Have you wondered if your thyroid is the cause of your weight gain or decreased metabolism only to be told by your doctor that everything is normal? Have you noticed that your thyroid medicines have to constantly be adjusted?  The problem may be iodine deficiency. Did you know that the thyroid is very dependent on adequate levels of iodide to function normally?

In the western world we have thought for years we were immune to iodide deficiency because of our diet. The fact that many are on low salt diets and the use of bromide in bread has been a cause for this new epidemic of iodide deficiency. Bromide actually acts to deplete iodide levels in the body.

What are the symptoms of iodide deficiency? Slowed metabolism, weight gain and constipation are some of the metabolic changes associated with iodide deficiency.  Iodide leaves us open to free radical exposure and a decreased immune response. Iodide deficiency disrupts proper function of hormones.  This leads to emotional imbalance, anxiety, and a lack of sexual interest.  A recent Canadian Journal of Surgery found a 70% reduction in fibrocystic breast disease after iodide was replenished.

There is a strong correlation with breast cancer and iodide deficiency. This is seen in Japanese women who consume a diet 25 times higher than the average American’s diet. Japanese women have one-third the risk of breast cancer of those found in American women. This difference disappears in Japanese women once they migrate to America, where they consume less iodide rich seaweed.  In animal studies they showed a 2.5 fold reduction in breast cancers. The breast cancer cells avidly adsorb iodide, which suppresses tumor growth and causes cell death.

Testing for iodide deficiency is quite easy. It involves loading with iodide and then checking for spillage of iodide during a 24-hour urine collection. If the body spills most of the iodide, then there is not a deficiency and the converse is seen when little is excreted.

Iodide is critical to healthy thyroid function. The deficiency can cause weight gain, fatigue, depression, cognitive decline, and a variety of cancers. The rates of iodide deficiency has reached epidemic proportions, increasing fourfold over the last 40 years. A startling 74% of normal “healthy” adults may not be consuming sufficient iodide.

Don’t sit back and wonder! Get yourself checked! Call us at Synergy Wellness and Weight loss and schedule your test.

Dr. Dent is the creator of the “Synergy System,” a wellness and weight loss program that promotes metabolic and hormonal balance. With weight loss centers in Columbia, Florence, and Sumter, SC, Dr. Dent’s program has helped patients from all across South Carolina meet their weight loss goals and improve their overall wellness.