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Do you remember those little bottles of
iodine when you were growing up? Do you
know what iodine is? If you're a little
hazy, the founder and president of
EuroPharma, Inc., Terry Lemerond, has
the answers.
To put it simply, iodine is a mineral,
such as calcium or magnesium. According
to author and educator Lemerond, it's a
trace element. "It's one that we do not
really have a source for in the American
diet. Our soil is very depleted of
iodine; certain regions of the United
States have no iodine in the soil," adds
Lemerond.
Lemerond, in an interview with Men and
Health: It's a Guy Thing, says iodine is
important in our diet. Lack of iodine
"causes goiters (enlargement of the
thyroid gland), and causes a disruption
of the thyroid function...every cell in
the body has a receptor site for iodine,
particularly breast tissue, prostate
tissue, ovaries and uterus." Alternative
doctors have discovered that the
incidence of cancer in those tissues are
much less in Japan than in the United
States. The Japanese have a high intake
of iodine because of a diet rich in
seafood and sea weed.
In the United States, a large number of
women are deficient in iodine, and have
hypothyroidism. About 50 percent of men
have hypothyroidism. Lemerond says
iodine is what's required to improve the
function of the thyroid. "Unfortunately,
when doctors discover hypothyroidism,
they never think about suggesting
iodine...iodine seems to be one of those
forgotten and misunderstood minerals."
Iodine has a lot of great properties,
says Lemerond. "It acts as an
anti-viral, an anti-bacterial; it
improves healing...it's an alkaline
substance, so it helps to alkalize the
body from an overly acidic
condition...alternative physicians are
finding that it improves the well-being
(energy levels) of individuals... the
thyroid is kind of like the thermostat
of the house. It sets the temperature,
sets the metabolic rate, sets how fast
we burn calories."
Lemerond says most doctors (general
practitioners) aren't well versed in
iodine. "Out of about 12 years of
medical school, they get about four
hours of nutrition. They really don't
have a background or history of studying
nutrition, vitamins and minerals, and
what they're necessary for,"says
Lemerond, noting that these doctors tend
to give something synthetic rather than
natural.
Lemerond recalls that when he was in
grade school, youngsters received
chocolate-flavored goiter pills as an
iodine supplement. Iodine was an
ingredient in salt, but, says Lemerond,
"Iodine has fallen out of favor because
salt is no longer suggested, because
it's responsible for a lot of sodium
intake and it causes high blood pressure
and other medical conditions. So we
don't really get much iodine anymore."
If you're considering iodine (capsules
and tablets are available in health food
stores and pharmacies), it's always a
good idea to talk with your doctor.
Lemerond says, "There are good
alternative practitioners who are using
iodine...iodine is one of the most
critical factors in improving quality of
health." |
