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Following the nuclear disaster in Japan, Dr. Mercola created a set of interviews with Dr. David Brownstein on Iodine for protection.  I’ll list them here together with my own notes on the videos. 

Part 1

My Notes:

• Dr. Brownstein has been studying and using iodine in his practice for over 20 years.
• 95% of his patients were deficient in iodine (that is 19 people out of every 20!).
• Iodine skin test that most people use is not clinically useful.  A urine test is needed for testing iodine deficiency.
• A huge number of people are also vitamin D deficient.
• A lot of people (50% or more) walk around with thyroid problems, and it’s most likely cause is iodine deficiency.
• iodine is concentrated in every cell of the body and is used by every cell.
• fluoride in our water supplies and bromide (used to bleach flour, soft drinks and other food items) plus chlorine derivatives all contribute to iodine deficiency by binding to iodine receptors in the body, and our exposure to these elements is on the rise.  This is the real problem with the Japan nuclear disaster.  Radioactive iodine binds to the iodine receptors because there isn’t enough normal iodine in your body to fill the receptors.  Therefore iodine is a good treatment to protect from the nuclear radiation.
• Prostate cancer, breast cancer etc. are all possible outcomes of low iodine.
• A lot of people who have cancer have higher levels of bromide.

Part 2

My Notes:

• Iodine is needed to protect thyroid function and protect against certain cancers (breast and prostate).
• Dr. Brownstein now recommends adults take 12-13mg of iodine/iodide per day (this is the level that Japanese people take on average).  This will inhibit 95-96% uptake of radioactive iodide.  You should have your iodine levels checked by a physician before taking iodine supplements as some patients may have problems with this level.  Kids require lower levels of iodine.  NOTE: See the warnings in the last two videos on this page.
• Iodine should be taken as part of a balanced nutritional diet or holistic approach to health.
• Concerns over toxicity are usual.  Reactions at these recommended doses are few and far between. 
• Other nuclear isotopes besides iodine are being released by the Japan reactors.  It’s therefore to keep all of our minerals up, and stay hydrated.  Good vitamin C can keep antioxidant levels high which protects our body.
• Food sources of other minerals you should be taking include whole food sources and unprocessed foods.  Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients. 
• Sea vegetables are a great natural source of iodine but they may have contaminants depending on where they are harvested.

Part 3

My Notes:

• Kelp is an excellent source, but Kelp can also take up bromide instead of iodine just like our bodies.  Dr. Brownstein found that 50% of the kelps he studies had very high levels of bromide (and even mercury) because of the contaminants in the sea water.
• Dr. Mercola doesn’t recommend fish for the exact same reasons as the last point.
• Dr. Brownstein recommends iodine supplements rather than sea algae.
• Important to check where the iodine sources come from because so many iodine sources are contaminated.

If you want, you can buy Iodine supplements from Good Health Naturally, but Amazon also have a range of iodine supplements.  However, before you do decide to get iodine supplements, you might want to watch this video that says iodine supplements are dangerous:

..and this video in which Dr. Haskell calls for more responsible use of iodine supplementation rather than the high doses some physicians are recommending.