Try This at Home

Your thyroid gland is responsible for maintaining your metabolism, your blood calcium as well as releasing other hormones to regulate other glands.  But when this gland is not working right it can cause an array of problems and symptoms including: weight gain, low energy or fatigue, cold or tingling hands/feet, dry skin, hair loss, brain fog, sleeping problems, muscle pain, ankle swelling, headaches/migraines, and cholesterol problems.

Even though many doctors don’t recognize it, a necessary raw ingredient for thyroid function is iodine.  The two main thyroid hormones, T3 and T4 are made of three and four iodine molecules respectfully and a person low on iodine will not produce these vital chemicals appropriately.  Here’s the catch!  Research published by Dr. David Brownstein discovered that in testing 4000 people, 96% of those tested were deficient in iodine!  A similar study by the World Health Organization found that 72% of the world’s population is deficient.  This is especially true in the Midwest where culturally we don’t eat as much seafood.

How do you know your iodine levels?  While it may not be as precise as regular blood-testing, there is a cheap and simple way to check iodine at home.  Simply go to the drugstore and purchase a small bottle of tincture of iodine and with a swab, paint a small square of the brown liquid on your arm or hip.  The iodine should stain your skin and remain very visible for about 24 hours before shedding off.  A person who is deficient in iodine will actually absorb the nutrient through the skin very quickly (often the stain will be gone in less than an hour).  This person could benefit from iodine supplementation.  Try this test!  Or, for more information on this topic, check out the work of Dr. Brownstein or take the online survey on the website for the Women’s Health Institute of Texas at 1-thyroid.com.