Iodine: An Essential Micronutrient

Iodine Auckland. You know your body needs all the essential minerals and vitamins to thrive. Much of your food today is devoid of real nutrition. One of the essential micronutrients that affects you and most people when deficient is Iodine.

The Thyroid

Your thyroid is a small, butterfly shaped organ at the base of your neck.

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped organ. Iodine Auckland

It helps you transport all ingredients around the body, excrete waste, keep warm and maintain homeostasis as a human being. It tells your body what to do. From Iodine and tyrosine (an amino acid protein), your thyroid runs your metabolism to produce thyroid hormones.

Your body needs minerals such as zinc, iron and selenium activate thyroid hormones. If you have too many heavy metals or  toxins in your body, it will affect your thyroid. So your thyroid will struggle to make hormones.

The Thyroid Supports

  • Digestion
  • Immunity
  • Fluid metabolism
  • Cell death

Iodine & Chinese Medicine

Iodine would be considered a Yang Tonic. It is warming, drying and potent. Notably, it can increase metabolism and speed up functions in the body. Ultimately, it nourishes Yang Qi. More about Yin & Yang.

What Iodine Does

Thyroid, Metabolism & Weight

Iodine assists your body’s endocrine glands such as the adrenals, pituitary, gonads (sex glands), pancreas, pineal and thymus glands. Your salivary glands and gastric mucosa require Iodine to digest food. Your thyroid needs Iodine. Good Iodine levels allow for a good metabolism, so your body can adequately burn energy. Thyroid hormones are used in every cell in your body to regulate metabolism and burn fat for energy and heat.


You can check your Basal Body Temperature (BBT). A low BBT suggests low metabolism and Iodine deficiency.

Mental Development

Iodine has been shown to make a difference by 13.5 point between Iodine deficient and Iodine sufficient areas (Bleichrodt & Born 1994). It helps brain development, cerebrospinal fluid, the eye and nigra of the brain. Iodine is found in breast milk to help a baby’s growing brain and nervous system.


Iodine has potent anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, anti-viral and anti-cancer activity. Traditionally, in wartime it was used topically to kill bacteria. It was the leading anti-parasitic drug (yodoxin or iododoxin). High-dose Iodine has been shown to kill breast, lung and thyroid cancer cells by inducing selective apoptosis. Hence it is an anti-oxidant. Allergies and runny nose are common with low thyroid function too due to iodine deficiency.

Where Your Body Stores Iodine

Your body stores Iodine in various places! Ranging from the breasts, salivary glands, pancreas, cerebral spinal fluid, skin, stomach, brain and thymus gland. Logically, the functions of these organs need Iodine.


As a woman, a constant supply of Iodine allows your body to menstruate. Iodine deficiency also affects fertility according to (WHO). Essentially, Iodine deficiency can lead to menstrual irregularities, fibroids, cysts, infertility, early menopause and ovarian disease in your body.

Iodine For Men’s Health

Naturally for men, Iodine is an essential for prostate function. Men with a low Basal Body Temperature (BBT), measured first thing in the morning upon waking are more likely to have poor quality sperm. The temperature should be at least 36.6 to 37°C after at least four hours of sleep. This will also impact a man’s digestion and immune system.

Iodine Auckland Sea Water Men Health

Iodine Deficiency

Is associated with excess migraine headache, mucus production, fatigue, haemorrhoids, headaches, keloid scarring, cysts, endometriosis and cancer. Iodine deficiency has also been associated with parotid duct stones, sebaceous cysts, and vaginal infections. Gynaecologists sometimes prescribe iodine pessaries for vaginal candida infections.

Iodine deficiency affects all of us; especially vegetarians and vegans. Over the last 50 years, Iodine intake in the West has declined by fourfold.

Contact Ilana to book in and learn more about Iodine Auckland.

Iodine Foods

The best source of Iodine is by eating seaweed daily and seafood regularly. Foods grown in iodine rich soils contain Iodine. Unfortunately, New Zealand soils lack this micronutrient.

Iodine Auckland & Weight

If you are overweight or obese, you are probably Iodine deficient. Low thyroid function is associated with weight gain. Having excessive toxic halogens stored in your fat cells block the release of fat (see section below on Halides). This prevents your body from losing weight. Do you find you can never get below a certain desired weight? People with low Iodine levels plus an accumulation of halides find it hard to lose weight.

The New Zealand Ministry of Health Survey of 2016/17 found that 86% of adults (aged 15 and over) are overweight (BMI between 25.0 and 29.9), with a further 3.2 million people (75%) being obese (BMI over 30.0), up from 29% in 2011/12.

Iodine Auckland? Iodine is an essential micronutrient when taken correctly can support weight loss.

How To Lose Weight & Detox With Iodine

If you supplement with Iodine and high protein foods your body will make more thyroid hormone and help you lose weight. Dry heat and infra-red saunas can help you detoxify these toxic halides too. Reduce your calorie intake by a quarter and exercise consistently to support this. Taking liquid activated zeolites can release toxins from the body too (Bruce, Iodine, 2014).

Auto-Immune Disorders

What about auto-immune disorders of the thyroid, you ask? Auto-immunity is seen in Grave’s and Hashimoto’s diseases. Studies show that Iodine deficient patients have a higher rate of anti-thyroid antibodies. Interestingly, they need iodine too. Read more about treating auto-immunity disorders here.

WHO On Iodine Deficiency

The World Health Organisation (WHO) associates iodine deficiency with mental retardation, increased child and infant mortality, infertility and socioeconomic decline. More recently, WHO has associated iodine deficiency with developmental delays. So it makes sense that Iodine and thyroid hormones stimulate the development of the brain and nerves. Hence, good Iodine levels reflect intelligence and memory, clarity of the mind. Note that WHO recommend iodised salt as prevention for Iodine deficiency. I don’t recommend iodised salt, sea salt and other forms of Iodine are better for absorption.

Salt Himalayan Salt Iodine Auckland

Past Iodine Statistics

Previously, Iodine intake was higher in people’s diets. Notably, toxins and halogens were also less present too. Figures released by the Ministry of Health in May 2018 showed more than 9500 people died from cancer each year, representing 31 per cent of all deaths recorded in New Zealand. The number of people affected by cancer was also expected to increase by 50 per cent by 2035.

In the past, Iodine was added to flour, and has been replaced with a halogen known as bromine. Worringly, bromine is used to fumigate houses under termite infestation.

How To Use & Apply Iodine

I order a practitioner only form of Lugol’s Solution for my patients. It is very easy to apply on your skin. Apparently it can even stop skin growths in their track. Iodine causes apoptosis (programmed cell death to a damage cell).

Paint a 5 x 5cm square of the Iodine solution daily in the morning to different areas of your body. If you are severely deficient (you will know as it will disappear completely from your skin within an hour or two). Then you can also paint the Iodine solution on your throat and breasts until it stops disappearing so quickly.

Keep your skin moisturised and every day change the area of the body you paint so that your skin doesn’t dry out. Be mindful when you apply it, it can stain your clothes, carpet or furniture!

You can also apply iodine if you are feeling sick. You will know if you are applying too much as it will stop taking so long to disappear. The Iodine Patch Test gives a general estimation on how deficient your body is.

For more information about bookings and appointments, contact Ilana.

Halide Detox

It is unknown of how the body detoxes itself yet even can from halides. Physiologically, halides are stored in body fat and prevent weight loss. One way to remove them is from a high Iodine and vitamin C intake regime that involves sweating. The best way to sweat out toxins is to use a dry heat sauna with the benefits of Far Infrared light and heat. Iodine Auckland supports halide detoxing.

Halogens Gases Toxins Iodine Auckland


Now while people’s Iodine intake has reduced, subsequently the ingestion and exposure with toxic halogens (bromide, fluorine, chlorine & perchlorate) has greatly increased. There are so many halogenic toxins in our environment, they block and compete with Iodine receptors in the body.

Halogens are a binary compound of halogen with another element or group. They are found in our environment and can cause ill health to the body. Here are the main ones that affect you and that you may be exposed to.

They can bind to Iodide receptors, block the actions of iodide and thyroid hormones and can cause illness. While Iodine and chloride are beneficial in small amounts, the others are toxic.

Types Of Halides


Is a poisonous substance and a pesticide. They are goitrogens. As a gas it kills termites. It has been substituted for iodide in many foods, medications and the environment. If you ingest bromine or bromide when you are already iodine deficient, this can affect your low functioning thyroid further. Selenium can assist the body in detoxing from bromide.


Is a toxin and can be lethal. Flouride has been added to drinking water for over 50 years in the USA. Most of Europe does not fluoridate their water. Water fluoridation has been linked to dental fluorosis (white spots and discoloured teeth), hip fractures, bone cancer, lowered intelligence and kidney toxicity. Flouride is more toxic to you if you already have an Iodine deficiency.


Basically, chloride is an important element in your extracellular fluid and stomach acid. However in large amounts is toxic and is linked to birth defects, cancer, reproductive disorders, stillbirth, and immune system disorders. Excess salt (sodium chloride) competes with in your body with iodide. The best natural source of salt for you is Celtic Sea Salt.


Is also a toxin. A molecular structure of one atom of chlorine surrounded by 4 atoms of oxygen. It can displace Iodide in the body and affect Iodide transporters. It can cause hypothyroidism, thyroid cancer, goitre, breast disease, menstrual irregularities, immunity problems and poor foetal development.

All food imported into Australia and New Zealand is treated with methylated bromide to kill all pests first. When I recently flew back to Hawaii, my plane was sprayed with insecticides (probably bromylated) prior to landing.

Iodine Auckland

Ilana Sowter is an Acupuncturist, Chinese Herbalist and Holistic Health Coach in Mairangi Bay, Auckland.
More here for contact and appointments.

Disclaimer: Iodine should only be prescribed and recommended by an experienced and knowledgable practitioner. Contact Ilana for more about Iodine Auckland.


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Bruce, Heather (2015) Iodine – Ingredient for Life. Ebook.
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Thomson, C.D., McLachlan, S.K., Grant, A.M., Paterson, E., and Lillico, A.J. 2005. The effect of selenium on thyroid status in a population with marginal selenium and iodine status. Brit. J. Nutr. 94 :962-968.
UNICEF. The State of the World’s Children 2016, UNICEF, NY.
van den Briel, T., West, C.E., Bleichrodt, N., Vijver, F.J.v.d., Ategbo, E.A., and Hautvast, J.G.A.J. 2000. Improved iodine status is associated with improved mental performance of schoolchildren in Benin. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 72:1179-1185.

World Health Organization/International Council for the Control of the Iodine Deficiency Disorders/United Nations Childrens Fund (WHO/ICCIDD/UNICEF). Assessment of the iodine deficiency disorders and monitoring their elimination. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2007.


Zimmermann, M.B., Boelaert, K. 2015. Iodine deficiency and thyroid disorders. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 3(4) : 286-95.