FW: Update on Daughters TSH

[Guest guest]

Some might say iodine deficiency is very rare in the UK, but, in

fact, it is not, especially inland. Have you read Dr Peatfield's speech he gave

at one of our Meetings Ann, I have pasted a copy below for you: I

guess if you are relying on iodised salt to supplement iodine, you would need

quite a heft amount of salt. Has she considered using Lugol's iodine drops.

Dr.

Peatfield’s speech about Iodine

From

the TPA meeting on April 24, 2010, at the Alma Inn

Dr.

Peatfield:

I’m

going to talk about Iodine. Probably expecting us to say something about

thyroid and stuff, and adrenals, but there is a good deal of misunderstanding

and misinformation about iodine. In fact, there is propaganda against it. Most

of you are a bit uncertain about iodine. [background voices –

‘yes’] You think perhaps you shouldn’t have it, especially

with Hashimoto’s, [background voices – ‘yeah’]…’tis

propaganda, it’s not true.

So,

I’m going to get a few things straight first, and start by saying that

you can never be quite well without iodine. The damaging effects of iodine

deficiency have actually been known for the best part of 200 years. Recent

decades, though, have become convinced that it not only doesn’t help, it

may actually be bad for us. Now, this conviction stems from poor animal

experiments, assertions about medical matters, not backed up by evidence, with

which we’re all familiar, aren’t we?

The

basis of this approach, and it’s undoubtedly the black hand of Big

Pharma, is to convince us all that simple, safe measures are old hat, and that

lovely drugs and operations and radioactive iodine are much better.

The element iodine belongs to a small group

of elements, which include bromine and fluorine, which are called

halogens. At best bromine has little beneficial role to play in medicine,

and fluorine is violently toxic; but iodine has many highly beneficial effects.

Now, there’s a chap called Bernard

Courtois who discovered iodine… this is just a bit of technical

stuff… funnily enough, while making gunpowder from seaweed. [laughter] As

you do… [background voices – ‘yes’ – more

laughter] in 1811. And it was latched onto by doctors who found that it helped

people with goitres, either due to overactive or underactive thyroid. Two

American doctors, in Michigan, around the Great Lakes, in the early

1920’s, used it for this. They found so many of their patients were

hypothyroid due to iodine deficiency, that they suggested that salt had iodine

added to it, so the addition of iodine to salt was begun.

This is iodised salt. This iodised salt is

widely used throughout the world, though less so in the UK than

previously. Physicians found that small amounts of Lugol’s iodine

helped reduce goitre and hypothyroidism; but also that large amounts caused

suppression of over-activity, and shrinkage of the overactive goitre.

In the 1930s most especially, the use of

natural thyroid became widespread; and thyroxine was synthesised in the 1950s,

and the use of iodine became a thing of the past. For the overactive

thyroid, the natural Lugol’s iodine also fell out of favour, and instead

neomercazole and propyl thiouracil became the drugs of choice, in spite of damaging

side effects. And if these weren’t enough, the radioactive form of

iodine, which collects in the thyroid and kills the cells off, and surgery

became the favoured treatment.

In

1948 Wolff and Chaikoff concluded from rat experiments, that iodine would

actually block manufacture of thyroid hormones. The truth of the matter

was that a high dose would do so; but for a day or so only. By then the

damage was done and iodine became less and less used – with the resultant

increase in thyroid illness. Their papers had gone right through the medical

fraternity –and all the doctors started to believe that iodine was, in

some way, not a good thing, and it became less and less used with resulted

increase in thyroid illness. In those days, iodine was used in the manufacture

of bread, and even that was stopped, and instead of using iodine, they started

to use bromine, which does have untoward effects, sometimes. And, of course,

you lose out on your iodine.

We

used to use a lot of iodized salt in this country. You can still buy it, but

it’s become much, much less seen, and as a result, of course, there is an

increasing amount of thyroid deficiency states because we’re not getting

the salt that we actually need

Iodized

salt is actually widely used throughout the world, and even a small amount of

what’s called Lugol’s Iodine, which is a mixture of iodine and

potassium iodide, was found in the years before the war to reduce goitre and

hypothyroidism quite remarkably, and that large amounts could be used to

suppress over-activity, and was used to shrink the over-active goitre.

By

the 1930s, the natural thyroid was becoming widespread in use, and then, as we

know, Thyroxine was synthesized in the 1950s, and the use of iodine started to

fade out. The use of Lugol’s Iodine, for the over-active thyroid, fell

into disuse, and instead of using a simple, safe iodine preparation, now, if

you have an over-active thyroid, as you know, you get NeoMercazole and

Thiouracil, and if you’re lacking and can run fast enough, that’s

enough to prevent having your thyroid taken out, or your thyroid nuked.

In

fact, I’m sorry to say, that radioactive iodine is a favourite course of

treatment for anybody with an overactive thyroid, and this is, I’ve said

elsewhere, a terrible, terrible, thing to happen. And most of you, given

sufficient iodine, even with an over-active thyroid, may actually avoid the

attentions of the surgeons or the physicians with their radioactivity.

So,

on the whole, the use of iodine started to get less and less and less, and it

all got so much worse; since the RDA was set at a very low figure of 0.15 mg

(i.e. 150 mcg), when 37.5 – 50 mg is a far more realistic dose.

Very small amounts (75 mcg) will prevent goitre, since with iodine deficiency,

the thyroid enlarges to obtain as much iodine as possible, and when iodine is

given it will shrink.

This

is where Derbyshire neck comes in. This is enough to stop you getting a

goitre, but it is not enough for your general health. In fact, as I shall say

in a moment, you can have something like, ten times that dose, and benefit from

it.

I

saw a lady the other day with a classic Derbyshire Neck. This would have been

prevented with sufficient iodine, and what I am actually giving her will be

iodine, probably in the form of kelp, possibly Lugol’s Iodine, and this

will shrink Derbyshire Neck. Derbyshire Neck is where there is insufficiency in

iodine - wherever you are living, particularly in inland areas, and the thyroid

enlarges to try and make better use of the iodine it can get.

So,

though most of us think in terms of iodine for Hypothyroidism, because it is an

essential component of thyroxine, the system does have other uses for iodine,

and these too are ignored by modern medicine.

So,

uses of iodine: It is an amazingly good antiseptic. It used to be used as a

major, major antiseptic in hospitals. And it was actually, at least as good as,

if not better, than Hibitane and Dettol. It’s very, very good for

sterilizing skin, for surgery, as well as in dressing wounds. The system needs

iodine generally for the production of other hormones. Specifically, though, it

is needed by the tissues of the breast and the ovary. More on that in a minute.

Every

cell contains and uses iodine, and glands other than the thyroid need it.

It’s stored in salivary glands, the cerebral spinal fluid, breast tissue,

ovaries, and brain. In this context, low iodine in pregnancy may be a disaster.

Low iodine in pregnancy can reduce the IQ of your baby 5 or 10 points, no

trouble. And, the World Health Organization has actually recognized that iodine

deficiency is the world’s greatest cause of preventable mental

retardation. Bit of a worry!

Our

main concern has to be the role of iodine in the thyroid gland. Now,

you’ll remember that the thyroid molecule is built up of the amino acid,

thyronine, formed from two tyrosines together with the iodine. Four for

thyroxine, T4, three for T3, two for T2, and so on. So, iodine is pretty

important. And, I’ll just mention, and come back to it in a minute, that

iodine deficient people have increased risk of thyroid antibodies. I, and I

know Dr.Skinner, we diagnose Hashimoto’s Disease more and more often,

this is the autoimmune thyroiditis, where you produce your own antibodies and

they destroy your own thyroid.

Another

interesting thing to be aware of that if you give iodine, there is a slight

rise in TSH. Now, this is where Wolff and Chaikoff got it all wrong, because

people say with a TSH that’s going up, then actually the iodine is

suppressing thyroid function. It’s NOT that! The thyroid actually isn’t

being shut down, but the TSH stimulates the production of cells which transport

the iodine, so as to get more iodine to the system. So, you’ve got a

temporary rise in TSH, when you have iodine, but it’s not because

it’s shutting down the thyroid. It’s because the thyroid is

actually responding to it.

We

know that iodine is needed for thyroid hormone production, but it does have

some other things to do. In the cell, the iodide salt, which is what we get

mostly in our food, is oxidized to elemental iodine by hydrogen peroxide, by

the enzyme thyroperoxidase. Now, if this doesn’t work properly, if this

oxidization doesn’t work properly, and it’s not oxidized properly,

this is why you get antibodies being stimulated. The iodine in the thyroid

becomes part of the thyroid molecule, and you need anything from 75 to 150

micrograms a day to do this.

But,

if a larger amount is given, say 10 times as much, say 15 milligrams, the

iodine can now do some other things. When it attaches itself to a lactose

molecule, it forms something called gamma inolactase . Now, THIS is crucial,

because it has a role to play in regulating cell growth in the thyroid. And,

most especially, a wonderful process, wait for it, called apoptosis. This is a

process by which cells are programmed to die as part of the regulation of

metabolic processes, and to control growth, so that cells don’t take off,

and go on dividing and growing out of control. Which, of course, is what

happens in cancer. And, this process can occur in the thyroid and in the breast

tissue and in the ovaries. Gamma iodolactose controls this alongside cellular

calcium.

So, iodine can actually be used to control

cancer in at least three very important tissues. In addition to this loss of

control of apoptosis, lack of iodine may result in too much hydrogen peroxide

which may be produced from over oxidation of the iodine, and this can damage

the thyroperoxidase enzyme. It is this which kicks off antibody

production, and thyroglobulin can get involved in this as well; so we find anti

TPO antibodies, and anti thyroglobulin antibodies. Hence, Hashimoto’s

disease.

Treatment of this situation means that

extra iodine must be taken, and much more than 150 mcg RDA; probably 10 times

as much. Vitamins B2 and B3 riboflavin and niacin are required.

Large amounts of vitamin C, say 4 or 5 grams at least, are also needed, and

magnesium should be provided also if deficient.

Now,

people do worry about high levels of iodine. One worry is that you may get

allergies to iodine, which is very rare, and if it happens, I’m afraid,

it’s something that has to be dealt with on its merits. The big worry is

the erroneous, but firmly held belief, that iodine CAUSES autoimmune

thyroiditis. And, as I’ve said, it doesn’t. It actually helps

prevent it. In fact there is no evidence for this assertion, but you’ll

find doctors believe it all over the place. And, you see it everywhere, that

iodine mustn’t be used in Hashimoto’s disease. It’s not true!

It actually helps!

Another

belief we have to counter is that iodine will cause hypothyroidism and goitre.

As I said, there is this temporary lift in TSH when you have iodine, but the

whole thing settles down within a day or two. And, thyroid enlargement

disappears. Some people actually fear that iodine may produce extra thyroid

hormones for a while before the level settles down, and it doesn’t do

this.

There

have even been suggestions that it can cause cancer. It prevents cancer. This

is part of the attempt of doctors and Big Pharma to discourage the use of

iodine, and it doesn’t have ANY basis in fact and it’s untrue.

It’s been shown that as iodine levels have got less, and less in the

western world, the incidence of thyroid cancer has increased.

Incidentally, radio-active iodine from

accidental exposure, as from Chenobyl, certainly does, indeed, cause cancer and

if you ever want to know what to do if you get exposed to radioactive iodine,

you have lots and lots and lots of ordinary iodine and then the body

can’t take out the radioactive iodine, so you saturate the thyroid with

iodine, and then the radioactive iodine won’t be taken up [faint

laughter]

Coming second to the thyroid itself, the

tissues of the breast take up and store iodine. Without iodine,

fibrocystic disease of the breast is likely, causing lumpy breasts, discomfort

and tenderness. Many workers consider fibrocystic disease a possible

precursor to breast cancer. Its role seems to be related to the

programmed cell death, apoptosis, I mentioned just now, preventing overgrowth

of cells, and also its role as an antioxidant.

Many

people think that fibrocystic disease is a possible precursor to breast cancer,

and the evidence suggests that it is. Its role seems to be related to this

apoptosis bit, where you’ve got this cell death. Plenty of iodine stops

you getting lumpy breasts, and reduces your risk of getting breast cancer.

There

is a relationship too, in this context, with oestrogen. Where there is an

imbalance between the three oestrogens, with more oestrogen than oestriol present, and a reduction in oestriol, this is

oestrogen dominance. Then, along side iodine deficiency, fibrocystic disease is

even more likely.

Iodine

has been found to promote a better oestrogen balance by actually promoting oestriol

production from excess oestrone and oestriol. These are manufactured in the

ovary which will cause normal levels of iodine to insure proper balance between

these three. So, it will actually help you deal with oestrogen dominance. And

all these risks becoming very much worse by xenoestrogens in our diet,

that’s all the foodstuffs which have got oestrogen-like activity which

contributes so much to oestrogen dominance in so many of you ladies.

Now,

just a few words about how to take it. First thing to say is that the RDA at

150mcg is too low! You can all have more, especially you girls, you ought to

have more.

Brownstein, to whom I am indebted for some of this, recommends that the best

way of taking in iodine, is a mixture of iodine and iodide. Probably

Lugol’s iodine is the best preparation; one or two drops a day will

provide somewhere between 12 and 50 mg a day. Iodizyme PH from

‘allergy research’ is another excellent product; even ½ tablet

daily may correct iodine deficiency. These preparations are excellent and

probably best for diagnosed iodine deficiency. But since so many of us

are deficient, the use of kelp tablets is a simple and inexpensive alternative,

and a valuable adjunct in the treatment of hypothyroidism and breast disease.

You can buy them virtually anywhere. Three a day, maybe four, maybe more,

perfectly safe, and will actually mean that you need less thyroid hormones, and

you’re protecting yourself against fibrocystic disease and possible

cancer of the thyroid, breast and ovaries. Taken in this way it is

entirely safe; and sometimes works so well that you may need to reduce your

thyroid hormone replacement dose. When starting iodine replacement

monitor your response and temperatures and pulses very carefully.

I

did say I’m indebted to Brownstein for some of this - it was

something else that he said that I wanted to pass on. He has pointed out that

the evidence for reduction in salt in our diet is probably misplaced. The

problem really comes from the refined salt. Refined salt is actually not

particularly good for us, because it’s too simple, too refined. He uses

routinely, for people with low thyroid and low adrenal function, Celtic salt,

Himalayan salt, unrefined salts. And, I’ve found myself, some benefits

from so many people whom I’ve told to come off this ridiculous ‘no

salt’ regime, for their blood pressure. The evidence for it is very, very

thin, but all the doctors believe it, and believe it and believe it and believe

it, and, instead, use unrefined salt. And, I personally use unrefined salt.

It’s much nicer, it’s much safer and it will actually help your

thyroid/adrenal function.

So,

I wanted you to go away with the thought that, yes, you do need more iodine,

and you can have it in the way of kelp. Yes, all this business about you

mustn’t - you dare not, have salt because of your blood pressure is

largely illusory. None of these things that we all read about from doctors

similar to low thyroid and all the rest of it, what you actually need is decent

unrefined salt, and you can have as much as you need. Even if you’ve got

high blood pressure, you may actually find the blood pressure comes down.

So,

those two things to take away.

Thanks

ever so much.

[applause]

Probably no one will remember, but I came on here about 8 months ago and posted

about my daughter having a TSH result of about 4.4, shes 24.

Well it rose after 2 months to 6.4! and her T4 started to drop as well. No

antibodies.

2 doctors suggested that she start a 'trial' dose of thyroxine, one wanted to

give her 10mcg..er does that exist? lol

Anyway as she has not had any major symptoms, I told her not to and to wait a

while and see what happens, I wanted her to try vits and stuff first. She done

vits for about a month and then I changed our salt to iodised salt because she

is hopeless at taking pills

Well last week she had her bloods done again after six months and her TSH has

dropped to 3.36! Her T4 has also gone up.

The only regular thing she is doing is using the iodised salt.

She is vegetarian, so I suspect that her rising TSH has been caused by Iodine

deficiency.

I'D be interested to hear what people think on this as I keep hearing thats its

very rare in the UK.