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When I was first putting together the information for the Rapid Regeneration program, I considered not including the information regarding iodine. ’It’s too controversial,’ I thought to myself. ‘I’ll get criticism from both sides.’
However, I decided that I can’t not include it — it would be unethical. Whether or not something is controversial, I must consider the efficacy of how well it works and if it can help somebody. Iodine is something I have been privy to for almost a decade as of the time of writing. The fact is that there does exist so many countless reports of this one mineral having dramatically life-altering positive effects and even helping to reverse the most horrific health issues.
And so rather than omitting this information from you, or just mentioning it briefly in passing, what I did was expand my knowledge of this nuanced subject as much as I possibly could to bring you more detailed documentation so you can make decisions for yourself whether this is something worth trying. I am sure I will receive criticism because it is a controversial subject and God can be the judge of whether I am doing the right thing.
There are many nuances and even some risks to iodine supplementation. In my view the risks are far greater of not getting enough iodine and suffering the devastating consequences of iodine deficiency or insufficiency. It seems like the body has its own way of excreting excess iodine if too much is consumed via the kidneys and urinary tract. With all this said, if it is medical advice about your unique situation that you seek with regard to iodine supplementation, then you should check with your own medical professional.
Iodine is an essential trace mineral. There is a receptor site for iodine found in every cell in the human body, and iodine plays an essential role for overall cellular health, reproductive health, cognitive and mental performance, thyroid function, connective tissue, and probably other functions that we don’t fully understand.
A lack of enough iodine in the body may result in problems such as:
— Weight gain and poor weight management
— Swelling of the throat
— Tiredness / Low Energy / Fatigue / Exhaustion
— Hair loss
— Dry skin
— Issues or discomfort with menstruation
— Lumps and hardened cysts in the breasts
— Infertility issues
— Cognitive impairment
— Brain Fog
— Poor mood
— Constipation
— Cold extremities
— Pain and discomfort in the muscles, joints, and connective tissue
There are a number of hypotheses regarding why iodine levels are so low in the soil, the food, and consequently inside of humans. These theories range from the idea that humans have migrated away from sea-faring communities and more inland, to a premise that a great flood wiped away the topsoil leaving behind barren, nutrient-deprived soil from which we now get our foods, to a concept that modern humans are full of modern artificial chemicals which can block the uptake and utilization of iodine and iodine has also been shown to help remove some of these harmful chemicals and heavy metals.
What is the key to the mystery of the missing molecule? I am not exactly sure myself. But it does seem to me based on research that, with a few exceptions (like the Japanese who tend to consume about 15 mg of iodine per day in their diet high in seaweed and seafood), most of humankind is consuming very little iodine. Even iodized table salt has very little iodine and is not easily absorbed by the body due to sublimation while being stored and being in competition with the chloride found in salt.
How much iodine is enough? This is another area of great controversy. By the way, please note that when I mention iodine it is referencing either iodine or iodide, or some combination of the two (the body uses both). There are opinions ranging that the daily intake of iodine should be anywhere from 100 micrograms to 50 or more milligrams. The high dose of this range is 500 times greater than the low dose! This is one of the challenging things to discern, because all of these dosages are made up anyways by various men and women who have their own opinions.
Let’s look back throughout history and up through recent times for more answers. In the latter half of the 1800s and first half of the 1900s, a typical therapeutic dose of iodine was anywhere from 15mg to 100mg, while some mega-dosing of up to 1,000 or 2,000 mg was used in more rare acute instances. By the 1950s, a phobia of iodine developed among the mainstream scientific community, due to claims from two industry men by the name of Wolff and Chaikoff which made unsubstantiated assumptions regarding T4 release in rats being a negative consequence of iodine consumption. This resulted in about a 50 year chilling phase whereby professionals became nervous to recommend more than 200 micrograms of iodine and higher therapeutic use of iodine fell out of fashion with most mainstream practitioners (although it was still acknowledged that lack of iodine can cause major health problems and so table salt continued to be iodized in small amounts by the government of USA and many others).
In the late 1990s, a scientific investigation was undertaken which was informally referred to as the ‘Iodine Project’, and which included Dr. Guy Abraham, Dr. Jorge Flechas, Dr. David Brownstein and others. These individuals conducted laboratory and clinical research involving thousands of patients to document more accurately the effects of iodine therapies.
It was determined by this group that when an adequate amount of iodine is consumed by the human body over time, the body will retain about 1,500 to 2,000 mg of iodine in its tissues and excrete out any excess consumed through the kidneys and urinary tract. A test was developed which concluded that whole body saturation was achieved whenever the following test indicated the following — an individual consuming a 50 mg tablet of iodine/iodide who would then excrete out 90% of those iodine contents in his or her urine over the following 24 hours, indicating that because the body’s tissues were already saturated with iodine, the body didn’t need to absorb very much of this test dose.
This is one of two tests that one can take to get insight into the levels of iodine in the body. The ideal initial test is a basic spot test which will provide a snapshot into how much iodine is in the body to begin with. The other test is a loading test, as described above, where an individual will consume a dose of iodine and then see over 24 hours how much iodine gets excreted out through the urine and how much iodine gets absorbed by the body. If very little iodine is excreted out of the body after the 50 mg tablet is consumed during the loading test, then it indicates that the body is starved for iodine and as a result is absorbing a very high amount due to this deficit.
If you are interested in testing your own iodine levels, you can take the at-home tests for yourself:
RapidRegeneration.com/IodineTest
How was it determined that 90% excretion and above was considered the ‘adequate’ amount of iodine body saturation, and below 90% was considered deficient or insufficient? This is where the science is not black and white and we will have to discern for ourselves. Among other logical considerations, the researchers of the Iodine Project, while working with thousands of patients, also made this conclusion factoring in the reports of the patients of how well they felt and how well they performed during their daily activities at various levels of iodine saturation within their bodies.
It so happened that the patients were supposedly reporting their best feelings of well-being and performance when they were sufficient with iodine to the point where they would excrete 90% or more of the iodine dosage. This premise was based on thousands of patients and so, while we should take it with a grain of salt, it is at least somewhat conclusive.
It is reported that higher levels of iodine in the body may be linked to:
— Better mood
— Improved mental performance
— Higher IQ
— Superior cognitive abilities
— Enhanced support of nervous system
— Mood support
— Greater immune system function
— Reduction of cysts
— Regulation of hormones such as estrogens
— Helping clear skin and prevent acne
— Thyroid balance and proper function
— Fertility support
— Assistance with a healthy pregnancy and healthy development of a baby during pregnancy
What dosage was required to get patients to that level of iodine saturation (at least 90% excretion during a loading test), and what dosage is required to maintain that level after saturation is achieved? This is another complex question, but according the available documentation, the typical dosage in order to achieve body saturation would be slowly worked up over several weeks until reaching approximately 25 to 50 mg (with 50 mg being typical) or in some cases more per day and would continue at that level for several months during the phase of saturating the body with iodine. Then, the patient would be retested a few months later and it could be determined whether to taper down to a lower more maintenance dose.
A typical person might take 12.5 mg for 5-10 days, then 25 mg for 5-10 days, then 37.5 mg for 5-10 days, then 50 mg daily after that for 3 to 6 months, or until whole body saturation is achieved (as measured by 90%+ of a 50 mg dose being excreted over 24 hours during the iodine loading test). There are also reports of some individuals having to take a higher dosage even up to 100 mg per day, perhaps due to being overweight and having more body mass, or having severely advanced health issues, or being very toxic and full of chemicals such as bromide. Dosages are best absorbed on an empty stomach, and there are some reports that the body seems to absorb iodine better if the daily amount is split up and taken in multiple dosages throughout the day.
A few months after supplementing with iodine, to keep track of the body’s iodine saturation levels, an individual can test his or her urine once again. After full body saturation of iodine has been achieved, a maintenance dose for somebody to feel at their best state of wellness and performance has been reported to be between 10 mg to 50 mg in the vast majority of cases. In many cases the daily dosage has reported to be on the low end of this amount, and some individuals even take a dose on the low end of this range only once or a couple times per week. Follow up testing can be performed to confirm what amount of a maintenance dose is needed in order to excrete at least 90% of iodine in a loading test. The energy levels and feelings of well-being in the individual can also be taken into account to determine adequate dosage amount for maintenance going forward after somebody has achieved iodine body saturation.
It is true that taking iodine has been shown to detoxify chemicals from the body like bromide, fluoride, and even heavy metals like lead, aluminum, arsenic, cadmium and mercury. Particularly suspect are the halides — bromide, and fluoride, as well as perchlorate (a manmade toxic chemical). Chloride is not harmful on such a toxic level as bromide or fluoride are and is an essential halide, but it is possible to still be overloaded with chlorine which is used excessively in public water supplies, These molecules are all similar to iodine in size and elemental characteristics, and will actually fill the same cellular receptor site that iodine is supposed to go into.
In an ordinary, natural world, this would not be so much of an issue because these would be very rare elements. However, in the modern world, chlorine is used very heavily in pools and tap-water, fluoride is ubiquitously used in drinking water and oral hygiene products, and bromide is used very commonly in bread and flour products, and as a fire retardant in vehicle interiors, carpets, and many other items. Therefore, exposure to the ‘bad halides’ is extremely high in the modern era. This causes what little iodine is being consumed to not be able to be absorbed by the body as easily. It also creates a unique modern situation where the very substance which can detoxify a modern human body of these artificial chemicals is in fact more iodine. And so it seems that perhaps the need for iodine is that much greater in our contemporary world and this could help explain why so many individuals report feeling so much better when their bodies are saturated with this wondrous molecule — perhaps because of constant exposure to these other concentrated toxins which can be removed more easily with the assistance of iodine.
As a result of this phenomenon, supplementing with iodine can sometimes cause some fairly dramatic detoxification symptoms, because of the halides and other heavy metals being dislodged in the body and filtered out. While this is happening, they can get reabsorbed in the body’s tissues, especially fat, skeletal, and brain tissue. This can be especially uncomfortable with bromide and fluoride detoxification.
For example, symptoms of bromide detoxification can include:
— Fatigue
— Irritability
— Headache
— Coughing and mucus formation
— Feelings of negative emotions, listlessness and existential crisis
— Pain and stiffness
— Toxins coming out of the skin
— Excessive sweating
These same symptoms of detoxification occurring during clearance of these harmful chemicals may also be felt ordinarily, without an individual undergoing iodine supplementation and bromide detox, on a milder level based on the fact that these compounds were already existing in the body perpetually. Just remember that the end goal in this particular approach is to rid the body of these harmful substances from a detox standpoint and have the body’s tissues instead saturated with beneficial iodine from a nutrient standpoint. The supplementation of iodine helps to achieve both goals.
For some, detoxification from these substances is fairly nonchalant and for others it’s no picnic. Personally, I can attest to the intensity of this and it can even make the prospect of iodine supplementation intimidating to some. There are available methods to assist with this. It has been observed that the chloride from salt can also assist especially with removal of bromide from the body. This led to the development of the ‘Salt Loading Protocol’, whereby you can take 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of all-natural, unrefined salt, mix it in 12 ounces of purified warm water and drink it, followed by 16 ounces of purified water, and this can be administered 1-2 times per day. This should be followed by lots of urination and studies have quantified that this does help clear more bromide from the body than otherwise would be excreted.
You can find a quality form of this salt here:
RapidRegeneration.com/Salt
If the feelings are getting too intense, somebody can also pull back from taking the iodine, reducing the dosage or stopping the dosage for one to two days before starting again and seeing if that helps slow down the speed of detoxication. Also, in order to assist with the removal of bromide, fluoride and/or heavy metals from the body, somebody could also consider supplementing with an herbal protocol that will help to stimulate the lymphatic system and/or the kidneys. This greatly helped me personally to round the corner while overcoming bromide detoxification.
As I mentioned early on, iodine supplementation is not always a walk through the park and it is controversial. Although the wild and extreme claims of individuals like Wolf and Chaikoff which scared the entire mainstream community from utilizing this helpful molecule are logically unfounded and speculative, there can exist risks associated with iodine supplementation. Although these risks may be present to some degree, the theory that iodine supplementation can lead to an imbalance of the thyroid gland, for example, does seem to be based on an inaccurate misinterpretation of lower than normal T4 secretion and higher than normal TSH production when high levels of iodine are consumed. This was presented as a very negative impact for the thyroid of the body with iodine being the cause of this supposed bad problem.
A more reasonable explanation for why you would see elevated TSH when somebody is supplementing with iodine is because the pituitary gland is intentionally raising TSH so that the iodine can be actually absorbed into the cells. TSH helps to support sodium-iodide symporter function and so it would be expected to see increased levels of TSH during early iodine supplementation, and it would be wise to monitor this measurement over the course of several months and see if they return to normal levels after the cells in the body has become saturated with iodine. You can quantify levels of TSH in the body with a standard blood test showing thyroid function. Also the T4 decrease seems to be related to the iodine sufficiency of the thyroid gland having being achieved by means of the iodine that was consumed, rather than the dubious theory which espouses that the thyroid is being blocked by the iodine and therefore is behaving in an under-active manner.
Despite this logical reasoning regarding TSH and T4 relative to iodine supplementation, the mainstream theory abounds that iodine actually causes the thyroid to malfunction and many otherwise smart and highly educated people buy into this sketchy premise without investigating the logic of it and are scared as a result to utilize the helpful effects of iodine.
To be fair, there are some extremely rare cases of individuals — for example somebody with a so-called ‘hot’ thyroid nodule (autonomously functioning) — who may have a poor response to iodine supplementation, or extreme symptoms of ‘iodism’ (reactions to iodine like fatigue or headache, which have been reported only extremely uncommonly). If this is happening, it seems like this person should stop and definitely should consult their medical professional if they need medical advice.
There are also other individuals who have an existing issue with thyroid function who are concerned about the use of iodine. In reality, it seems like the problems associated with irregular thyroid function are more likely related to a lack of adequate levels of iodine in the body. In fact, as part of the Iodine Project, many individuals were observed reversing problems they were having with their thyroids, breasts, reproductive organs, and other systems of the body after their bodies became saturated with iodine due to supplementation.
Speaking of specific areas of the body improving after exposure to iodine, iodine is also reported to improve certain problems not only when orally ingested (in tablet form of iodine/iodide), but also when a liquid form is topically applied (Lugol’s solution of of iodine/iodide). This has been reported to be particularly effective when applied to the breasts of women (the mammary glands of the breasts concentrate an especially high amount of iodine), or applied to the testicles of men, and can also be used for other areas of the body.
The quality tablet form of iodine can be found here:
RapidRegeneration.com/IodineTablet
The quality liquid form of iodine can be found here:
RapidRegeneration.com/LiquidIodine
Iodine is also controversial because the chemical reaction it creates in the body can potentially create oxidative damage if not handled in a balanced and nuanced manner. Just as you will find a mineral in nature among many other molecules, compounds, and vitamins that all balance each other out synergistically, so too is iodine best assimilated by the body in the presence of other nutrients. Taking iodine in an isolated form can be risky and can cause problems in the form of oxidative stress from a chemical standpoint to the cells of the body if enough other critical nutrients are not also present.
The ideal nutrients that work synergistically with the assimilation of iodine are the following:
— 25 grams approximately per day of high quality barley grass juice powder which contains, among other ingredients, magnesium, potassium, iron, in addition to many other vitamins and minerals
RapidRegeneration.com/GreenPowder
— 100 to 200 mg of Selenium, 1 to 7 times per week
— There is some indication that higher frequency of dosage during early iodine supplementation may be more appropriate followed by tapering off to lower frequency of dosage
— You could also consider taking selenium for a couple weeks prior to iodine supplementation to help prepare the system for better assimilation and absorption of the iodine
RapidRegeneration.com/Selenium
— 500 milligrams to 5 grams Vitamin C (in the form of sodium ascorbate), 1-7 times per week, with a more frequent dosage often preferred especially during higher dosage iodine supplementation and especially during bromide detox
RapidRegeneration.com/VitaminCPowder
— Many individuals report also doing well by taking Vitamins B2 and B3 to assist with the complete cellular energy cycle
15 to 400 mg Riboflavin (B2) 1-7 times per week
RapidRegeneration.com/B2
110 mg to 400 mg Niacin (B3) 1-7 times per week
RapidRegeneration.com/B3
— Instead of supplementing individually with B2 and B3, somebody might also consider instead taking a full-spectrum B-complex supplement:
RapidRegeneration.com/BComplex
— Zinc, 10 mg to 30 mg, 1-7 times per week
— There is some indication that a high frequency may be more appropriate towards the beginning of iodine supplementation, and then tapering it down and potentially dropping it off in some cases
RapidRegeneration.com/Zinc
— Magnesium, 150 mg to 600 mg, 1-7 times per week
— Do be careful with this one as somebody may be getting magnesium from food which is much more bioavailable and which could in adequate amounts without additional supplementation
RapidRegeneration.com/Magnesium
— All-Natural Sea Salt, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon added to food daily
— It seems like this is better utilized in the early stages of iodine supplementation, especially with bromide detoxification, and then tapered off more as the body becomes more saturated with iodine and cleared of bromide
— This can also be done in conjunction with the ‘Salt Loading Protocol’ as mentioned earlier which can be especially helpful for somebody going through bromide detox
— Salt Loading Protocol: 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of all-natural, unrefined salt, mix it in 12 ounces of purified warm water and drink it, followed by 16 ounces of purified water, and this can be administered 1-2 times per day
RapidRegeneration.com/Salt
— In addition to this, somebody should also eat a nourishing and nutritious array of foods including lots of fruits, some vegetables, nuts and seeds, and should also investigate any other nutritional deficits for which he or she might consider additional supplementation.
Dosages of supplements should ideally be individualized to somebody’s specific needs and responses. Somebody needs to figure out whether they do better with a certain supplement being consumed daily, or every couple days, or once a week, as well as what amount of dosage if any they best respond to.
If you are serious about iodine supplementation it helps to have guidance and mentorship. Many mainstream people in the scientific community are still blindly following conventional dogma around iodine based on faulty claims from almost a century ago. You can alternatively find a practitioner who knows about iodine supplementation and is privy to much of the new research from the Iodine Project and other sources to assist you with some additional guidance. You can find a resource to locate a practitioner if you would like some more personalized assistance in your own supplementation journey here:
RapidRegeneration.com/IodinePractitioner
You can see there are many nuances and subtleties of the iodine story and how a single little trace element can change the wellness of an entire species dramatically. This knowledge is not black and white. Long-lasting wellness is awarded to those deserving of the discernment required to figure out the truth. I don’t claim to have all the answers, and as I go through my own journey of detoxification and regeneration, I am still figuring out things for myself. I am making a commitment to sharing with you all of the deep research, experience, and insights that I have into these issues, including the iodine issue.
I believe this information is revolutionary and I am honored to be a part of taking back our health and wellness as a species. I wish you great discernment and that you will figure out your way forward and figure out if and how this magical molecule will fit into your body and your life.