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ABRAHAM
Orthoiodosupplementation: Iodine Sufficiency Of The Whole Human BodyAbraham, G.E., Flechas, J.D., Hakala, J.C. The Original Internist, 9:30-41, 2002.
“The assumption that the only role of I as an essential element is in its essentiality for the synthesis of T3 and T4, became a dogma. With the advent of sensitive assays, Thyroid Stimulating Hormones (TSH) was promoted to queen of tests for thyroid functions and I was forgotten altogether as irrelevant to the point where most endocrinologists and other medical practitioners do not request a single test for urine I concentration, during their whole medical career.”
“So far, the optimal daily requirement for I has been estimated at 6 mg of iodide for the thyroid gland and 5 mg of iodine for the mammary glands. The adrenal glands may also require adequate levels of I for normal function.”
“Amazingly, 0.1 ml (2 drops) of Lugol contains 5 mg iodine and 7.5 mg iodide as the potassium salt, the near perfect total amount of I and ratio of iodine over iodide, for sufficiency of the thyroid and mammary glands.”
The concept of orthoiodosupplementation and its clinical implications.Abraham GE The Original Internist, 11(2):29-38, 2004
"From a review of the published data, it soon became evident that medical textbooks contain several vital pieces of misinformation about the essential element iodine, which may have caused more human misery and death than both world wars combined. The purpose of this manuscript is to present some useful information about iodine and to discuss the concept of orthoiodosupplementation in more detail than in previous publications."
"Diatomic iodine (I2) can be absorbed through the lungs and through the skin. However, ingested food, drinks and iodine/iodide supplementation, are the most common means of supplying iodine to the human body. Without interfering substances present in the gastrointestinal tract, inorganic iodine, iodates, and iodides are quantitatively absorbed. The elimination of peripheral inorganic iodide occurs almost exclusively through renal clearance. Organic and inorganic iodine are not cleared by the kidneys. When inorganic iodide is ingested in amounts ranging from 0.001 mg up to 2,000 mg, Childs, et al, estimated an average renal clearance of serum inorganic iodide of 50L/day over the whole range of intakes. Fisher, et al, and Koutras, et al, have measured serum inorganic iodide levels at equilibrium in subjects ingesting increasing amounts of iodide from 75-1,250 mcg/day. Their results are displayed in Table 2. When these data are plotted on an X-Y axis (Figure 1), a high degree of correlation (0.999) was obtained with a slope of 0.023. The slope is an index of renal clearance: 1/0.023 = 43.5 L/day.
"To compute the serum inorganic iodide levels at equilibrium in a subject ingesting a narrow range of iodine/iodide, divide the average daily intake expressed as milligrams elemental iodine by 43.5 liters to obtain the serum concentration of inorganic iodide expressed as mg/L of serum. Besides giving accurate information about the peripheral concentrations of iodide available for uptake by the cells and organs of the human body, measurement of serum inorganic iodide levels is very useful for assessing bioavailability of the iodine/iodide ingested. Alexander, et al, measured the serum inorganic iodide levels in normal subjects consuming an average of 70 mcg iodide per day, but no iodized salt. He observed a mean value of 1.8 mcg/L. This measured value is very close to the value computed by dividing 70 mcg/day by 43.5 liters/day = 1.6 mcg/L. This is evidence that the iodine present in the food and drink of these subjects is highly bioavailable.
"Pittman, et al, measured serum inorganic iodide levels in two groups of subjects: one group after iodization of salt, with an estimated daily intake of 750 mcg iodide, and the other group after iodization of bread, with a similar average daily intake of iodates. The expected mean serum level at equilibrium would be 17.2 mcg/L (750 mcg/43.5 L). The mean values observed by Pittman, et al, were 1.7 mcg/L for subjects after iodization of salt, and 18.7 mcg/L for subjects after iodization of bread. These data suggest that iodate in bread is very bioavailable, whereas only 10% of iodide in iodized salt were absorbed. On a molar basis, there is 30,000 times more chloride than iodide in iodized salt. Chloride competes with iodide for absorption in the intestinal tract. To this author's knowledge, the low bioavailability of iodide in iodized salt has never been reported."
Iodine: The Universal NutrientAbraham, GE
“Based on a review of the literature, and recent clinical research studies, the concept of orthoiodosupplementation can be summarized as follows:
The Safe and Effective Implementation of Orthoiodosupplementation In Medical PracticeAbraham, GE The Original Internist, 11:17-36, 2004
“A cursory review of the literature suggests that the use of Lugol solution in Graves' disease, the preferred approach by thyroidologists of that time, resulted in a higher success rate with fewer complications than the use of iodine and iodide alone. The daily amount of Lugol solution used in Graves' disease ranged from one drop (6.25 mg) to 30 drops (180 mg). A complete nutritional program in our experience improved further the response to orthoiodosupplementation in Graves' disease and other thyroid disorders.”
“A critical evaluation of some review articles on iodine-induced hypothyroidism and iodine-induced hyperthyroidism reveals that in most cases, organic forms of iodine are involved. However, the titles of those articles suggest that the review is about inorganic iodine/iodide.”
“In several communities worldwide, an increased incidence of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis was reported following implementation of iodization of sodium chloride…. It is of interest to note that prior to iodization of salt, autoimmune thyroiditis was almost non-existent in the US, although Lugol solution and potassium iodide were used extensively in medical practice in amounts two orders of magnitude greater than the average daily amount ingested from iodized salt. This suggests that inadequate iodine intake aggravated by goitrogens, not excess iodide, was the cause of this condition. To be discussed later, autoimmune thyroiditis cannot be induced by inorganic iodide in laboratory animals unless combined with goitrogens, therefore inducing iodine deficiency.”
“The concept of orthoiodosupplementation is based on the self-evident fact that the whole body, not just the thyroid gland, needs iodine. The whole body needs this essential trace element, which plays different roles in different organs and tissues. In order to assess whole body sufficiency for iodine/iodide, a simple loading test was developed, based on the concept that the more deficient a patient is in this nutrient, the greater the percentage of ingested iodine/iodide that will be retained, the smaller the percentage excreted in the urine.”
“Orthoiodosupplementation increased urinary excretion of lead, cadmium, arsenic, aluminum, and mercury. Urinary bromide and fluoride levels increased markedly and proportionally to the amount of iodine/iodide ingested.”
"Whole body sufficiency for iodine correlated well with overall wellbeing, and some subjects could tell when they achieved sufficiency even before knowing the results of the test. Iodine sufficiency was associated with a sense of overall wellbeing, lifting of a brain fog, feeling warmer in cold environments, increased energy, needing less sleep, achieving more in less time, experiencing regular bowel movements and improved skin complexion. In some subjects with overweight or obesity, orthoiodosupplementation resulted in weight loss, decreased percent body fat and increased muscle mass.
"Following orthoiodosupplementation, increased urinary excretion of the goitrogens fluoride and bromide and the toxic metals mercury, lead, cadium and aluminum was observed; marked improvement of fibrocystic disease of the breast occurred following 3 months of iodine supplementation at 50 mg/day. In 3 patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome with olygomeuorrhea, orthoiodosupplementation resulted in regularization of the menstrual cycle.
"In patients on thyroid hormones, orthoiodosupplementation resulted in a decreased requirement to much lower levels of thyroxine and in some cases, resulted in the complete discontinuation of this hormone. This decreased requirement for thyroid hormones following orthoiodosupplementation was observed in a female patient with total thyroidectomy, suggesting that iodine not only improves thyroid function but also has an effect at the target organ level. In diabetic patients on insulin, orthoiodosupplementation resulted in better control of this condition, and in some cases alleviated this condition without the need for insulin. In hypertensive patients, whole body iodine sufficiency resulted in normalization of blood pressure without medications. Similar observations were reported by other physicians using this program. Best results were achieved when orthoiodosupplementation was combined with a complete nutritional program emphasizing magnesium instead of calcium."
The historical background of the iodine project.Abraham GE The Original Internist, 12(2):57-66, 2005
"The goal of this manuscript is to have, under the same cover, an update on the Iodine Project which started five years ago; an exposé of the Wolff-Chaikoff forgery; and contributions from two clinicians with a combined experience with 4,000 patients using Lugol tablets within the range recommended by pre-World War II physicians. This range of daily intake of iodine is called orthoiodosupplementation because it is the amount of iodine required for whole body sufficiency based on an iodine/iodide loading test recently developed by the author.
"During the first half of the 20th century, almost every U.S. physician used Lugol solution for iodine supplementation in his/her practice for both hypo- and hyperthyroidism, and for many other medical conditions. In the old pharmacopeias, Lugol solution was called Liquor Iodi Compositus. The minimum dose called minim, was one drop containing 6.25 mg of elemental iodine, with 40% iodine and 60% iodide as the potassium salt. The recommended daily intake for iodine supplementation was 2 to 6 minims (drops) containing 12.5 to 37.5 mg elemental iodine.
"During the second half of the 20th century, iodophobic misinformation disseminated progressively and deceitfully among the medical profession resulted in a decreased use of Lugol, with iodized salt becoming the standard for iodine supplementation.
"The bioavailable iodide from iodized salt is only 10% and the daily amount of iodide absorbed from iodized salt is 200 to 500 times less than the amount of iodine/iodide previously recommended by U.S. physicians.
"After World War II, U.S. physicians were educated early in their medical career to believe that inorganic non-radioactive forms of iodine were toxic.
"Adverse reactions to radiographic contrast media and other iodine-containing drugs were blamed on iodine. If a patient told his/her physician that he/she could not tolerate seafood, the physician told him/her that he/she was allergic to iodine."
"Amiodarone is a toxic form of sustained release iodine. The author has previously discussed the interesting observation that this antiarrhythmic drug becomes effective when the body has accumulated approximately 1.5 gm of iodine. This is exactly the amount of iodine retained by the human body when iodine sufficiency is achieved following orthoiodosupplementation. Whole body sufficiency for inorganic non-radioactive iodine/iodide results in optimal cardiac functions. Inorganic non-radioactive iodine was never tested in clinical conditions for which physicians prescribe amiodarone. However, inorganic iodide is blamed for the severe side effects of this drug."
The Wolff-Chaikoff Effect: Crying Wolf?Abraham GE The Original Internist, 12(3):112-118,2005
"The W-C effect is supposedly the inhibitory effect of peripheral inorganic iodide (PII) levels equal to or greater than 0.2 mg/L (10-6M) on the organification of iodide by the thyroid gland of rats, resulting supposedly in hypothyroidism and goiter. These rats never became hypothyroid and thyroid hormones were not measured in their plasma. Nevertheless, the W-C effect, which did not even occur in the rats, was extrapolated to humans. The correct interpretation of the results obtained in rats from the W-C experiments is: Iodide sufficiency of the thyroid gland was achieved when serum inorganic iodide levels reached 10-6M, as we previously discussed. These law-abiding rats refused to become hypothyroid and instead followed their normal physiological response to the iodide load. They were unjustly accused of escaping from the W-C effect. Labeling these innocent rats as fugitives from the W-C effect was a great injustice against these rodents."
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