Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It

189 Pages·2014·1.79 MB·English

by  David Brownstein

• NATIONAL BEST SELLER •
New Edition • 3 New Chapters
IODINE
WHY YOU NEED IT
WHY YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT
5th Edition
David Brownstein, M.D.
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Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It 5th Edition
Copyright © 2014 by David Brownstein, M.D.
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced without written consent from the
publisher.
ISBN: 978-0-9660882-3-6
Medical Alternatives Press
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West Bloomfield, Michigan 48323
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Acknowledgements
I gratefully acknowledge the help I have received from my friends and
colleagues in putting this book together. This book could not have been
published without help from the editors—my wife Allison, Dr. Guy Abraham,
Stephanie Buist, Dr. Robert Radtke, Dawn Malott, and Janet Darnell. To Hailey
Brownstein, thanks for the title pages!
I would also like to thank my patients. It is your search for safe and effective
natural treatments that is the driving force behind holistic medicine. You have
accompanied me down this path and I appreciate each and every one of you.
And, to my staff. Thank you so very much for taking this trip with me.
Without your help and support, none of this would be possible. I do appreciate
all of your hard work and your dedication.
A Word of Caution to the Reader
The information presented in this book is based on the training and
professional experience of the author. The treatments recommended in this book
should not be undertaken without first consulting a physician. Proper laboratory
and clinical monitoring is essential to achieving the goals of finding safe and
natural treatments. This book was written for informational and educational
purposes only. It is not intended to be used as medical advice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Brownstein, M.D. is a Board-Certified family physician who utilizes the
best of conventional and alternative therapies. He is the Medical Director for the
Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, MI. He is a graduate of the
University of Michigan and Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr.
Brownstein is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the
American College for the Advancement in Medicine. He is the father of two
beautiful girls, Hailey and Jessica and is a retired soccer coach. Dr. Brownstein
has lectured internationally about his success using natural items. Dr.
Brownstein has authored eleven books: Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You
Can’t Live Without It, 5th Edition; Vitamin B12 for Health; Drugs That Don’t
Work and Natural Therapies That Do, 2nd Edition; The Miracle of Natural
Hormones 3rd Edition; Overcoming Thyroid Disorders 3rd Edition;
Overcoming Arthritis; Salt Your Way to Health, 2nd Edition; The Guide To
Healthy Eating, 2nd Edition; The Guide to a Gluten-Free Diet, 2nd Edition;
The Guide to a Dairy-Free Diet; and The Soy Deception.

Dr. Brownstein’s office is located at:
Center for Holistic Medicine 5821 W. Maple Rd.
Ste. 192
West Bloomfield, MI 48322
248.851.1600
www.drbrownstein.com
www.centerforholisticmedicine.com
Contents
Preface
Foreword
Chapter 1: Introduction to Iodine
Chapter 2: Iodine Deficiency and Iodized Salt
Chapter 3: Different Forms of Iodine
Chapter 4: Iodine and the Thyroid Gland
Chapter 5: The Oxidation and Organification of Iodine
Chapter 6: Iodine and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
Chapter 7: The Selenium/Iodine Connection
Chapter 8: Iodine, Breast Cancer, and Fibrocystic Breast Disease
Chapter 9: The Importance of Iodine Before Pregnancy
Chapter 10: Children, ADHD, Autism, and Iodine
Chapter 11: Toxic Halides: Bromide and Fluoride
Chapter 12: Detoxification Questions and Answers
Chapter 13: Iodine Dosage Guidelines
Chapter 14: Case Histories
Chapter 15: Questions and Answers
Chapter 16: Final Thoughts: Overcoming Medical Iodophobia
Appendix
Index
DEDICATION
To the women of my life: Allison, Hailey, and Jessica, with all my love
To physicians not satisfied with the dogma who are willing to search for a
new paradigm that promotes health.
To my staff: Thanks so much for all of your help and encouragement. I
appreciate all of your hard work.
And, to my patients. Thank you for being interested in what I am
interested in.
Last, but certainly not least. I dedicate this book to my mentor on iodine:
Dr. Guy Abraham.
PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION
Of all the elements known so far to be essential for human health, iodine is
the most misunderstood and the most feared. Yet iodine is the safest of all the
essential trace elements, being the only one that can be administered safely for
long periods of time to large numbers of patients in daily amounts as high as
100,000 times the RDA. However, this safety record only applies to inorganic
nonradioactive forms of iodine. Based on a review of the literature, both forms,
iodine and iodide, are needed for optimal function of every organ and cell of the
human body.1
Some organic iodine-containing drugs, such as amiodarone, are extremely
toxic and prescribed by physicians. The severe side effects of these drugs are
blamed on inorganic iodine although studies have clearly demonstrated that it is
the whole molecule that is toxic, not the iodine released from it. A case in point:
the thyroid hormones are organic iodine-containing substances. Not a single
physician has attributed the effects of thyroid hormones to inorganic iodine.
Why not? They are basically the same forms of iodine covalently bound to an
organic molecule. This author believes that this inconsistency of doublethink is
most likely due to decreased cognition caused by iodine deficiency. Medical
iodophobia may have caused more human misery and death than both world
wars combined by preventing meaningful clinical research in the daily amount
of iodine needed for optimal physical and mental health2.
It is of interest that the recommended daily amount of iodine for
supplementation by clinicians of previous generations, that is 12.5-37.5 mg in
the form of Lugol’s solution, turns out to be the exact range of intake for
sufficiency of the whole human body, based on a recently developed loading
test.3 Iodine/iodide in the proper amounts resulted in increased urinary excretion
of heavy metals such as lead and mercury; and had a detoxifying effect by
increasing excretion of the toxic halides fluoride and bromide.4 It is time to wake
up and realize that we are sitting on the shoulders of the giants of past
generations who have given us useful information, which we have discarded in
favor of preconceived ideas by self-appointed experts.
This book by Dr. David Brownstein is a welcome departure from the past
and a fresh look at facts only, discarding myths and unfounded concerns about
inorganic nonradioactive iodine/iodide. Patients will be grateful to Dr.
Brownstein for bringing to light a simple, safe, inexpensive way of healing many
medical conditions.
medical conditions.
The ultimate Healer is the Creator of heaven and earth. His guidance has
been felt constantly during this project by this author. May He bless and guide
Dr. Brownstein and his patients.
“I the LORD am your healer.”
(Exodus 15:26)
Guy E. Abraham, M.D., FACN.
1 Abraham, G.E., Flechas, J.D., Hakala, J.C., Orthoiodosupplementation: Iodine
sufficiency of the whole human body. The Original Internist, 9:30-41, 2002.
2 Abraham, G.E., The Wolff-Chaikoff Effect of Increasing Iodide Intake on the
Thyroid. Townsend Letter, 245:100-101, 2003.
3 Abraham, G.E. The safe and effective implementation or
orthoiodosupplementation in medical practice. The Original Internist, April 2004
(In press).
4 Abraham, G.E., Iodine Supplementation Markedly Increases Urinary Excretion
of Fluoride and Bromide. Townsend Letter, 238:108-109, 2003