The Link Between Breast Cancer and Iodine Deficiency
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Every cell in your body requires iodine to keep it functioning properly.
Iodine is one of the most important minerals for healthy cellular and metabolic function.
This essential mineral is required throughout the body, especially in the thyroid gland, but also in breast, ovary, uterus, and prostate tissue.
After researchers discovered that iodine deficiency caused goiters, iodine was added to table salt.
Today, that often isn’t enough.
Crops are grown in iodine-depleted soil, iodine is no longer used in commercial baked goods, and studies show that dietary iodine levels have fallen by as much as 50%.
At the same time, our intake of iodine competitors like chlorine, fluoride, and bromide has all increased.
These toxic compounds lower the activity of iodine in the body by blocking iodine receptor sites, and all three are found commonly in both foods and the environment.
Chlorine is now widely used for water purification, fluoride is almost universally found in toothpaste and drinking water, and bromide replaced iodine in commercial baked goods and is common in soft drinks.
As a result, many experts believe that iodine support can be the missing intervention for optimal health.
Systems especially reliant on optimal levels of iodine are immune, breast, ovaries, prostate, brain, and perhaps the best known, the thyroid.
Dr. David Brownstein, the iodine guru, clearly lays out what we would expect to find in iodine-deficient individuals.
When iodine is deficient, nodules form in key organs leading to pre-cancerous conditions and then eventually to full-blown cancer.
He says, “Iodine’s main job is to maintain the normal architecture of those tissues. With iodine deficiency, the first thing that happens is you get cystic formation in the breasts, the ovaries, uterus, thyroid, prostate, and let’s throw in the pancreas in here as well, which is also increasing at epidemic rates – pancreatic cancer. Cysts start to form when iodine deficiency is there. If it goes on longer, they become nodular and hard. If it goes on longer, they become hyperplastic tissue, which is the precursor to cancer.”
I say that’s the iodine deficiency continuum.
Brownstein continues, “The good thing about iodine is, iodine has apoptotic properties, meaning it can stop a cancer cell from just continually dividing, dividing, dividing until it kills somebody. Iodine can stop this continuum wherever it catches it and hopefully reverse it, but at least put the brakes on what is happening.”
The Emerging Role of Iodine in Breast Health | Iodine – The Great Detoxifier
Iodine is a breast protector, and it promotes detoxification, lymph flow, and offers protection to the receptor sites.
But when iodine is deficient, estrogen can become imbalanced and dysfunctional.
A common link between fibrocystic breast and breast cancer is insufficient iodine and halide toxicity.
We are seeing an increase in uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, infertility, thyroid nodules, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer from iodine deficiency.
The good news is iodine turns on estriol, which is the positive estrogen that protects against estrogenic cancers.
As Dr. David Brownstein explained, iodine turns on natural cancer cell death, also known as apoptosis. Think of it as a kind of Pac-Man that eats up renegade cancer cells.
However, there are three forms of iodine that are the best.
For instance, the thyroid gland absorbs potassium iodide best, while breast tissue can better utilize molecular iodine.
Additionally, there is evidence that using sodium iodide enhances absorption of other forms of iodine.
Just remember that potassium iodide and sodium iodide are used for hormone balance and immune health, whereas molecular iodine is used for breast, prostate, colon, and cellular health.
And in my 13 years of working with breast health, I have seen remarkable changes in women’s breasts that were lumpy, cystic, and painful, and seen a reduction in lumps and cysts when women have used iodine as part of their daily supplementation.
In addition, Lugol’s Liquid Iodine 2% can also be used topically for lumps, cysts, and tender breasts, but it’s best to mix it with a carrier oil.
Castor oil also has many positive healing benefits, so you can mix the two, if you’d like.
At this point, you might be wondering, what are some iodine-rich foods?
For the vegetarians, dried prunes, white potatoes, navy beans, seaweed, and cranberries are a few that provide good sources of iodine.
Seafood, like canned tuna and salmon, and shellfish, are also great sources of iodine, along with boiled eggs, yogurt, certain types of cheese, and turkey breast.
However, you should be mindful of the source of the seafood, due to heavy metals.
Himalayan salt also contains a small amount of natural iodine, but it usually has less iodine than iodized salt, and most sea salt does not contain enough iodine to meet your daily needs.
For more information on iodine and breast health protocols, please contact me, or send an email to info@patricialuccardi.com.
And if you want to learn more about the importance of iodine, you should check out Dr. Brownstein’s book, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It.
Here’s to happy and healthy breasts!
Patricia
Offering Breast, Upper Body, and Full Body Exams
Contact me to book your thermography appointment today.
