Page 42 - Summer2009

UHOLHYHV VLJQV DQG V\PSWRPV RI ¿EURF\VWLF EUHDVW GLVHDVH 6HYHQW\ RQH “iodine is a natural substance, not a drug.” But
SHUFHQW RI ZRPHQ VXIIHULQJ IURP ¿EURF\VWLF GLVHDVH H[SHULHQFHG D the FDA has now decided to approve a similar
EHQH¿FLDO KHDOLQJ HIIHFW ZKHQ WUHDWHG ZLWK PJ SRWDVVLXP LRGLGH GXULQJ trial sponsored by Symbollon Pharmaceuticals.
the intermenstrual period. 7
A 1993 Canadian study likewise found that iodine relieves signs and OTHER BENEFITS
V\PSWRPV RI ¿EURF\VWLF EUHDVW GLVHDVH LQ SHUFHQW RI SDWLHQWV 7KLV UHSRUW Iodine may be helpful in treating other can-
is a composite of three clinical studies, two case series done in Canada of cers because it induces apoptosis, programmed
696 women treated with various types of iodine, and one in Seattle. The cell death. Apoptosis is essential to growth and
Seattle study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of GHYHORSPHQW ¿QJHUV IRUP LQ WKH IHWXV E\ DSRSWR-
ZRPHQ GHVLJQHG WR FRPSDUH ± PJ RI HOHPHQWDO LRGLQH , ) to a placebo sis of the tissue between them) and for destroying
2
(an aqueous mixture of brown vegetable dye with quinine). Investigators cells that represent a threat to the integrity of the
followed the women for six months and tracked subjective and objective organism, like cancer cells and cells infected
8
FKDQJHV LQ WKHLU ¿EURF\VWLF GLVHDVH with viruses. In one experiment, human lung
An analysis of the Seattle study showed that iodine had a highly sta- cancer cells with genes spliced into them that
WLVWLFDOO\ VLJQL¿FDQW EHQH¿FLDO HIIHFW RQ ¿EURF\VWLF GLVHDVH ,RGLQH UHGXFHG enhance iodine uptake and utilization under-
EUHDVW WHQGHUQHVV QRGXODULW\ ¿EURVLV WXUJLGLW\ DQG QXPEHU RI PDFURF\VWV went apoptosis and shrank when given iodine,
9
compared to controls. This 36-page report was submitted to the Food and both when grown in vitro outside the body and
'UXJ $GPLQLVWUDWLRQ )'$ LQ VHHNLQJ WKH DJHQF\¶V DSSURYDO WR implanted in mice. Some practitioners predict
10
carry out a larger randomized controlled clinical trial on iodine for treat- a wider use for iodine in treating cancer.
LQJ ¿EURF\VWLF EUHDVW GLVHDVH )'$ GHFOLQHG WR DSSURYH WKH VWXG\ EHFDXVH ,RGLQH PD\ KDYH RWKHU EHQH¿WV²IRU ZKLFK

FORMS OF IODINE

IODINE (I ): Elemental iodine is available in a formulation called Thyactin by TriMedica, described as a “stabilized colloidal
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iodine preparation.”

IODIDE (I-): Elemental iodine is unstable so it usually combines with another element, such as potassium or sodium. Salt
is iodized using potassium or sodium iodide. Potassium iodide (KI) is available in tablet form in doses ranging from 0.23 to
130 mg. Lugol’s solution contains 6.3 mg of molecular iodine/iodide per drop; Iodoral tablets contain 12.5 mg iodine/iodide
each. Both Lugol’s solution and Iodoral are one-third molecular iodine (5%) and two-thirds potassium iodide (10%). Most
formulations of tincture of iodine are a combination of iodine and sodium iodide. Supersaturated potassium iodide (SSKI)
contains 19–50 mg of iodide per drop. SSKI tablets are recommended in case of nuclear accident, to protect the thyroid
gland from radioactive iodine, but otherwise should be avoided.

IODATE: Iodine in combination with oxygen, such as potassium iodate (KIO ), is considered inferior to potassium iodide
3
in terms of protection against radioactive iodine.
ENDOGENOUS ORGANIC IODINE COMPOUNDS: In food and in the body, iodine is usually bound with protein com-
pounds. The main iodine-containing compounds in the body are the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4, four iodine atoms
joined to tyrosine) and triiodothyronine (T3, three iodine atoms joined to tyrosine).
SYNTHETIC ORGANIC IODINE COMPOUNDS: Drugs such as Amiodarone (an antiarrhythmic medication) contain iodine.
The simplest organoiodine compound is iodomethane, used as a soil fumigant. More complex iodate compounds include
nonylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol-iodine (C H I O ) or Byacin, used as a germicide, as in teat washes.
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28 2

DETOXIFIED IODINE: Sold as Atomidine, the manufacturing method is called a “modified detoxification process” which
involves a stage in which electricity is run through the iodine in saline solution to produce a solution containing free iodine
(see sidebar on Atomidine, page 43).
NASCENT IODINE: Similar to Atomidine, although requiring more electricity and a longer time to produce. The diatomic
bond of the iodine molecule is broken and retains a high amount of electromagnetic energy. According to the manufac-
turer, “once in contact with fluids of the body, the charged atom of iodine starts a process of relaxation where it gradually
loses energy over two to three hours.“
40 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2009