Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I’ve read your article on Iodine and I am concerned about the amount of Iodine you recommend. Other health information I’ve read warns against getting more than 600 mcg. It’s also been said that taking iodine over 750 mcg for a period of time can inhibit the secretion of thyroid hormone. Please help me understand the correct dose!” —Cindie C., Courtland, AL A. Dear Cindie, Thank you for your interest in iodine, which is one of the most overlooked—yet absolutely essential– minerals in the diet today. The requirements for vitamins and minerals and general nutrition are extremely outdated. These levels were set to prevent deficiency diseases, not to achieve optimal health. I recommend that you go to the website listed below and review the information by one of the leading physicians in research on iodine today. He does a wonderful job of explaining why we need higher levels, and how environmental changes have greatly impacted our iodine requirements. Visit Dr. David Brownstein’s website at https://www.drbrownstein.com/homePage.php. You may also want to get a copy of his book, Iodine: Why You Need It and Why You Can’t Live Without It. I have personally worked with iodine supplementation over the past three years and have seen some remarkable recoveries from individuals who are taking 50 to 100 mg of iodine daily. I personally consume a minimum of 50 mg per day and when I feel the need I increase to 100 mg a day. And rather than see healthy iodine levels DECREASE thyroid hormone levels, it greatly helps support INCREASED thyroid hormone levels in people with suboptimal thyroid function. Dr. Szent Györgyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner for medicine in 1939, called iodine the “most magical and miraculous medicine of all.” It was a commonly used and effective medicine before World War II, but lost favor to the patentable drugs since iodine, a natural substance, could not be patented. I believe we will see sweeping changes in recommendations for daily iodine intake going forward. This is comparable to what we have seen with vitamin D. Once limited to about 400 IUs of vitamin D daily, we now see doctors recommending that the proper level is approximately 5,000 IUs of vitamin D per day—and more for some people. Nutritional science is ever-evolving and changing. Healthy regards! Terry . . . Naturally