turner and it is done here in NZ.

Its refered to as the Thyrodine Iodine test and the nice thing is we can send you a kit with everything you need, you collect both a urine and saliva sample and send it away, a week or so later we will have your results and if appropriate can start correcting any issues that may be indicated.
This test is great for Iodine but of course if there is a suspected thyroid issue such as Hashimoto disease or an auto immune condition further tests to look at thyroid antibodies would be appropriate also. 

Test it first and if appropriate treat it next.
Thyrodine Iodine Test

In the next newsletter I will talk more about ways to overcome the iodine efficiency, have run out of time here :)

Whats Coming Up?

This is where we keep you updated on courses run by Maximum Wellbeing as well as shows we may be attending in your region or events we think may be of interest.
Andy is preparing material for some courses she will be hosting for small groups in the near future - watch this space for more info.

What about YouTube?

Don't know about you, but these words just ring so true, all you need is a minute - but you may want to listen to the whole speech if you have time. Its all inspiring stuff

Watch the Video

Naturopaths Own Green Juice Powder:
Here we have another really nice product that offers a new way of getting enough greens.
New from the team at Naturopaths Own its a combination of potent green juice powders and much more.

This is one of those products that takes nutritional supplementation up a notch - if you are using a multi-vitamin but would like to improve upon that and don't mind mixing a powder with some water or juice from a power packed blend of some of natures wonderful green foods along with other food sourced anti-oxidants and probiotics then perhaps its time to make the switch.

I am sure you won't be disappointed. Its a multi-mineral, multi-vitamin, multi-enzyme, multi-probiotic, multi-amino acid.

Have a look at the specifications on the product page and make a comparison with any green foods you are using. Powdered juices offer a great alternative to powdered grasses.
As a result of testing on myself this has become my "green" of choice lately and is part of my daily routine. In fact I use a spoonful of the Green Juice Factors combined with a spoonful of the Naturopaths Own Daily C as my basic starter for the day. 

Health snippets(International News)

Liver damage, kidney damage and hormonal disturbance:
This is what a study done with Professor Seralini showed the links between Roundup and GM Maize

After the research was published it created such a stink from the proGMO'ers  and a sustained campaign of criticism and defamation that it was retracted by the Editor late last year.
Extra material has now been added to the original publication that takes care of all of the critics comments and the research has been republished.
I wonder what the proGMOer's will try now

Read more by clicking here

DEALS of the MONTH:  This month we are offering free shipping for the Thyrodine Iodine test, order here and we will do the rest. We also have a few dollars off the Green Juice Factors Plus Probiotic 10 Billion CFU. Click here.
Hope you are keeping warm and dry.

Yours in good health