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The Iodine Crisis: What You Don't Know About Iodine Can Wreck Your Life
Thanks to environmental pollutants Iodine deficiency has become a worldwide epidemic. Everybody knows pollutants cause cancer. What they don't know is that these pollutants cause a deficiency that can make us sick, fat and stupid. Iodized salt--supposedly a solution to iodine deficiency-- is actually a nutritional scam which provides a false sense of security. The Iodine Crisis explains how we became so deficient, then shows the time-tested solution to reversing many conditions. Lynne Farrow reveals how she and thousands of other patient-activists changed their lives by researching and using iodine. Frequently Asked Questions cover everything you need to know about iodine. The proof of iodine's benefit is demonstrated by the dramatic case studies shared in this book.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
545 people are currently reading
1647 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
March 14, 2014
This is a critically important book. I started the iodine about 10 days ago. I can't begin to describe what a huge difference it has made on so many levels! My overall energy level is higher than ever, my mind is clear - and I just feel really HAPPY! I so wish I had started this earlier!
For those who are not familiar with the health benefits of iodine, you should definitely check this out.
Many thanks to Lynne Farrow for writing this book and being a health advocate for women
For those who are not familiar with the health benefits of iodine, you should definitely check this out.
Many thanks to Lynne Farrow for writing this book and being a health advocate for women
July 12, 2014
Highly recommend this book as a comprehensive resource on the history of iodine, it's benefits, symptoms of deficiency, why it's lacking today and how to find an Iodine Literate Practitioner.
After one week of taking selenium followed by topical application of Lugol's 2% solution, I was shocked to wake up one morning not fatigued. I pretty much had been running on fumes with brain fog for years. Something one doesn't realize the magnitude of until it is gone or alleviated. Even more curious was as the day progressed I still felt great and my thinking was exponentially clearer.
At the recommendation of an Iodine group on Facebook, I placed a hold on this book at the library and devoured it within an hour once picked up. There are several case studies in the book presenting how iodine has benefited hair loss, hearing loss, dry skin, Reynaud's, pms symptoms, etc.
This book is an interesting read with a personable edge presenting research on why we need iodine, how often should it be taken, how should it be taken, what are the side effects, etc. Most important is the section on how to detox from Bromine, what products we find Bromine in and how it's dangerous to our health.
After one week of taking selenium followed by topical application of Lugol's 2% solution, I was shocked to wake up one morning not fatigued. I pretty much had been running on fumes with brain fog for years. Something one doesn't realize the magnitude of until it is gone or alleviated. Even more curious was as the day progressed I still felt great and my thinking was exponentially clearer.
At the recommendation of an Iodine group on Facebook, I placed a hold on this book at the library and devoured it within an hour once picked up. There are several case studies in the book presenting how iodine has benefited hair loss, hearing loss, dry skin, Reynaud's, pms symptoms, etc.
This book is an interesting read with a personable edge presenting research on why we need iodine, how often should it be taken, how should it be taken, what are the side effects, etc. Most important is the section on how to detox from Bromine, what products we find Bromine in and how it's dangerous to our health.
January 4, 2015
While haphazardly written and somewhat repetitive, the book gives a view of someone who had benefitted from the iodine protocol and also give many other personal accounts of improvements, the history of iodine and how its use faded into obscurity and gave many online resources and links to iodine grassroots movements. I am grateful for the info as it can be life saving for many. For that it deserves 4 stars.
July 18, 2013
There's some interesting content in this book: narrow glimpses into the historical uses of iodine, vague reference to iodine's medical applications in the nineteenth century, and circuitous discussions of the theories regarding iodine's numerous mechanisms of action in complex living organisms. Sadly, the text is so poorly organized and edited that the book reads like an un-moderated rant on a blog, very different from journalistic expose I was hoping for.
May 14, 2024
Where was the science??????
February 23, 2020
At first I just read bits and pieces of this book to start with. This weekend I sat down an read it front to back. We've been taking iodine off and on over the last few years. This book give an overview of the history and the importance of iodine. A must read.
I will say that since I started taking iodine daily for the last two months I no long get breast pain during ovulation or mentural cycle. I have also started to give it to my daughter along with selenium and her perpetual cough she has every winter goes away. If we skip a few days it come back.
I will say that since I started taking iodine daily for the last two months I no long get breast pain during ovulation or mentural cycle. I have also started to give it to my daughter along with selenium and her perpetual cough she has every winter goes away. If we skip a few days it come back.
June 24, 2022
There's a good bit of history, background, and testimonials/case studies in this book. However, this is lacking a plan to move forward and take action, most likely intentional as to the author steering clear of giving medical advice. I'm moving on to Dr. Brownstein's "Iodine: Why you need it. Why you can't live without it." Just by scanning Dr. Brownstein's book, I've already found info on ordering the iodine tests online and dosage guidelines.
April 15, 2017
Iodine is one of the most important nutrients. Supplementing with it has transformed my health, as well as that of my wife. I give it to my son and to our dog. The importance of getting the message out to as many people as possible that basically everyone would benefit from supplementing with iodine is crucial. My rating, similarly as that for Brownstein's book on iodine, is the average between 4 stars for the importance of the subject, and 0 stars for the book as a book. Hence 2 stars.
This book is not a book. It's a collection of various bits and pieces of things written here and there, surely mostly on the web, and then put together in printed form. A huge part of it is in the form of the classic web page of FAQ, probably just cut and pasted from somewhere. Throughout the text are interspersed testimonials. The information about iodine is disorganised, and repeated in several places. Most of the first part is a kind of motivational, self-important, auto-biography presented as a kind of background to the author's research into iodine. Unfortunately, the essence and value of this research does not come across in the book. There is no structure to speak of, and all in all, it is very lacking in actual information.
If you are intersted in learning more about iodine, you can get most of the essential information on what you need to know about it in a succinct and structure presentation here:
https://healthfully.wordpress.com/201...
This book is not a book. It's a collection of various bits and pieces of things written here and there, surely mostly on the web, and then put together in printed form. A huge part of it is in the form of the classic web page of FAQ, probably just cut and pasted from somewhere. Throughout the text are interspersed testimonials. The information about iodine is disorganised, and repeated in several places. Most of the first part is a kind of motivational, self-important, auto-biography presented as a kind of background to the author's research into iodine. Unfortunately, the essence and value of this research does not come across in the book. There is no structure to speak of, and all in all, it is very lacking in actual information.
If you are intersted in learning more about iodine, you can get most of the essential information on what you need to know about it in a succinct and structure presentation here:
https://healthfully.wordpress.com/201...
October 16, 2024
I listened to the audiobook version (it has an accompanying PDF with information).
I am blown away by how many varying ailments can be improved or resolved with the simple matter of iodine supplementation!
This is a comprehensive introduction on the history of iodine and how pervasive the false beliefs around the dangers of its use still are, as well as suggested protocols for taking iodine. I will definitely be doing more research and reading further books on this topic.
As a hypothyroidism sufferer, I am excited to give this a try and see for myself what a difference this might make for my health and wellbeing.
Overall, a book I would recommend.
I am blown away by how many varying ailments can be improved or resolved with the simple matter of iodine supplementation!
This is a comprehensive introduction on the history of iodine and how pervasive the false beliefs around the dangers of its use still are, as well as suggested protocols for taking iodine. I will definitely be doing more research and reading further books on this topic.
As a hypothyroidism sufferer, I am excited to give this a try and see for myself what a difference this might make for my health and wellbeing.
Overall, a book I would recommend.
April 29, 2024
Chroniczne zmęczenie, częste infekcje, nadwaga, wysokie ciśnienie krwi, bóle stawów, stany zapalne, bóle miesiączkowe, fibromialgia, grzybice i drożdżyce, zaburzenia pamięci, obrzęki, spowolniony metabolizm, syfilis, uczucie chłodu, obniżona temperatura ciała, sucha skóra, głuchota, depresja, cysty, mięśniaki, endometrioza, przerost prostaty, łuszczyca, migotanie przedsionków, suche oko, brak libido, problemy z erekcją, niepłodność, poronienia, Hashimoto, a nawet nowotwory. Czy istnieje jakieś cudowne panaceum na te wszystkie i wiele innych dolegliwości? Może nie panaceum, ale skuteczna, choć zapomniana terapia owszem, tak.
Wodorosty morskie były stosowane w celach leczniczych już 15000 lat temu. W ubiegłym stuleciu terapia jodem była powszechna. W każdym domu można było znaleźć płyn Lugola, a jod dodawano nawet do chleba. Aż do lat 70., kiedy to panowie Wolff i Chaikoff ogłosili, że jest on niebezpieczny. Od tamtej pory zalecane dawki zostały obniżone nawet o setki razy. Zamiast jodu w wielu krajach do mąki dodaje się teraz brom. Brom jest wszechobecny również w produktach trudnopalnych, jak dywany, tapicerki i ubrania. Od tego czasu liczba zachorowań na raka, szczególnie piersi, gwałtownie wzrosła. Autorka twierdzi, że nie jest to zbieg okoliczności. Przeprowadza szczegółowe dochodzenie, zadając pytanie: kto ukradł terapię jodem i dlaczego. Zainteresowała się tematem również ze względu na własne problemy zdrowotne.
Na szczęście mamy Internet i dzięki niemu wielu ochotników postanowiło nie tylko spróbować terapii jodem, ale też podzielić się z innymi swoimi doświadczeniami i osiągnięciami. Powstał Projekt Jodowy, pojawiły się strony internetowe, fora i grupy wsparcia. Tematem interesują się też naturoterapeuci, a nawet lekarze, zazwyczaj dzięki swoim pacjentom. Twierdzenia Wolffa i Chaikoffa zostały obalone, a gnębieni chorobami ludzie odzyskują zdrowie.
W książce zaprezentowana została historia jodu, powody zaniechania terapii, jej renesans, a na końcu dostajemy pełny tzw. protokół jodowy, czyli wykaz wszystkich suplementów, jakie należy przyjmować wraz z ich dawkami, a także informacje, jakich efektów ubocznych można się spodziewać w wyniku detoksu i uwalniania bromu i jak sobie z tym poradzić, np. przy pomocy obciążania solą. Dowiemy się też dlaczego używanie soli jodowanej nie ma prawie żadnego sensu. Całość okraszona mnóstwem relacji schorowanych ludzi, którzy podjęli się tej kuracji i uzyskali niewiarygodne wręcz efekty. Sama jestem w dwóch grupach jodowych i czytam podobne relacje na co dzień.
Czego mi brakło? Informacji o tym, że jesteśmy masowo zatruci nie tylko bromem, ale również fluorem (woda i pasty do zębów) i chlorem (woda i środki do sprzątania łazienek). Wszystkie należą do tej samej grupy co jod, czyli halogenów i są bardziej aktywne chemicznie od ciężkiego jodu, a więc łatwiej lokują się w organizmie.
Wodorosty morskie były stosowane w celach leczniczych już 15000 lat temu. W ubiegłym stuleciu terapia jodem była powszechna. W każdym domu można było znaleźć płyn Lugola, a jod dodawano nawet do chleba. Aż do lat 70., kiedy to panowie Wolff i Chaikoff ogłosili, że jest on niebezpieczny. Od tamtej pory zalecane dawki zostały obniżone nawet o setki razy. Zamiast jodu w wielu krajach do mąki dodaje się teraz brom. Brom jest wszechobecny również w produktach trudnopalnych, jak dywany, tapicerki i ubrania. Od tego czasu liczba zachorowań na raka, szczególnie piersi, gwałtownie wzrosła. Autorka twierdzi, że nie jest to zbieg okoliczności. Przeprowadza szczegółowe dochodzenie, zadając pytanie: kto ukradł terapię jodem i dlaczego. Zainteresowała się tematem również ze względu na własne problemy zdrowotne.
Na szczęście mamy Internet i dzięki niemu wielu ochotników postanowiło nie tylko spróbować terapii jodem, ale też podzielić się z innymi swoimi doświadczeniami i osiągnięciami. Powstał Projekt Jodowy, pojawiły się strony internetowe, fora i grupy wsparcia. Tematem interesują się też naturoterapeuci, a nawet lekarze, zazwyczaj dzięki swoim pacjentom. Twierdzenia Wolffa i Chaikoffa zostały obalone, a gnębieni chorobami ludzie odzyskują zdrowie.
W książce zaprezentowana została historia jodu, powody zaniechania terapii, jej renesans, a na końcu dostajemy pełny tzw. protokół jodowy, czyli wykaz wszystkich suplementów, jakie należy przyjmować wraz z ich dawkami, a także informacje, jakich efektów ubocznych można się spodziewać w wyniku detoksu i uwalniania bromu i jak sobie z tym poradzić, np. przy pomocy obciążania solą. Dowiemy się też dlaczego używanie soli jodowanej nie ma prawie żadnego sensu. Całość okraszona mnóstwem relacji schorowanych ludzi, którzy podjęli się tej kuracji i uzyskali niewiarygodne wręcz efekty. Sama jestem w dwóch grupach jodowych i czytam podobne relacje na co dzień.
Czego mi brakło? Informacji o tym, że jesteśmy masowo zatruci nie tylko bromem, ale również fluorem (woda i pasty do zębów) i chlorem (woda i środki do sprzątania łazienek). Wszystkie należą do tej samej grupy co jod, czyli halogenów i są bardziej aktywne chemicznie od ciężkiego jodu, a więc łatwiej lokują się w organizmie.
February 5, 2019
I would give this 10 stars (read it in like 2 days)! Thank you Ms. Farrow! Most doctors are clueless about the iodine crisis. They just keep prescribing synthetic drugs instead of really looking for other ways to treat their patients. My doctor's first 'go-to' is her prescription pad. If I question things -- like side effects -- I'm told 'no, it's fine'. My doctor NEVER asks me if I have any questions or concerns. The office is like a revolving door - get 5-8 minutes tops and bye-bye. I learned that you have to be your own doctor, unfortunately, and do your own research. I wish insurance paid for naturopaths, but big pharma would never allow that. They want you to take prescription drugs instead of natural things like iodine. They don't make any money from that (and neither does your doctor!) I applaud the doctors who have recognized the problem and are doing something about it. I dare say most of them are just like my current doctor.
Everyone should read this book. So many people have been helped by recognizing how deficient we are in this very important element. Breast cancer has greatly increased since 1970 because women are not getting enough of this critical element (and getting poisoned by bromide). I had wondered what the little red mole-like things were that were on my body. Now I know -- cherry angiomas as a result of bromide poisoning -- depleting iodine in my body. As Ms. Farrow says in her book, get away from thinking you have to accept everything your doctor says because 'they must know what they're doing'. They are not interested in curing you, just making your blood numbers confirm to certain guidelines. I have lost faith in my current doctor and am in the process of finding another doctor; a task that is indeed daunting.
Everyone should read this book. So many people have been helped by recognizing how deficient we are in this very important element. Breast cancer has greatly increased since 1970 because women are not getting enough of this critical element (and getting poisoned by bromide). I had wondered what the little red mole-like things were that were on my body. Now I know -- cherry angiomas as a result of bromide poisoning -- depleting iodine in my body. As Ms. Farrow says in her book, get away from thinking you have to accept everything your doctor says because 'they must know what they're doing'. They are not interested in curing you, just making your blood numbers confirm to certain guidelines. I have lost faith in my current doctor and am in the process of finding another doctor; a task that is indeed daunting.
February 13, 2020
Wow! An eye opener! Have you heard that iodine is a toxin? Or that it’s only beneficial purpose is as a topical antiseptic? If so... you’re one of the millions who have been scammed. There is one report back in the 50’s that stated iodine could poison us. This report was not peer reviewed, was not properly concluded, and has NEVER been duplicated. And yet because of it physicians quit issuing it as a remedy for many ailments in 60’s and it was removed as a supplement from bread products in the 70’s. Fast forward 30 years... breast & thyroid disease has tripled! Is it a coincidence that breast tissue and the thyroid are the two main organs in the body that use the most iodine to function properly? Iodine is also used to regulate our hormones and is found in nearly every tissue in our bodies. So, if we are iodine deficient there is no telling what type of chronic symptoms we may experience. Luckily, iodine deficiency is reversible!
A quick easy read. Very informational.
A quick easy read. Very informational.
September 22, 2014
The subject of iodine deficiency is very well researched over many years and clearly written! Also very anecdotal! How did an unverified paper about "the dangers of iodine" in 1961 become received wisdom? That, along with the introduction of the poison bromine - which is used in so many things like flame retardants, pesticides and make up - have caused the rise of breast cancer and many other diseases in our age. Ms Farrow asks all the right questions and not only that, her research gives detailed answers.
May 23, 2018
This book tells the history of iodine and how the medical community has slowly shunned it's use. This was even carried by soldiers in iodine canteens. It is helpful for treating thyroid issues and cysts/lumps in breasts.there is a Facebook page that is wholly devoted to this topic and how to dose this correctly with logos solution or iodoral. Bromine is also explained how it displaces the needed iodine and where it is found. Fabrics, carpets, bread. Also why iodized salt does not work. There are many patient examples in the book.
April 13, 2022
This book was far less scientific in nature than I thought it would be. The idea behind it, that there is wide spread iodine deficiency that is not being recognized by the wider medical community is great. However, the author offers no scientific information to support this. It is almost completely anecdotal. The author also claims to do “her own research” but she does not. She looks into other people’s research. It’s semantics, but, as a scientist, I find that distinction important.
August 11, 2013
The information within is golden and I actually found myself really enjoying the writing style as well.
This book along with Iodine by dr. David Brownstein is all one needs to really understand where iodine comes from and the connection between iodine deficiency and various cancers and other health problems that our modern society is so much plagued with.
This book along with Iodine by dr. David Brownstein is all one needs to really understand where iodine comes from and the connection between iodine deficiency and various cancers and other health problems that our modern society is so much plagued with.
May 12, 2017
While this book could have been better written and edited, the information is critical. Iodine could be a simple solution to some very complex health problems for many people. It is already helping me with issues my doctor failed to diagnose and treat successfully. I will be recommending this book to friends with similar health problems.
March 14, 2020
One of my deficiencies that I’m working to improve is my crazy low iodine levels. No big surprise that the deficiency also causes thyroid issues as well. This book is fascinating, although somewhat repetitive. It was a good instruction/ introduction for someone like me who had no idea that a deficiency in iodine could cause some many issues through my body.
March 16, 2020
Very interesting read and I'm going to try it I think. Living in NZ our iodine levels are very low, though at least we don't have bromated flour and our new bed doesn't have any bromide in it either (I checked with the manufacturer). I did however grow up with flouride in the water and chlorine too and our water at the moment is chlorinated though no flouride.
April 10, 2014
Very very informative. I recommend!
September 7, 2014
Might be the most important book I've ever read regarding health. A must
December 19, 2014
The information is important. The book tends to be repetitive but it helps start your own research. I liked the testimonials.
May 6, 2015
This has started me on the search to find out the truth about iodine.
May 16, 2023
My health care provider asked me to read this book as part of my “wellness journey”. There is helpful information in this book to understand the role of iodine, a vital nutrient, for people of all ages and especially for post-menopausal women. Also, understanding that bromine competes with iodine will help me to avoid this toxic substance. I thank my Lord Jesus, my Healer, for blessing me with this knowledge so that I can make better choices and be a blessing to others.
December 19, 2022
Iodine and bromide - hadn't thought much about them before reading this book. Very interesting information here. I have now switched back to iodized salt although the author on the one hand seemed to be saying it is a good thing and on the other saying it is more hype than effective. Not sure how much of this data is anecdotal versus scientific but interesting.
February 1, 2024
While this book is a little all over the place, it makes a compelling argument for everyone to be supplementing iodine. Very fascinating book in general.
April 20, 2023
Farrow became obsessed with iodine when her life was completely altered within 2 hours of taking 50mg of Iodoral which improved her cognition and energy levels, and found online communities reporting the same. She writes in a eccentric style, and having obviously done a lot of research, both online and offline, dug into science and history she gives a convincing case for taking large doses of iodine to cure a large range of illnesses especially those related to the chest - not to mention debunking the dangers of ionine and encourages us to challenge standard medical authority.
Over the last 40 years, iodine levels measured in the human body have halved. The Norwegian Department of Health states that the worst iodine deficiency is found in Europe! - Although iodide deficiency has been with us for a very long time, it has come back in the recent decade which seems to be blamed partly because of one erroneous, albeit very influential study inventing the Wolff-Chaikoff effect that made it seem like excess Idoine is dangerous as it reduces thyroid hormones. This study, conducted in 1948, has gone unquestioned in the medical general consensus and is still advocated today in endocrinology textbooks and is used to justify public health recommendations. The study is criticized in Guy Abraham’s article “The Wolff-Chaikoff Effect: Crying Wolff” in which Abraham claims they did not check the thyroid prior to injections and the study has not been reproduced. He seems credible except his religious conspiracy theories.
I quote his article: “Iodine-deprived Christian America became vulnerable to the pagan influences of Eastern Mysticism, and New Age Occultism, which were incorporated in the practice of medicine and adopted by the public at large. Eighteen million Americans practice yoga, a form of worship of the Hindu god, Shiva.”
Something about iodine deficiency = brain fog = becoming a susceptible fool = dismissing Christian values = moving their bodies in weird ways, and *gasp* those pagan yoga pants! Sodomy! Repent! Take iodine!
I’m a bit bothered that this guy is one of the main guys behind this iodine thing, but okay… everything else seems reasonable.
This is interesting because here’s a clear example where “doing one’s research” is clearly more beneficial than just listening to your doctor. The false assumptions of medicine are far more slowly corrected than the latest information on the internet. The American Heart Association still thinks saturated fat is bad for you and thinks you should avoid coconut oil…
A central theme of the book is breast cancer, as the author has had it. She encourages the reader to not believe in standard medical treatments - as she is a journalist - the boldly claims that there is no scientific evidence that radiation therapy improves the survival rates of breast cancer patients. She connects iodine deficiency to breast cancer. She notes that thyroid and breast illnesses skyrocketed from 1970 when we saw a rise in iodine deficiency.
Iodine supplementation has been used for over 15.000 years, originally in the form of seaweed consumption. Ancient Chinese medicine and Hippocrates used seaweed to cure goiter - an irregular growth of the thyroid gland. And it has been used as a sort of “general cure” for soldiers and laymen alike before the invention of antibiotics.
As we will understand, Iodine is vital for every part of the body, as it plays a central role in the nervous system - it affects every cell of your body. The deficiency may be a significant factor in many health issues, and it can be theorized it plays a role in the rising obesity epidemic, especially due to Bromine can cause metabolic slow-down, allegedly.
Iodine has been demonized, because of the Wolff-chaikoff study, to the extent that bread has actually been supplemented with Bromine, a halogen that binds to the same receptors as iodine - meaning they are aggressive competitors of iodine. Halogens not bound will be flushed out of the system.
Bromine has been supplemented in bread, is used widely in agriculture to control fungi, weeds, insects, and worms, and is used in fire retardants in household objects, such as clothes, mattresses, and carpets, and is used as a food additive in processed foods. The good news is that the EU is becoming more aware of the dangers of the chemicals used, and is tightening the regulations.
It is worth noting that chlorine and fluorine, like iodine and bromine, are also halogens, all competing for the same receptors. Many countries supplementing their water with fluoride (a poison) is not helping the Iodine situation. Thankfully Norway does not do this idiotic thing; however, most governments put chlorine in the drinking water to disinfect it from bacteria and viruses - perhaps (to my limited understanding) as a necessary evil. If chlorine is an issue, you can distill water or collect rainwater from the roof of your house, but I have personally not found it worth my time to do so. Nevertheless, it is clear that iodine supplementation is important.
Many countries do take iodine insufficiency seriously. A Chinese village, when supplemented with iodine through the water stream, among many other benefits, had an increase of 20 IQ points after twenty years (worth noting that Iodine insufficiency in the pregnant mother is detrimental to the child’s brain development) Kazakhstan government put substantial effort into informing its citizens of its importance, and it has penetrated their culture to the degree that iodide-deficiency has become an insult. You can risk imprisonment if you are caught transporting uniodized salt in India.
Many governments have decided to address iodine deficiency with salt. We will come later to the limitations of this approach. In Norway, some producers supplemented some iodine in salt - but far less than others. In Norwegian agriculture, iodine in animal feed has been used to ensure animal health, and therefore milk and dairy products are an important source of iodine here - milk and dairy products in Norway account for up to 80% of iodine for those who drink it. If you’re one of those ”healthy” people avoiding (pasteurized) milk in Norway - and you follow don’t eat white fish 2-3 times a week (white fish is a natural source of iodine, farmed salmon is a poor source), you probably lack iodine!
It’s worth noting that the countries with the highest life expectancies are Japan, Hong Kong, and Macao, all of which have long firm traditions of eating a lot of seafood and seaweed.
While many developing countries have benefitted massively from ionized salt, it is a very limited approach, which Farrow rightly points out. First, there is not enough iodine in to begin with - especially in Norway, where it’s optional and not sufficient - and when salt is stored, it “sublimes” into the air, meaning you’ll only consume about 25% of what’s in it, typically. Not to mention that only 10% of the remaining is bioavailable in salt. It’s not a good solution.
I wanted to measure my iodine levels from a urine test from my doctor - he said that’s impossible. That goes to show the ignorance of medical training. Maybe he was deliberately unuseful. “Why would you test your iodine levels?” I get the sense that doctors are getting annoyed by my “do your own research” generation, as they have become a gateway to tests and drugs instead of glorified omniscient authority.
Dosage of iodine, oh boy.
The dosage recommended in the book is of hundreds of times magnitude than the iodine pills I bought from a local health store. The Norwegian Department of Health recommends no higher than 600 µg iodine per day. An endocrinology textbook I read said 150 µg was pushing it, while Farrow only experienced effects from taking 50 mg! That’s almost a hundred times more! What the hell is going on? The recommended dosage, from the book, is one Iodoral (12.5 mg) per day, gradually building up to 50 mg if suffering from a serious medical illness. Still, the recommended dosage from Guy Abraham and the iodine community is 20x larger than government recommendations.
If I were to be my money - I’d bet the Helsedirektoratet (the Norwegian Department of Health) is wrong on this one - and 600 µg + of iodine is not dangerous. Why? This is the paper the Helsedirektoratet cites as their source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20172...
Reading the actual paper - the conclusions of excessive iodine are bewildering.
I quote the paper: “Until relatively recently, the only population in the world in which excessive intake of iodine had been described as a main cause of disease lived in some costal areas of the Japanese island Hokkaido.[8] The excessive iodine intake in this population was attributed to the daily use of iodine-rich seaweed for consumption.”
Wow! The main cause of disease in Hokkaido is too much iodine!?
So I looked at the study.
The study was conducted in the 1960s in Hokkaido, the only place recorded at the time that had above levels of recommended iodine levels, which had a slightly higher rate of goiter than the rest of Japan in the 1960s.
The study took 57 subjects who suffered from goiter and noticed that a “few patients” noticed a marked decrease in goiter when reducing seaweed. Therefore, there COULD make a case that seaweed consumption contributes to goiter.
And it is utterly misleading to say that the “main cause of the disease was due to excessive iodine intake,” as if the main cause of disease on the island was excessive iodine, based on the fact a few people noticed their goiter reduced when reducing seaweed for a short period of time. And “the main disease” of the island was definitely not goiter. It’s entirely subjective. If you look at the severity, I would say tuberculosis was the most pressing health issue in that area; if you look at the rate, probably the common cold, if that even counts. Goiter varies with severity. For the most part, it’s not visible, and goiter itself is not dangerous, only a symptom of thyroid dysfunction. Goiter only becomes a problem when it becomes insanely large it can obstruct breathing pathways. In contrast to tuberculosis, virtually nobody dies from goiter.
And did nobody suspect autoimmune disorders when the thyroid size exploded from seaweed? It seems as if the public health recommendations try to accommodate the outliers who are hyperreactive to increased iodine, not the general public.
The conclusion of the paper was that “too much iodine could lead to disease” absolutely bonkers!!
Here is an example of the irresponsible quality of the study that Helsedirektoret uses when they assess how much iodine should be supplemented to the entire population of a national scale. You’d think the government would put a ton of scrutiny into figuring out the safe dosage of something that affects every cell of every inhabitant. Apparently not.
Abraham supplemented over 4000 patients with doses ranging from 12.5 to 50mg a day. Patients with diabetes mellitus received 100mg a day. A reversal of broc\stic breast disease, reduction in the insulin requirement of patients with diabetes, and resolution of symptoms of conditions such as brom\algia was reported. Less than 5% of subjects developed hyper- or hypothyroidism.
Dr. Brownstein has treated 3000 patients with minimal side effects (as of 2005)
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Clinic...
Large iodine supplementation from this research shows potential huge gains, and while there might be a slight risk of hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism, it is easily reversible simply by stopping taking the supplements. These effects are only really relevant to those who have autoimmune disorders with the thyroid, to begin with. (Hashimoto's thyroiditis / Graves’ disease)
It’s worth noting it has been reported that supplementing with iodine can temporarily swell up the goiter only to significantly reduce it afterward. The mechanism of this is understood.
The relationship between goiter and iodine is this: In iodine deficiency, The thyroid gland expands to try to “suck up” as much iodine as possible from the bloodstream. An enlarged thyroid gland can also occur if there is too much iodine, so the thyroid gland has to process more iodine, and therefore it swells up. These are two different mechanisms.
The reason why people can feel worse when taking high doses of iodine supplements is that the bromide and fluoride will be released and detoxified in the body. Consuming salt water and vitamin C while taking iodine is important, as it helps excrete these poisons.
It’s curious to me that 12.5mg is recommended but I highly doubt that it was normal to get this daily unless we ate a lot of seaweed. But then again, they were not supplementing their drinking water with fluoride and chlorine and did not use bromine as an anti-pesticide.
In conclusion it’s a very well researched book - the author is obviously passionate about the topic, and it’s contagious!
Over the last 40 years, iodine levels measured in the human body have halved. The Norwegian Department of Health states that the worst iodine deficiency is found in Europe! - Although iodide deficiency has been with us for a very long time, it has come back in the recent decade which seems to be blamed partly because of one erroneous, albeit very influential study inventing the Wolff-Chaikoff effect that made it seem like excess Idoine is dangerous as it reduces thyroid hormones. This study, conducted in 1948, has gone unquestioned in the medical general consensus and is still advocated today in endocrinology textbooks and is used to justify public health recommendations. The study is criticized in Guy Abraham’s article “The Wolff-Chaikoff Effect: Crying Wolff” in which Abraham claims they did not check the thyroid prior to injections and the study has not been reproduced. He seems credible except his religious conspiracy theories.
I quote his article: “Iodine-deprived Christian America became vulnerable to the pagan influences of Eastern Mysticism, and New Age Occultism, which were incorporated in the practice of medicine and adopted by the public at large. Eighteen million Americans practice yoga, a form of worship of the Hindu god, Shiva.”
Something about iodine deficiency = brain fog = becoming a susceptible fool = dismissing Christian values = moving their bodies in weird ways, and *gasp* those pagan yoga pants! Sodomy! Repent! Take iodine!
I’m a bit bothered that this guy is one of the main guys behind this iodine thing, but okay… everything else seems reasonable.
This is interesting because here’s a clear example where “doing one’s research” is clearly more beneficial than just listening to your doctor. The false assumptions of medicine are far more slowly corrected than the latest information on the internet. The American Heart Association still thinks saturated fat is bad for you and thinks you should avoid coconut oil…
A central theme of the book is breast cancer, as the author has had it. She encourages the reader to not believe in standard medical treatments - as she is a journalist - the boldly claims that there is no scientific evidence that radiation therapy improves the survival rates of breast cancer patients. She connects iodine deficiency to breast cancer. She notes that thyroid and breast illnesses skyrocketed from 1970 when we saw a rise in iodine deficiency.
Iodine supplementation has been used for over 15.000 years, originally in the form of seaweed consumption. Ancient Chinese medicine and Hippocrates used seaweed to cure goiter - an irregular growth of the thyroid gland. And it has been used as a sort of “general cure” for soldiers and laymen alike before the invention of antibiotics.
As we will understand, Iodine is vital for every part of the body, as it plays a central role in the nervous system - it affects every cell of your body. The deficiency may be a significant factor in many health issues, and it can be theorized it plays a role in the rising obesity epidemic, especially due to Bromine can cause metabolic slow-down, allegedly.
Iodine has been demonized, because of the Wolff-chaikoff study, to the extent that bread has actually been supplemented with Bromine, a halogen that binds to the same receptors as iodine - meaning they are aggressive competitors of iodine. Halogens not bound will be flushed out of the system.
Bromine has been supplemented in bread, is used widely in agriculture to control fungi, weeds, insects, and worms, and is used in fire retardants in household objects, such as clothes, mattresses, and carpets, and is used as a food additive in processed foods. The good news is that the EU is becoming more aware of the dangers of the chemicals used, and is tightening the regulations.
It is worth noting that chlorine and fluorine, like iodine and bromine, are also halogens, all competing for the same receptors. Many countries supplementing their water with fluoride (a poison) is not helping the Iodine situation. Thankfully Norway does not do this idiotic thing; however, most governments put chlorine in the drinking water to disinfect it from bacteria and viruses - perhaps (to my limited understanding) as a necessary evil. If chlorine is an issue, you can distill water or collect rainwater from the roof of your house, but I have personally not found it worth my time to do so. Nevertheless, it is clear that iodine supplementation is important.
Many countries do take iodine insufficiency seriously. A Chinese village, when supplemented with iodine through the water stream, among many other benefits, had an increase of 20 IQ points after twenty years (worth noting that Iodine insufficiency in the pregnant mother is detrimental to the child’s brain development) Kazakhstan government put substantial effort into informing its citizens of its importance, and it has penetrated their culture to the degree that iodide-deficiency has become an insult. You can risk imprisonment if you are caught transporting uniodized salt in India.
Many governments have decided to address iodine deficiency with salt. We will come later to the limitations of this approach. In Norway, some producers supplemented some iodine in salt - but far less than others. In Norwegian agriculture, iodine in animal feed has been used to ensure animal health, and therefore milk and dairy products are an important source of iodine here - milk and dairy products in Norway account for up to 80% of iodine for those who drink it. If you’re one of those ”healthy” people avoiding (pasteurized) milk in Norway - and you follow don’t eat white fish 2-3 times a week (white fish is a natural source of iodine, farmed salmon is a poor source), you probably lack iodine!
It’s worth noting that the countries with the highest life expectancies are Japan, Hong Kong, and Macao, all of which have long firm traditions of eating a lot of seafood and seaweed.
While many developing countries have benefitted massively from ionized salt, it is a very limited approach, which Farrow rightly points out. First, there is not enough iodine in to begin with - especially in Norway, where it’s optional and not sufficient - and when salt is stored, it “sublimes” into the air, meaning you’ll only consume about 25% of what’s in it, typically. Not to mention that only 10% of the remaining is bioavailable in salt. It’s not a good solution.
I wanted to measure my iodine levels from a urine test from my doctor - he said that’s impossible. That goes to show the ignorance of medical training. Maybe he was deliberately unuseful. “Why would you test your iodine levels?” I get the sense that doctors are getting annoyed by my “do your own research” generation, as they have become a gateway to tests and drugs instead of glorified omniscient authority.
Dosage of iodine, oh boy.
The dosage recommended in the book is of hundreds of times magnitude than the iodine pills I bought from a local health store. The Norwegian Department of Health recommends no higher than 600 µg iodine per day. An endocrinology textbook I read said 150 µg was pushing it, while Farrow only experienced effects from taking 50 mg! That’s almost a hundred times more! What the hell is going on? The recommended dosage, from the book, is one Iodoral (12.5 mg) per day, gradually building up to 50 mg if suffering from a serious medical illness. Still, the recommended dosage from Guy Abraham and the iodine community is 20x larger than government recommendations.
If I were to be my money - I’d bet the Helsedirektoratet (the Norwegian Department of Health) is wrong on this one - and 600 µg + of iodine is not dangerous. Why? This is the paper the Helsedirektoratet cites as their source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20172...
Reading the actual paper - the conclusions of excessive iodine are bewildering.
I quote the paper: “Until relatively recently, the only population in the world in which excessive intake of iodine had been described as a main cause of disease lived in some costal areas of the Japanese island Hokkaido.[8] The excessive iodine intake in this population was attributed to the daily use of iodine-rich seaweed for consumption.”
Wow! The main cause of disease in Hokkaido is too much iodine!?
So I looked at the study.
The study was conducted in the 1960s in Hokkaido, the only place recorded at the time that had above levels of recommended iodine levels, which had a slightly higher rate of goiter than the rest of Japan in the 1960s.
The study took 57 subjects who suffered from goiter and noticed that a “few patients” noticed a marked decrease in goiter when reducing seaweed. Therefore, there COULD make a case that seaweed consumption contributes to goiter.
And it is utterly misleading to say that the “main cause of the disease was due to excessive iodine intake,” as if the main cause of disease on the island was excessive iodine, based on the fact a few people noticed their goiter reduced when reducing seaweed for a short period of time. And “the main disease” of the island was definitely not goiter. It’s entirely subjective. If you look at the severity, I would say tuberculosis was the most pressing health issue in that area; if you look at the rate, probably the common cold, if that even counts. Goiter varies with severity. For the most part, it’s not visible, and goiter itself is not dangerous, only a symptom of thyroid dysfunction. Goiter only becomes a problem when it becomes insanely large it can obstruct breathing pathways. In contrast to tuberculosis, virtually nobody dies from goiter.
And did nobody suspect autoimmune disorders when the thyroid size exploded from seaweed? It seems as if the public health recommendations try to accommodate the outliers who are hyperreactive to increased iodine, not the general public.
The conclusion of the paper was that “too much iodine could lead to disease” absolutely bonkers!!
Here is an example of the irresponsible quality of the study that Helsedirektoret uses when they assess how much iodine should be supplemented to the entire population of a national scale. You’d think the government would put a ton of scrutiny into figuring out the safe dosage of something that affects every cell of every inhabitant. Apparently not.
Abraham supplemented over 4000 patients with doses ranging from 12.5 to 50mg a day. Patients with diabetes mellitus received 100mg a day. A reversal of broc\stic breast disease, reduction in the insulin requirement of patients with diabetes, and resolution of symptoms of conditions such as brom\algia was reported. Less than 5% of subjects developed hyper- or hypothyroidism.
Dr. Brownstein has treated 3000 patients with minimal side effects (as of 2005)
https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Clinic...
Large iodine supplementation from this research shows potential huge gains, and while there might be a slight risk of hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism, it is easily reversible simply by stopping taking the supplements. These effects are only really relevant to those who have autoimmune disorders with the thyroid, to begin with. (Hashimoto's thyroiditis / Graves’ disease)
It’s worth noting it has been reported that supplementing with iodine can temporarily swell up the goiter only to significantly reduce it afterward. The mechanism of this is understood.
The relationship between goiter and iodine is this: In iodine deficiency, The thyroid gland expands to try to “suck up” as much iodine as possible from the bloodstream. An enlarged thyroid gland can also occur if there is too much iodine, so the thyroid gland has to process more iodine, and therefore it swells up. These are two different mechanisms.
The reason why people can feel worse when taking high doses of iodine supplements is that the bromide and fluoride will be released and detoxified in the body. Consuming salt water and vitamin C while taking iodine is important, as it helps excrete these poisons.
It’s curious to me that 12.5mg is recommended but I highly doubt that it was normal to get this daily unless we ate a lot of seaweed. But then again, they were not supplementing their drinking water with fluoride and chlorine and did not use bromine as an anti-pesticide.
In conclusion it’s a very well researched book - the author is obviously passionate about the topic, and it’s contagious!
June 20, 2025
Great book! Life saving information especially for women like me who suffer with Fibrocystic breast disease.
October 16, 2025
Poorly written, anecdotes presented as evidence.
October 24, 2021
A book full of health truths about iodine. These are some things I underlined.
Lower iodine levels means IQ levels dropping and obesity rates rising. The iodine crisis made us sick, fat, and stupid.
The anti-iodine element, bromine, was added to flour at the same time iodine was removed in the 1970's. Iodine disappeared just as bromines came charging in. Besides bread and flour, bromine chemicals became an environmental hazard as they were added to mattresses, carpets, upholstered furniture, drapery, children's pajamas, some stuffed animals, car interiors, electronics, phones, foods, and some prescription drugs purging much of our dietary iodine.
If the underlying cause of thyroid, breast, and other hormone-driven diseases is iodine deficiency, then bromide-dominance is the underlying cause of that deficiency.
Look for bromide on food labels as "BVO," which stands for brominated vegetable oil. This book has a list of many more names that bromide goes by. GMO foods are now going to be called "biofortified."
Bromide is banned in Canada, the UK, and has been proposed to be banned in Australia. Why not in the USA?
"Questioning behavior" is seen as resistance to authority, when in fact authorities should welcome the opportunity to display the authoritativeness of their learning if that learning is sound.
Iodine and seaweed are the oldest, traditional medicines.
The author of the book found that she could reconstruct the 19th and 20th century iodine use by locating actual iodine artifacts through collectors selling antique medical items.
You can't get enough iodine from iodized salt because you can't be sure if you're actually getting iodine, how much, or what kind.
Iodine can be rubbed on bruises and sprains.
If iodine could be stolen from needy patients for decades by two unverified scientific papers, we must blame a medical system that allows unverified studies to determine patient care.
The so-called fundamental law of physiology- that iodine can shut down the thyroid gland- has been challenged, overthrown, and even reversed.
Should we care now that the truth has been exposed? Absolutely! We should care how this happened because other such wrong headed ideas might dominate other treatment regimens where the stakes are high. What other flawed thinking is out there in the medical textbooks, totally accepted and totally wrong?
Lower iodine levels means IQ levels dropping and obesity rates rising. The iodine crisis made us sick, fat, and stupid.
The anti-iodine element, bromine, was added to flour at the same time iodine was removed in the 1970's. Iodine disappeared just as bromines came charging in. Besides bread and flour, bromine chemicals became an environmental hazard as they were added to mattresses, carpets, upholstered furniture, drapery, children's pajamas, some stuffed animals, car interiors, electronics, phones, foods, and some prescription drugs purging much of our dietary iodine.
If the underlying cause of thyroid, breast, and other hormone-driven diseases is iodine deficiency, then bromide-dominance is the underlying cause of that deficiency.
Look for bromide on food labels as "BVO," which stands for brominated vegetable oil. This book has a list of many more names that bromide goes by. GMO foods are now going to be called "biofortified."
Bromide is banned in Canada, the UK, and has been proposed to be banned in Australia. Why not in the USA?
"Questioning behavior" is seen as resistance to authority, when in fact authorities should welcome the opportunity to display the authoritativeness of their learning if that learning is sound.
Iodine and seaweed are the oldest, traditional medicines.
The author of the book found that she could reconstruct the 19th and 20th century iodine use by locating actual iodine artifacts through collectors selling antique medical items.
You can't get enough iodine from iodized salt because you can't be sure if you're actually getting iodine, how much, or what kind.
Iodine can be rubbed on bruises and sprains.
If iodine could be stolen from needy patients for decades by two unverified scientific papers, we must blame a medical system that allows unverified studies to determine patient care.
The so-called fundamental law of physiology- that iodine can shut down the thyroid gland- has been challenged, overthrown, and even reversed.
Should we care now that the truth has been exposed? Absolutely! We should care how this happened because other such wrong headed ideas might dominate other treatment regimens where the stakes are high. What other flawed thinking is out there in the medical textbooks, totally accepted and totally wrong?
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