Note: This article was co-authored by Kimberly Balas, my partner in Vital Solutions.

Iodine is a vital nutrient for good health. Not only is iodine critical for thyroid gland function, it is also essential for reproductive tissue health. The breasts, uterus and prostate require large amounts. Iodine is also needed for healthy skin and nerve function. In fact, every cell of the body needs some iodine.

Unfortunately, iodine is a rare element and only small amounts of iodine are present in most people’s diets. This is compounded by the fact that a number of chemicals displace iodine or disrupt its function. These include all the elements belonging to a group called halogens on the periodic table of elements (Fluorine/Fluorides, Chlorine/Chlorides, Bromine/Bromides). Mercury also disrupts iodine in the body, as does aspirin and other salicyclates, steroids, and unfermented soy products.

As people are increasingly exposed to these iodine robbers, what little dietary iodine they are getting is being displaced. Since iodine burns fat, it’s also little wonder that obesity is increasing. It also explains the high prevalence of thyroid disorders. Furthermore, high rates of breast, prostate and uterine cancers may be due to reduced iodine levels in the body, because cultures where people who consume larger amounts of iodine in their diet don’t have these problems.

Let’s take a closer look at these iodine robbers.

Bromides

Bromides (substances containing bromine) are toxic substances with no nutritional or therapeutic value in human health. Animal studies show that bromine intake can adversely affect the accumulation of iodine in the thyroid and the skin, and ingestion of bromine has been shown to cause hypothyroidism in animals. When iodine deficiency is present, the toxicity of bromine is accelerated in the body.

Bromides are being increasingly used in our society. They are used as antibacterial agents for pools and hot tubs, as fumigants for agriculture, and for killing termites and other pests. Between 1981 and 1991 the amount of bromides sprayed in California for pest control increased nearly three-fold.

Bromides are also being added to foods. Bromides found in certain carbonated and sports beverages in the form of BVO (brominated vegetable oil) and are also used in bread flour as a dough conditioner. Iodine used to be added to flour, but was replaced with bromides. Since this took place, obesity has increased dramatically. Instead of getting iodine in bread (which would help burn fat), people are getting bromides, which in turn disrupt iodine, increasing fat deposition.

Bromides are also found in certain drugs, such as Atrovent inhaler, Atrovent nasal spray, Ipratropium nasal spray, Pro-Panthine and Pyridostigmine bromide. This increased use of bromides has caused the amount of bromine in human breast milk to increase 10-fold over the last decade.

Flourides

Fluorides are another halogen that act as an iodine disruptor. Fluorides are toxic and increase the risk of bone cancer and hip fractures. Fluorides also lower intelligence, increase depression, and lower testosterone levels in men. High levels of fluorides cause mottling, pitting and dulling of the teeth. Lastly, fluorides can produce goiter as well as low thyroid by inhibiting the ability of the thyroid gland to concentrate iodine.

Besides being introduced into drinking water, fluorides are found in toothpastes, dental treatments and a variety of drugs. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac and Paxil contain fluoride, and there are reports of increased breast cancer with the use of SSRI’s. Since low thyroid causes depression, this may be one reason why these drugs can cause depression in some people, and can definitely result in depression when discontinued abruptly.

Other drugs that contain fluoride include: Baycol, Propulsid, Posicor, Astemizole, Flonase, Flovent and Fen-Phen. It would be wise to increase iodine intake if one is on any of these medications.

It is also wise to avoid fluoridated toothpastes and fluoride treatments at the dentist. (Both of us won’t let our kids have fluoride treatments.)  Buy natural toothpastes that don't contain fluoride.

Chlorine

Let’s move on to chlorine. Unlike bromide and fluoride, which do not have nutritional value, chlorine is used as a nutrient in the body, and in fairly large amounts. The oxidized form of chlorine forms chlorides, however, and they are toxic.

Dr. Joseph Price, who wrote the book Coronaries, Cholesterol and Chlorine, documented that the rise in coronary heart disease parallels the rise in the chlorination of water supplies. He found that chlorine makes cholesterol “sticky” so it adheres to surfaces. Since iodine is needed to cause fats to be released from surfaces (emulsified), and chlorine displaces iodine, this may be part of the reason chlorine contributes to heart disease.

Chlorine is also linked to birth defects, cancer, reproductive disorders (including still birth), and immune system breakdown. Again, all of these health problems can be due to iodine deficiency. Furthermore, when chlorine mixes with organic matter in the water it forms carcinogenic compounds like trihalomethanes.

That brings us to the issue of Sucralose©, which is nothing more than chlorinated sugar. Sugar is bombarded with chlorine, and although most of the chlorine is allowed to dissipate, there is still a lot of chlorine left in the finished product. We anticipate that in five years or so this newest artificial sweetener will go the way of its predecessors as more and more harmful effects are discovered with long term use.

A reverse osmosis water filtering unit is a great way to reduce chlorine intake in your home or office. You can also purchase water filters for baths and showers or even whole house models.

Mercury

Mercury is another iodine robber. We won’t spend a lot of time on this, but mercury finds its way into the body through silver amalgam fillings, contaminated sea foods, environmental pollution and vaccines. It also depletes iodine levels and interferes with thyroid function.

Finally, while it isn’t an iodine robber, radioactive iodine enters the environment from nuclear power plants and nuclear accidents. Radioactive iodine enters the body and destroys thyroid tissue and other tissues that uptake iodine. Increasing iodine intake is the best protection against radioactive iodine, which brings us to an interesting point. Iodine tablets are part of civil defense plans because taking large quantities of iodine prevents the body’s uptake of radioactive iodine. Yet, when a person has a hyperactive thyroid, they are told they should not use iodine because it will make the problem worse. Instead, they are given radioactive iodine, which kills the thyroid.

So, think about this. If the person’s body was saturated with sufficient iodine it wouldn’t take up the radioactive iodine in sufficient quantities to kill the thyroid gland. This suggests that many, if not all, people suffering from hyperactive thyroid are actually iodine deficient.

The bottom line is that with all the iodine robbers we’re exposed to, we probably need extra iodine if we want to maintain optimal health.  We use a high potency iodine supplement called Iodoral and have found many people, especially women benefit greatly from taking it.  Seaweeds, such as kelp, dulse and bladderwrack, are also good sources of iodine, but need to be consumed in food quantities to counteract the iodine robbers we are facing in modern environments.  Kelp powder can be generously sprinkled into foods as a salt substitute and other seaweeds can make good additions to soups and stews.  Liquid dulse is a good iodine supplement, especially for children.