Page 47 - Summer2009

This amount was used in patients with asthma, also resulted in the destruction of the thyroid gland by means of radioiodide
chronic bronchitis, and emphysema for several LQ SDWLHQWV ZLWK K\SHUWK\URLGLVP FDXVHG E\ LRGLQH GH¿FLHQF\ DOWKRXJK
years. Hypothyroidism and goiter were not com- this condition had previously been treated successfully with Lugol solu-
mon in this group of patients. Those amounts of tion. The radioablation of the thyroid gland with radioiodide resulted in 90
iodine would have resulted in serum inorganic SHUFHQW RI WKHVH SDWLHQWV EHFRPLQJ K\SRWK\URLG ZLWKLQ WKH ¿UVW \HDU DQG
iodine levels 100 times higher than the serum in- eventually joining the ever-increasing thyroxine-consuming population.
organic iodide levels of 10-6M claimed by Wolff “Supplying thyroid hormones to iodine-deprived individuals masks
and Chaikoff to result in the W-C effect.” WKH LRGLQH GH¿FLHQF\ DQG FDQ UHVXOW LQ D ]RPELH OLNH HIIHFW 7KH SDWLHQWV
According to Abraham, iodine in amounts are capable of performing physical work but are not able to think and
considered “excessive” by endocrinologists reason at maximum capacity. An even greater negative effect is realized if
today represent only 3 percent of the average iodine deprivation is combined with goitrogen saturation, using the potent
daily intake of iodide by 60 million mainland JRLWURJHQV EURPLGH ÀXRULGH DQG SHUFKORUDWH LQ WKH IRRG DQG ZDWHU VXSSO\
Japanese, a population with a very low incidence “Iodine is involved in many vital mental and physical functions, and
of cancer overall, and in particular of the female \HW ZKROH ERG\ VXI¿FLHQF\ IRU LRGLQH KDV QHYHU EHHQ GHWHUPLQHG :K\"
reproductive organs. Medical textbooks discuss inorganic, non-radioactive iodine only in rela-
According to Abraham, “Medical iodopho- WLRQ WR WKH PRVW VHYHUH GH¿FLHQFLHV RI WKLV HVVHQWLDO HOHPHQW FUHWLQLVP
bia resulted in the thyroid hormone thyroxine hypothyroidism and endemic goiter. Based on an iodine/iodide loading test
UHSODFLQJ LRGLQH LQ LRGLQH GH¿FLHQF\ LQGXFHG GHYHORSHG E\ WKH DXWKRU WR DVVHVV ZKROH ERG\ VXI¿FLHQF\ IRU LRGLQH WKH
simple goiter and hypothyroidism. Thyroxine DPRXQWV RI LRGLQH QHHGHG IRU ZKROH ERG\ VXI¿FLHQF\ DQG RSWLPDO SK\VLFDO
has been the most prescribed drug in the U.S. for DQG PHQWDO KHDOWK DUH WLPHV KLJKHU WKDQ WKH DPRXQW RI LRGLQH
several years. So, the manufacturers of thyroxine needed to control cretinism, hypothyroidism and endemic goiter.”
EHQH¿WHG WUHPHQGRXVO\ IURP WKLV GHFHSWLRQ ,W Thus, according to Abraham and his colleagues, the Wolff-Chaikoff

REPORT FROM GERMANY

“Here in Germany we are suffering from an epidemic of autoimmune thyroid disease due to the government’s huge
campaign to iodize our salt and water. The food industry uses iodized salt for all products. Animal feed and milk is iodized.
The German government claims that the earth has no iodine and that natural foods do not contain enough iodine. Even
food for fresh water fish is iodized.
“The German thyroid league admits that iodization has caused a rise in autoimmune diseases of the thyroid. About
ten million Germans are affected. Doctors tell us about studies showing that these patients should not eat iodized food
as it makes their disease worse. Thyroid illnesses are painful and hard to heal. The thyroid gland controls our body’s me-
tabolism. Also, the eyes can be destroyed. The standard therapy is to remove or radiate the sick gland. Then the patient
needs thyroid hormones to survive.
“The sad thing is that most people don’t even know that what they eat is iodized. In Germany iodized salt in pack-
aged food has to be declared but iodine in salt in restaurants or in bread is not labeled.
“The German iodization program is not popular with the public at all. We had it during the Third Reich and it took
quite a lot of government campaigning to bring back mass iodization, a public relations campaign to convince people that
iodine is healthy and has no dangers at all. Government officials say that people can choose iodized or noniodized salt
but no one mentions the hidden salt. In the Third Reich they called it “silent iodization,” to avoid any resistance.
“I have run a self help group for thyroid patients for years now and it is a very difficult situation for patients to not
have enough food! It is even difficult to get all the information we need.
“We hear a lot of discussion about fluoride in the water but I am surprised that there is none about iodine. In Germany
they sell salt with iodine and fluorine—both affect the metabolism and can damage the thyroid gland. Natural salt has
the advantage of giving us minerals we need and in a way that our body can handle instead of the low quality chemistry
added to food or water. I know that the healthy thyroid gland needs more than iodine. It also needs vitamins A and C,
and many other minerals. A natural diet can offer more benefit for our heatlh and fewer dangers and side effects. The
tragedy is that the WHO has started to ban natural foods. In India, Himalayan salt was banned and iodized sald then
sold five times as much as natural salt. Poor people can’t afford the natural salt and so many didn’t have any salt at all
anymore. The German media reported on protests in India and I don’t know whether natural salt is allowed again.
“Here in Germany, thousands of thyroid patients are signing a petition asking the Bundestag to change the law, and
to require iodization labels on packages.” Ute Aurin

SUMMER 2009 Wise Traditions 45