Link between iodine deficiency and breast cancer?

Erinashley19

Has anyone done some research on this? I haven’t been diagnosed with BC but am in the middle of testing (waiting on my mammo still). For the past few weeks I’ve found myself researching more and more about the root of this terrible disease. The one thing I continually stumble on is iodine deficiency and the more I read the more I’m blown away as to why iodine deficiency is not taken more seriously. It’s no secret that as a nation we’re severely depleted of iodine but what’s more suprising to me is how vital iodine is to thyroid health and more specifically the balancing of hormones that are directly related to breast tumor growth and fibrocyatoc conditions. More than any other cancer iodine deficiency is most linked to the growth of breast tumors and thyroid disorders.

I wish I could more eloquently describe all of what I’ve been reading but I strongly urge everyone to look into it. A simple search of iodine deficiency will pull of page after page of valuable info and much of what I had read constantly brings up breast cancer.

If this is already something you’ve looked into and are considering some iodine supplements Lugols iodine 2% is the best place to start. Test your levels if you want, but safely without testing, 2-3 drops of 2% in a class of water a few times a week for 6 months is a general rule of thumb for an average healthy person. You will have detox symptoms (headaches etc). People with autoimmune diseases are a different story that requires a doctors instruction and cancer patients will need much more.

MelissaDallas

I have not seen anything from any reliable medical research that says iodine deficiency has a thing to do with it

marijen

Have you seen this book, Erin?

The Iodine Crisis: What You Don't Know About Iodine Can Wreck Your Life: Lynne Farrow, David Brownstein MD: 9780986032004: Amazon.com: Books

Personally I’m not sure about Iodine, having Hashimoto’s

Erinashley19

melissadallas I’m not implying that a lack of iodine is the sole reason for all BC as I don’t think it’s thats simple. With that said, when you understand the purpose and the need our bodies have for iodine on a cellular then you can easily see the huge imact it has on breast health.

Erinashley19

marijen I haven’t read that book although I’ve seen several different ones that people suggest.

Hashimotos was one autoimmune disorder that was mentioned as needing a doctors guidance as far as how much to take and with what other supplementsbut it is doable I believe.

marijen

I tried to get a doctor’s assisance with my hypothyroid many times. No luck.

MelissaDallas

Actually, I DO understand the need our bodies have on a cellular level for iodine, and much of my family has thyroid disease, including Hashimoto's disease, but I have never seen anything other than alternate medicine sites promoting the iodine deficiency theory for preventing or curing breast cancer.

On what research do you base your statement that "it is no secret that as a nation we are severely depleted of iodine"?

What lab values reflect "balanced hormones?

Erinashley19

I don’t know how to get a link to copy here (I’m on my phone) or I would post the first study I found. It’s a long one, 11 pages focusing only on thyroid issues but it was from Sept 2017. International Journal of medical research. There’s more, I’ll see if I can figure out how to link stuff on my phone. I’m surprised you can’t find any articles. My search brought up about 50/50 standard medical research and natural sites although both had much the same info. It was quite easy to find

marijen

I did a stupid thing back in the 80’s and stopped using iodized salt thinking it would help me lose weight. Now I hate salted food, my thyroid is thinning, I have nodules after radiation. I take levothyroxine and wonder why I still have so many thyroid symptoms. The thyroid doctor was useless, asked if I had asked my pcp. This was only weeks ago. I have seen a lot of breast cancer patients with thyroid problems and this doctor says there’s no connection. But I think there is.

MelissaDallas

Erin, there have been numerous threads on the subject of iodine if you search the boards

Erinashley19

what I know of standard iodized table salt we buy in stores is that becuase it’s been bleached and processed in different ways it actually doesn’t have near the amount of iodine in it that we think it does. A few sites I found that tested different brands found it had only about 10%iodine in the salt. Not nearly enough if that’s what’s you’re assuming you’re getting your iodine from.

I would agree with the thyroid and breast cancer link as I’ve heard the same thing myself.

Marijen I would see if you could get tested for iodine and selenium deficiency. If your regular doctor won’t do it a holistic doc should.

Melissadallas- NIH has quite a bit of info about iodine deficiency. Are there any sites in particular that you would trust?

Erinashley19

Melissadallas. Thanks I’ll take a look

MelissaDallas

If everyone were iodine deficient we'd all have goiters, as many people in the past did

Erinashley19

I think thats an incredibly simplified view of things, not to mention untrue but I respect your feelings on the subject either way.

ksusan

Speaking for myself, I have always lived in coastal areas and have used table and sea salt throughout my life.

oxygen18

I asked two endocrinologists whether there is a connection between BC and thyroid issues and they said the seeming connection is due to the high frequency of both.

Erinashley19

oxygen, It’s for that exact reason that makes a person think that there is a connection! Especially when you consider how hormone driven many breast cancers are and then take into account the function of the thyroid.

oxygen18

They did not think there is a causal connection, i.e. they did not think that one causes the other. There seem to be other kinds of connection.

MelissaDallas

Correlation = Causation is a logical fallacy.

marijen

So I was reading the Iodine Crisis book and one symptom of iodine deficiency is lack of sweating. I don’t use a lot of salt for 30 years. Does anyone else have minimal or no sweating even with exercise?

Erinashley19

marijen did the book give any indication as to why the lack of sweating when deficient? Interesting. I don’t sweat a lot normally but can when I work out hard enough.

marijen

Erin, I have to look for the reference in the book, but this is from Healthline.com. (Search iodine deficiency and sweating. After I read that, I took an Idoral tab and later went for a walk. Sure enough for once I broke into a sweat for the first time really! Just had bloodwork today so I've put off taking iodine everyday - didn't want to skew the tests. Now I will take Lugol's or Idoral daily and see what happens! I have hypothyroid too, dry skin. Apparently Iodine is ok for Hashimoto's if selenium is also taken. Will try to find that info as well. I am looking forward to feeling better.

Dry, Flaky Skin

Dry, flaky skin may affect many people with an iodine deficiency.

In fact, some studies have found that up to 77% of people with low thyroid hormone levels may experience dry, flaky skin (12).

Thyroid hormones, which contain iodine, help your skin cells regenerate. When thyroid hormone levels are low, this regeneration doesn't occur as often, possibly leading to dry, flaky skin (17).

Additionally, thyroid hormones help the body regulate sweat. People with lower thyroid hormone levels, such as those with an iodine deficiency, tend to sweat less than people with normal thyroid hormone levels (18, 19).

Given that sweat helps keep your skin moist and hydrated, a lack of sweat may be another reason why dry, flaky skin is a common symptom of iodine deficiency.

*corrected - replaced potassium with selenium.

Jinx27

I have read about this too! I think its very valid, Vit D deficiency is common with women who are diagnosed with BC.