View Full Version : Iodine Message Not Getting Through
IODINE deficiency remains common among pregnant women, making awareness of the importance of iodine supplementation a public health priority, Australian experts say.
A cross-sectional study involving 139 pregnant women, who attended antenatal clinics in the Illawarra region in NSW, showed only 14.5% had adequate iodine levels based on urine samples.
The study, conducted in 2008, preceded the introduction of mandatory fortification of bread with iodised salt last year by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
At the time FSANZ warned that, while mandatory iodine fortification would provide sufficient amounts of iodine for most people, pregnant and breastfeeding women may often require an iodine supplement (MO, 9 October 2009).
The authors of the current study said in light of this, the poor level of knowledge about iodine nutrition among participants in the study was concerning.
Most pregnant women in the study were unaware that suboptimal iodine levels could cause a range of adverse health effects, including fetal neurological defects.
Only 11% said they had increased their iodine intake during pregnancy, and half the respondents were unable to identify dietary sources of iodine such as fish and iodised salt.
Despite WHO recommendations to promote public education programs, the authors said there were no strategies to improve the knowledge and awareness of iodine for pregnant women in Australia.
Most women also indicated that they had received substantially less dietary information on iodine (16%) compared with other nutrients (48%-63%).
"This highlights the urgent need for educational strategies specifically targeting healthcare providers to encourage supplementation," the authors said.
The authors said another barrier to iodine supplementation in pregnant women was that the most commonly used multivitamin and mineral supplement in the study, despite being promoted for pregnant women, failed to contain any iodine.
As a result, they called for regulation of specified levels of iodine equivalent to 150 µg/d in supplements marketed to pregnant women.
Nutrition 2010; 26(10):963-68
Maura. KI is the compound used in Iodised table salt and in some bread. Potassium Iodide tablets SHOULD NOT be used as a regular supplement, overdose is very easy and your Thyroid isn't too happy about too much either. You can buy KI tablets but you need to take them under strict medical supervision.
Aaltrude
10-15-10, 03:46 AM
There is a test you can do at home to discover if you are iodine deficient. Paint some unbleached Lugol's iodine on your skin. The colour should still be quite bright nine hours later. If it has faded significantly or disapeared, this is an indication you are probably deficient in iodine. In a deficient state, your body will grab at this available source of iodine, drawing it inot your body, whereas if you are not deficient it will be absorbed slowly. Ideally, it should take more than 24 hrs for the colour to disapear.
Reesacat
10-15-10, 02:56 PM
I take kelp in capsules since I just use sea salt and can't use regular iodine fortified baked goods due to gluten intolerance.
DizzyIzzy
10-16-10, 02:58 AM
The problem is the toxicity is so low and it's so easy to overdose... using things like lugol's can be really dangerous as it's so concentrated.
Kelp is the way forward. I don't touch iodised salt, blech, and dietary sources in NZ are more or less non-existant due to glaciation of our soil... but adding kelp powder to a lovely sea salt is adequate and works a treat. Or eating seaweed. :)
(People often tout the herb bladderwrack as a goodie too, which it is, but it's also usually gathered from the North Sea, which is extremely polluted... not sure I'd want to use anything from there, just personally).
Aaltrude
10-16-10, 10:43 PM
The problem is the toxicity is so low and it's so easy to overdose... using things like lugol's can be really dangerous as it's so concentrated.
I am intolerant of iodine containing foods such as kelp but I have found I can keep my iodine levels up by painting Lugol's iodine on my skin and absorbing it that way. You cannot overdose with Lugol's if it is used in this manner and in fact because the body absorbs it from the skin at the rate it needs iodine, it is very easy to work out how much to use.
mellowsong
10-17-10, 09:49 PM
I am intolerant of iodine containing foods such as kelp but I have found I can keep my iodine levels up by painting Lugol's iodine on my skin and absorbing it that way. You cannot overdose with Lugol's if it is used in this manner and in fact because the body absorbs it from the skin at the rate it needs iodine, it is very easy to work out how much to use.
I am actually allergic to Iodine itself. Well, according to one doc, it's not an allergy because the reaction isn't IgE mediated but I react, dramatically. At the urging of a chiropractor a few years ago, with the insistence I couldn't react to Lugol's, I stupidly applied it to my skin. The Iodine did disappear fairly quickly but the blister and sore that followed remained a few weeks. I should have known better; I react to Betadine :(
DizzyIzzy
10-18-10, 06:54 AM
:(
How does that work with your thyroid function, just out of interest?
Never ceases to amaze me how people can react to literally everything, even that which is so vital. I remember seeing a documentary a few years ago about a girl who was allergic to water. :eek:
Bladderwrack - I thought that was when you had to get up too many times in the night to pee!!
Reesacat
10-18-10, 09:53 AM
ROTFL@LabDoc!
DizzyIzzy
10-18-10, 08:05 PM
Hahahahaha :D
Maybe where the name is from?! Who knows!! :D
Islander
10-18-10, 10:51 PM
More likely from its shape. Because a customer asked me for it once, I had to research it, and of course found that it was not an herb one could grow locally! Yes, it's high in iodine, but also in many other minerals. In terms of pollution, I'd assume that any Bladderwrack supplement would have been purified prior to (or as part of) processing.
DizzyIzzy
10-18-10, 11:34 PM
Maybe... I'm not a fan of using herbs that are overly processed though, I prefer liquid extracts or dried herb over anything else. That's just my personal philosophy as a herbalist though - it better retains the energetic aspect which I think is often left out of herbalism these days but plays a huge role. I'd rather just use something from a less polluted part of the world. :o
mellowsong
10-19-10, 01:35 PM
:(
How does that work with your thyroid function, just out of interest?
Never ceases to amaze me how people can react to literally everything, even that which is so vital. I remember seeing a documentary a few years ago about a girl who was allergic to water. :eek:
Probably part of the reason my thyroid doesn't work. I've had to take thyroid meds for over 25 years :(
Do not take Lugols iodine without your doctors advice. Some people do suffer the side effects of Lugols iodine, which include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and a metallic taste in the mouth. Seek immediate medical attention for any of the following signs of an allergic reaction: rash, itching, swelling of the face, tongue or throat, or difficulty breathing.
Absorption of Iodine through the skin would be difficult to quantitate - All iodine products can be toxic, or even deadly! Be very careful of self dosing with any Iodine product.
Doctors warn on seaweed's iodine danger
ABC News Australia, Sun Oct 3, 2010 1:51pm AEDT
Concerns about high levels of iodine prompted last year's recall of Bonsoy soy milk, which is made using seaweed. (ABC News)
The Australian Medical Association is warning consumers that products containing seaweed may have dangerously high levels of iodine.
Too much iodine in a diet can cause damage to the thyroid, leading to overactivity in the gland in adults, and an underactive thyroid in affected babies.
The association's Diana Learoyd says concerns about high levels of iodine prompted last year's recall of Bonsoy soy milk, which is made using seaweed.
"Babies who were born to mothers ingesting higher levels of iodine, and breastfeeding, also received very high doses of iodine," she said.
"In those particular babies, their thyroid became underactive, not overactive, and that has quite significant implications for babies development, particularly intellectual development."
Dr Learoyd says regulators at Food Standards Australia is keeping a closer eye on imported products.
But she warned that some products at health food shops may be escaping their attention.
"I think that we do have mechanisms in place now that are going to get on top of this problem," she said.
"There are some alternative products that are sold in health food shops that probably do need to be a bit more closely monitored."
Islander
10-20-10, 11:28 AM
LabDoc, can you please cite a URL for the story source? Thanks!
Reesacat
10-20-10, 11:40 AM
Good point, LabDoc. I take a kelp supplement that is closely monitored and I do not take more than the recommended dose. Often many food powders and supplements add seaweed, so you can overdose.
Again, read labels and if you are getting more than one source of seaweed be careful. Mellow has a real problem because she is so allergic to iodine she can't take a lot of natural products because of the seaweed.
DizzyIzzy
10-20-10, 03:47 PM
That's why I use standardised products... that way they know the content. :)
We've been warned so many times about Lugol's and not to paint it on your skin etc that I'm a bit wary of the stuff tbh - they won't even sell it here anymore. Well, every chemist I've been to have only had really diluted forms where you take a drop a day for thyroid support (and frankly, I'd rather just eat kelp or sushi for that).
Aaltrude
10-20-10, 04:51 PM
That's why I use standardised products... that way they know the content. :)
We've been warned so many times about Lugol's and not to paint it on your skin etc that I'm a bit wary of the stuff tbh - they won't even sell it here anymore. Well, every chemist I've been to have only had really diluted forms where you take a drop a day for thyroid support (and frankly, I'd rather just eat kelp or sushi for that).
OK so what other options do I have other than to paint Lugol's on my skin when I am intolerant of any form of ingested iodine?
Reesacat
10-20-10, 05:31 PM
I think you would be OK Aaltrude-you are not getting iodine in supplements and iodized salt and enriched bakery products. You have the sense to titrate it according to your needs.
Sometimes when you have MCS you have to do what your body can tolerate-and where you are in NZ there is no iodine in the soil.
Aaltrude
10-20-10, 06:31 PM
I think you would be OK Aaltrude-you are not getting iodine in supplements and iodized salt and enriched bakery products. You have the sense to titrate it according to your needs.
Sometimes when you have MCS you have to do what your body can tolerate-and where you are in NZ there is no iodine in the soil.
It is my understanding that your body only absorbs what it needs when Lugol's iodine is applied to the skin. When I started using it, it was certainly absorbed a lot quicker than it is now that my body presumably has sufficient. I only reapply when the colour has gone and use a different patch of skin each time.
I have a book that recommends this as a means of determing if you are deficient in iodine.
Islander, sorry, no URL for this one, appeared in the health section of a TV news broadcast I was recording. Perhaps www.abc.net.au/news may turn it up, haven't checked yet.
The SPC for Betadine ointment (Povidone Iodine 10% w/w) provides the following relevant information:
“Route of administration: Topical. For the treatment of infection: Apply once or twice daily for a maximum of 14 days. For the prevention of infection: Apply once or twice a week for as long as necessary. The affected skin should be cleaned and dried. Apply Betadine Ointment to the affected area. May be covered with a dressing or bandage. Not for use in children under two years of age.”
In terms of contraindications, it states:
“Known or suspected iodine hypersensitivity. Regular use is contraindicated in patients and users with thyroid disorders (in particular nodular colloidal goitre, endemic goitre and Hashimoto's thyroiditis). Not for use in children under two years of age.”
It notes:
“Absorption of iodine from povidone iodine through either intact or damaged skin may interfere with thyroid function tests. Contamination with povidone iodine of several types of tests for the detection of occult blood in faeces or blood in urine may produce false-positive results.”
In section 4.4, it adds:
“Special caution is needed when regular applications to broken skin are made to patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency. Regular use should be avoided in patients on concurrent lithium therapy. Thyroid function tests should be performed during prolonged use.”
The section on overdose warns:
“Excess iodine can produce goitre and hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Systemic absorption of iodine after repeated application of povidone iodine to large areas of wounds or burns may lead to a number of adverse effects: metallic taste in mouth, increased salivation, burning or pain in the throat or mouth, irritation and swelling of the eyes, pulmonary oedema, skin reactions, gastrointestinal upset and diarrhoea, metabolic acidosis, hypernatraemia and renal impairment.
Treatment: In the case of deliberate or accidental ingestion of large quantities of Betadine, symptomatic and supportive treatment should be provided with special attention to electrolyte balance and renal and thyroid function.” [1]
We consulted the BNF’s entries on topical iodine and this lists the various uses of Betadine as an antiseptic paint, antiseptic solution, skin disinfection and surgical solution. The dosages vary from a 4% to 10% solution. Concerning length or the maximum length of treatment, this is only given for the skin cleanser solution:
“Skin cleanser solution , povidone–iodine 4%, in a surfactant basis, net price 250 mL = £1.97
Dose
for infective conditions of the skin. Retain on skin for 3–5 minutes before rinsing; repeat twice daily; INFANT under 2 years max. treatment duration 3 days.” [2]
The Mayo Clinic patient information leaflet on topical iodine gives the following general information:
“The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.
? For topical dosage form (tincture):
? For minor bacterial skin infections:
? Adults and children 1 month of age and over—Use when necessary, according to the directions on the label or your doctor's instructions. Do not use for more than ten days.
? Infants and children under 1 month of age—Use is not recommended.
To help clear up your infection completely, it is very important that you keep using topical iodine for the full time of treatment. Do not miss any doses.” [3]
Concerning the degree of absorption of topical iodine, we identified three studies the following three studies cited in the Medline database. The first study by Below et al reports on systemic iodine absorption after preoperative sepsis in cataract surgery:
“After preoperative conjunctival and periorbital antisepsis with povidone-iodine (PVP-I), the systemic absorption of iodine after cataract surgery was measured to evaluate the risk of thyroid side effects. Five different combinations of PVP-I alone or in combination with PVP-I-free antiseptics were applied to the conjunctiva and periorbital skin. An iodine-free product served as control. Iodide and creatinine in urine were analyzed before intervention and 24 and 48 h postoperatively. Depending on the concentration and application site, 0.3-4.5% of the total applied iodine or 3.6-45.4% of the free iodine were absorbed. The range of urine iodine excretion was between 11.7 and 71.0 mug iodine/g creatinine, depending on the PVP-I concentration and the site of application. The increase in iodine excretion was significant at 24 h postoperatively in trials receiving PVP-I both periorbitally and conjunctivally, depending of the concentration used. Because the iodine absorption is only slight and of doubtful clinical relevance, presurgical conjunctival antisepsis can be achieved with 1.25% PVP-I; so far clinically manifest anamnestic thyroid disorders are excluded. Presently, periorbital skin antisepsis with PVP-I cannot be recommended until data on thyroid metabolism in the population have been collected and evaluated, especially in a region currently or previously deficient in iodine.” [4]
Tomoda and colleagues examine trancutaneous iodine absorption in patients with thyroid cancer:
“…The aim of this study was to assess transcutaneous absorption of iodine in patients who received single topical application with povidoneiodine and serial changes of urinary iodine excretion under the condition with a simple iodine-restricted diet in Japan, an iodine-sufficient area. Sixty-eight patients with thyroid carcinoma undergoing total thyroidectomy received single skin disinfection with either povidone-iodine (group A; n = 47) or chlohexidine gluconate, a noniodine containing biguanide (group B; n = 21). In group A, urinary iodine excretion on the first day after operation increased up to 7 times that of the preoperative value. The amounts of urinary iodine correlated positively with operating time. Increased urinary iodine, however, returned to preoperative values on the third or fifth day after operation. In group B, there was no increase in urinary iodine excretion and urinary iodine excretion was ranged from 54 to 193 microg/g of creatinine on the third day of operation. In conclusion, a large amount of povidone-iodine was absorbed through healthy skin even in adults. This may possibly interfere with scintigraphy or radioactive iodine treatment, or cause thyroid disinfection in susceptible patients.” [5]
Finally, Jacobson et al report on changes in thyroid function after prepartum use of a povidone-iodine vaginal lubricant:
“To determine if application of iodide to vaginal mucosa of pregnant women results in significant iodide absorption or changes in thyroid function, we studied 18 intrapartum women for whose examinations during labor povidone-iodine gel was used as a lubricant and 16 for whose examinations an iodine-free lubricant was used. Both serum inorganic iodine and total serum iodine increased significantly (p less than 0.001) after iodide exposure and fell (p = 0.003) to near baseline within two days. In both groups, serum thyroxine and triiodothyronine fell during labor and delivery; differences between groups were not significant. In the iodine-treated group, however, there was a significant increase in thyroid-stimulating hormone at two days postpartum (p less than 0.001). Iodide applied to vaginal mucosa of pregnant women is absorbed and affects the maternal pituitary-thyroid axis.” [6]
References
1. SPC for Betadine ointment. September 2005. (http://emc.medicines.org.uk/emc/industry/default.asp?page=displaydoc.asp&documentid=1955)
2. BNF No. 54. September 2007. (http://www.bnf.org.uk/bnf/bnf/current/6271.htm?q=%22topical%22%22iodine%22#_hit)
3. Mayo Clinic. Topical iodine. December 2007. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/drug-information/DR600803
4. Below H, Behrens-Baumann W and Bernhardt C et al. Systemic iodine absorption after preoperative antisepsis using povidone-iodine in cataract surgery-- an open controlled study. Dermatology. 2006;212 Suppl 1:41-6. (http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=16490974)
5. Tomoda C, Kitano H and Uruno T et al. Transcutaneous iodine absorption in adult patients with thyroid cancer disinfected with povidone-iodine at operation. Thyroid. 2005 Jun;15(6):600-3. (http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=16029128)
6. Jacobson JM, Hankins GV, and Young RL et al. Changes in thyroid function and serum iodine levels after prepartum use of a povidone-iodine vaginal lubricant. J Reprod Med. 1984 Feb;29(2):98-100. (http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=6708034)
Ref: www.tripanswers.org
Islander
10-20-10, 08:39 PM
Well, that was exhaustive! And informative!
DizzyIzzy
10-21-10, 12:45 AM
OK so what other options do I have other than to paint Lugol's on my skin when I am intolerant of any form of ingested iodine?
Sorry, didn't mean to come across like I was questioning what you're doing!! I'd say stick with it if it's working - when you've got so many things going on with so many systems like in MCS, you gotta do what you gotta do, right? Every body is different; was just talking more generally for the population and reporting what we've been taught. I know a lot of people who'd say 'no exceptions - stop doing it', but frankly, a lot of people I know are wrong, lol. No two bodies are the same; you can make generalisations but ultimately it comes down to what's best for each individual and how they deal with things. If it's working for you then it's working and that's the best way to judge as far as I'm concerned. :)
Reesacat
10-21-10, 11:46 AM
Well said, Dizz!
EmmaPeel
10-21-10, 12:57 PM
All this talk about iodine...will be eating nori (kelp) in my brown rice from now on since I only take sea salt in small amounts, and do not eat much seafood being on the Canadian prairies...like some, I seem to be sensitive to topical iodine, and react with anaphylaxis to IV dye.:)
Emma, good for you, you have looked at the facts, made an informed and educated choice and have come up with what is right for you.
Dizzy's last two sentences here are brilliant, they should be put up in lights and become the Site Motto.
Reesacat
10-21-10, 08:46 PM
Emma, good for you, you have looked at the facts, made an informed and educated choice and have come up with what is right for you.
Dizzy's last two sentences here are brilliant, they should be put up in lights and become the Site Motto.
Hear! Hear! http://www.addemoticons.com/emoticon/cat/AddEmoticons0096.gif
Islander
10-21-10, 09:36 PM
Emma, good for you, you have looked at the facts, made an informed and educated choice and have come up with what is right for you.
Dizzy's last two sentences here are brilliant, they should be put up in lights and become the Site Motto.
New improved revised site coming soon. No lights, no starch, no polish.* It is what it is.
* Also no banning for disagreeing with the WebMistress. Just step up for your spanking, please.
DizzyIzzy
10-22-10, 12:59 AM
Haha, thanks. :)
I think that's the biggest thing that's missing from modern medicine sometimes - people seem to forget we're all individual and you cannot reduce the trillions of differences in how people process and function and work down to a single 'do this', 'don't do this', 'it works', 'it can't possibly work'. There are just way too many variables. Nothing's impossible, as far as I'm concerned, for that very reason.
[Have to say though, as an aside - my Grandma wanted to attack my arm infection with iodine in the holidays. I was very reluctant to have a whole arm painted brown though, but would be interested to see what would have happened in a smaller area (it's gone now so I can't). She's in her late 80s and was a nurse who studied a lot of natural therapies back in her day as well, so a lot of wisdom there. Just didn't want to react or overdose or anything!]
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