Critical Missing Nutrient Linked to Cancer

Dear Health

Conscious Reader,

Mainstream medicine regularly ignores iodine. You’ll probably only hear about it if you have thyroid problems. But iodine is an essential mineral. It’s responsible for the production of every hormone in your body, not just the thyroid.

Iodine has anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-viral, and anti-cancer properties. Without it, you are at risk for cancer of the breast, prostate, ovaries, thyroid, and uterus.

And chances are you’re not getting enough. I was reading Dr. David Brownstein’s Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It. He found that 96% of the patients he treats are deficient.1

No, his patients aren’t in the third world. They’re right here in the U.S. In addition to raising your risk of certain cancers, iodine deficiency can lead to mental retardation, ADHD, infertility, thyroid problems, and goiters.

The good news is it’s easy to get more iodine. The best thing you can do is start by adding foods rich in this key mineral to your diet.

One note of caution, though. Don’t go to the store and pick up that container with the little girl in the yellow dress holding the purple umbrella. Iodized table salt may have a high amount of iodine, but it’s chock full of chemicals.2

Your best natural sources of iodine are:

  • Seaweed
  • Salmon
  • Clams
  • Sardines
  • Shrimp
  • Pineapple
  • Haddock
  • Eggs
  • Oysters
  • Dairy Products

These foods can easily be added to your menu. You won’t have any trouble finding most. I get kelp from my local Asian food store. It has 5,350 mcg of iodine in a serving.

You can also take iodized oil capsules and supplements.3 I recommend getting 150 mcg of iodine daily.

Or, you can look for a multivitamin that has iodine.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

  1. Brownstein, David. Iodine Deficiency: An Under-Recognized Epidemic. http://www.vrp.com/articles.aspx?ProdID=art2588&zTYPE=2.
  2. Natural Sources of Iodine. http://www.nutralegacy.com/blog/general-healthcare/natural-sources-of-iodine/
  3. WHO/NHD. “Assessment of Iodine Deficient Disorders and Monitoring Their Elimination: A Programme for Managers.” 2nd Ed. 2001.