After years of news regarding the war in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion, the rush to buy iodine supplements is still ever present. Supplement makers cannot keep up because of the high demand, combined with the supply chain problems.
The reason is that iodine is protective. Every cell on your body has a receptor for iodine. The highest concentration is in the thyroid gland which is a sponge for iodine since that mineral is required to create thyroxine (T4).
People who live geographically close to this war are living amid real and constant fears of radiation poisoning! Iodine protects against radiation damage.
The CDC is even okay with this one! Iodine dietary supplements are minerals by the way, just like its brothers and sisters (zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium), dietary supplements are sold at health food stores nationwide.
Sometimes I see it mistakenly called a “drug” but iodine is not a drug. Let me clarify, MRI contrasts contain a patented drug form of iodine, but this is much different than the natural iodine your body needs to thrive. Deficiencies are more common than you think and often result in reproductive harm to the prostate, breasts, uterus, endometrium, and cervix. Additionally, iodine deficiencies often result in hypothyroidism.
I’ve written an ARTICLE in the past regarding iodine, and its relationship to shellfish, MRI contrast, and also health benefits. You can read that HERE. I do want to make the point that too much iodine can be as harmful as a deficiency! If you are interested in receiving more information about thyroid, iodine or iodine supplementation, please sign up for my Thyroid Thursday email newsletter HERE.
Iodine Benefits
Now I will speak to the reasons that people are stocking up on iodine supplements, even in the United States. I saw the other day where just 20 pills of a thyroid supplement (whose active ingredient is iodine) garner $185 when purchased off eBay!!!
You may be wondering why a thyroid product is a hot commodity. It’s because iodine is in thyroid supplements. And that’s because your thyroid gland must have iodine in order to synthesize thyroid hormone (thyroxine aka T4).
Iodine-based medications are often prescribed by holistic endocrinologists in order to treat goiters. Anyway, that’s how come the eBay seller was gouging customers. In case you’re wondering, my thyroid formula is not sold on eBay, and furthermore, I would never gouge people like that!
The Connection Between Iodine and Ukraine
People in Ukraine and thousands of miles around the country may one day experience so much exposure to radiation that they require iodine supplementation. It’s because the thyroid gland is most impacted, and people may have a higher risk of developing thyroid cancer. You can read THIS ARTICLE to learn more.
here in the United States, far away from Russia and Ukraine, many supplement companies experienced an uptick in sales of thyroid and iodine supplements. There are shipment delays, and “sold out” products everywhere including my own store!
With time, only the inferior low-dose products will be left because people are buying the better products. It’s just crazy to see the up-tick and I’m not sure we’ll even need it over here! I just see at my own vitamin shop how the demand for iodine-containing supplements has skyrocketed over the past year!!! It has prompted media outlets to ask consumers to stop overbuying and hoarding iodine bottles for a while.
It’s all happening because people are afraid of radiation poisoning from a nuclear meltdown or weapon. If that occurs, iodine is what the survivors want. It becomes a genuine commodity! So many are stocking up in advance, just because they want to be prepared.
As it pertains to radiation, the CDC states “potassium iodide” is a form of non-radioactive iodine that blocks dangerous radioactive iodine from getting into your thyroid gland, “thus protecting this gland from radiation injury. The thyroid gland is the part of the body that is most sensitive to radioactive iodine.” The CDC says “the sooner a person takes KI, the more time the thyroid will have to ‘fill up’ with stable iodine.”
What About Vegetables Grown Near Ukraine?
Even today, some of the fruits and vegetables are grown in the soil many kilometers from the actual Chernobyl meltdown are found to be radioactive. Chernobyl is about 6 hours away from Ukraine. Obviously, distance matters. Countries that are far away from Ukraine do not suffer the consequences that the neighboring countries do in the event of radiation exposure.
Those who are very, very close to an accident won’t need iodine anyway! If you care to read this paper published in Frontiers in Endocrinology (Jan 2021) they describe in more detail the radiation damage from the Chernobyl accident in 1986. They discuss “an increase in the of rate of thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases in population exposed after the Chernobyl accident.”
Fast forward to today, there is an understandable fear, especially in and around Ukraine. So consumers are buying up iodine supplements, as well as iodine-containing thyroid supplements. The reproductive organs rely on iodine too. For that matter, virtually every single cell in the body has iodine receptors, it’s just that the thyroid gland is a sponge! A good friend of mine lives in the U.S. now, but as a little girl, her family lived fairly close to the Chernobyl plant during the disaster, and about 5 hours from Ukraine.
She grew up, but developed Hashimoto’s thyroiditis very early on, in her 20’s. She’s among several million people who suffer today as a result of the consequences of this nuclear accident. It’s a well-known fact that the thyroid gland and reproductive organs suffer the most from radiation poisoning, but of the two, the thyroid gland suffers the most.
What’s less known is the individual response of iodine, the dose needed, the length of time required to stay protected, and the type of iodine. I see much discussion online about all of these parameters. Potassium iodide is one type of iodine, there are many dietary supplements containing different forms that ultimately break down into a molecule of iodine. As for potency, efficacy and bioavailability, that depends on the type of supplement. I think Iodine-Iodide complex is the best because it provides the iodine in two molecular compounds and your body uses both of them.
Iodine for Thyroid Disorders and MRI Contrast Clearance
Can these supplements be taken if you have a thyroid disorder? It depends on the thyroid disorder you have, and the type of treatment you are receiving right now, so pose this question to your physician. Iodine raises thyroxine so, in the case of hyperthyroidism, it is not a good idea. Iodine ramps up the production of thyroid hormone.
If you already take medications that provide thyroid hormone, and then take an iodine supplement, you may experience symptoms of hyperthyroidism. That would mean excessive thyroid hormone in the blood and there are side effects so be careful.
Iodine is a natural mineral that is usually widely available in health food stores, and e-tailers. For people who are worried about radioactive problems, whether or not they live in Ukraine, iodine is a great supplement.
If you’ve had a CT scan or MRI contrast that is Iodine-based, you may want to take some natural Iodine supplement to help knock off the radioactive contrast from your cell’s receptors.
I think it’s reasonable. Of course, after either of those procedures, or ANY contrast, you should drink a lot of water starting 15 minutes post-procedure, and for 24 hours thereafter.
Click HERE to see the dietary supplements from my store that happen to be rich in iodine. Will anything that anyone sells prevent thyroid cancer? No. Will any formula protect you from severe radiation exposure (let’s assume you live in Ukraine). The answer is no.
For this reason, I recommend you speak to your practitioner about all additions you want to make to your vitamin regimen including iodine supplementation. If you want more information regarding Ukraine and the potential for iodine problems, read this article by The Lancet.
Suzy Cohen, has been a licensed pharmacist for over 30 years and believes the best approach to chronic illness is a combination of natural medicine and conventional. She founded her own dietary supplement company specializing in custom-formulas, some of which have patents. With a special focus on functional medicine, thyroid health and drug nutrient depletion, Suzy is the author of several related books including Thyroid Healthy, Drug Muggers, Diabetes Without Drugs, and a nationally syndicated column.
