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People who have embraced modern eating habits are often negligent about the required nutrients they lack in their diet. Many may never consider the link between their diet and their fatigue or insomnia. Your body produces negative warnings reactions when it has too much or too little of a given thing. For example, too much dairy may cause migraines, and too much fruit juice can eventually contribute to obesity. Yet in moderation, both of these can be beneficial.
Most of us lack vital nutrients like vitamin B, which is found in most raw vegetables, but is weakened when they are cooked, and is absolutely destroyed when they are microwaved. Because of our modern eating habits, a food-based vitamin B supplement is usually beneficial. A greater problem is that everything we eat is deficient in the proper nutrients and minerals, due in large part to chemical fertilizers. This effect of synthetic fertilizers was discovered around 70 years ago, and yet here in 2008, most of us have no idea that we are repeatedly damaging our soils; and with it, our health.
After doing our own research, all of the members of our household decided to test whether we were iodine deficient. Iodine is a chemical element which is found in trace amounts throughout the human body. Is the basis of all nutrients in your body, since the cells need it to regulate their metabolism. Without it, people are known to suffer from swollen glands in the throat, thyroid diseases, increased fluoride toxicity, decreased fertility rates, increased infant mortality rates, and (with severe deficiency) mental retardation. It has been theorized as a cause of ADHD for newborns of iodine deficient women.
Encyclopedia.com reports:
"Besides causing unsightly goiters, iodine deficiency slows all the systems of the body: The digestive system becomes sluggish, nails grow more slowly, skin and hair become dry and dull, tendon reflexes stiffen, sensitivity to cold increases, and the pulse slows. Iodine helps form who we are to such an extent that a deficiency can lead to a dulling of the personality, deterioration of attention and memory, increase in irritability due to fatigue and extreme apathy."
The Iodine Speed Test
I found that everyone in our household was iodine deficient. Want to test yourself? You can place some Iodine on your abdomen. (We use the 2% type.) Make a circle the size of a silver dollar (or twice the size of a British 50p). Allow it to dry before covering with clothing. If it disappears within 12 hours, then you are Iodine deficient. Feel free to comment here about how your test went. The test works due to the fact that the body absorbs Iodine at the rate at which it is needed. We do not pretend to understand the whole process, but it is accurately repeatable. For instance, whenever a person is ill, iodine will absorb quite rapidly. We have noticed a 4 to 5 times increase during periods of high stress or illness. When I first tried the test, the iodine disappeared in an alarming 3 hours; and since then I have regularly placed Iodine on my skin. Apply it cautiously, because it will stain almost any surface, and of course, clothing.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
There is a lot of conflicting information on the internet regarding the application of iodine in those with Hashimoto's, so it is prudent that we comment. Dosage is especially important in these cases, as the overdose of iodine can cause the thyroid to shut down completely. However, a small amount of iodine does help this condition. Problems occur in those who take potassium iodide supplements, and those who take internal iodine drops. However, we have not found any evidence of this in those who apply iodine transdermally. Remember that the transdermal application allows the body to regulate the absorption at its own rate.
Caution: Do not swallow or take iodine orally, for it is toxic when ingested. Call a poison control center for more information. The U.S. National Poison Control Center number is: 1-800-222-1222.
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Curious minds want to know.