Latest Expert Advice on Iodine Protection for Radiation Exposure and Overall Health

Below is the most current commentary from Dr. Brownstein, one of the foremost experts on iodine therapy, addressing the current radiation concerns to help people understand why it's critical for protection and the doseage amount amidst the confusion and misinformation bombarding us via media and word of mouth.

It should be a crime to price gouge on any substance so elementary and critical to life and health in a crisis such as this by anyone let alone company's and retailers who have doubled or worse in the shortages of panic.
If you don't want to pay double or any inflated price for Lugol's solution simply click the Swanson's logo to the right and in the search box type in "lugol's" and you'll see the 2% solution offered at the regular price of $10.99 which appears to be in stock.
Swanson's is an excellent source with an excellent double the difference price guarantee and a 12 month guarantee on all their products and minimal shipping charges to boot.

Or use this link--> J. Crow's Lugol's Solution 2% Iodine Just learned they are out of supply from manufacturer.

Otherwise, If you have trouble locating a source for iodine supplements log into the iodine group on yahoo for info on reliable, ethical sources. The link is included in my earlier post on this from a couple days ago or can be easily located via search engine.

See earlier post showing how to make Lugol's Solution and Dr. Brownstein's first blog commentary etc HERE

http://drdavidbrownstein.blogspot.com/2011/03/japan-radiation-update-4.html


Friday, March 18, 2011


Japan Radiation Update 4


This is my fourth post about the Japanese nuclear disaster. First, I have to give credit to the U.S. government for suggesting that U.S. citizens move further away (50 miles) from the radiation danger. This action would serve to verify the severity of the crises.

I believe this crisis should highlight the need for each of us to take a more active role in our own health care decisions. It is important to take the proper steps to achieve your optimal health before a crisis arises. Many times these steps include eating a healthy diet and taking the correct supplements. My experience has shown that ensuring an adequate iodine level is one piece of the puzzle to obtaining your optimal health.

If the Japanese are not able to control the nuclear reaction that is occurring a true nuclear meltdown will occur. What will that mean to us? A nuclear meltdown could cause a large radiation cloud to leave Japan and deposit radiation over the U.S. However, that has not occurred yet. If that occurs, it is important to take precautions including ensuring that you and your family are taking iodine.


Here is how it works. Iodine binds to receptors throughout the body. For example, there are receptors for iodine in the thyroid gland. When iodine binds to its receptors, thyroid hormone is produced. Individuals who are iodine deficient suffer the majority of problems when exposed to radioactive iodine. In these people, radioactive iodine will bind to wherever there are open or empty iodine receptors. After radioactive iodine binds to these receptors, the surrounding tissue will be destroyed due to the radioactive iodine. Furthermore, it will damage the DNA of the surrounding cells. Damaged DNA is one cause of cancer.

Which tissues bind iodine? The largest concentration of iodine occurs in the thyroid gland. However, the largest amount of iodine is found in the fat tissue. Large concentrations of iodine are also found in many other tissues including the breast, ovary, uterus, and prostate. If radioactive iodine binds to any of these sites, it will destroy surrounding tissue and potentially damage DNA. This can lead to long-term problems such as cancer of these tissues.


It is important to keep in mind that every cell needs and utilizes iodine. Therefore, radioactive iodine exposure can have a dramatic effect on the body.

Exposure to radiation is cumulative. That means any exposure to ionizing radiation builds up in the body over time. We should all strive to minimize exposure to radiation. Some forms or radiation are unavoidable such as normal background radiation. However, radioactive iodine emitted from a nuclear disaster in Japan (or anywhere else) is largely avoidable if your body is iodine sufficient.

If your body has enough iodine binding to its receptors in the thyroid, breasts, ovaries, etc., then the radioactive iodine has nowhere to bind. That is why it is so important to have your iodine levels checked before a disaster such as this occurs. If you are iodine deficient, you can rectify this problem by simply taking iodine.

Due to our exposure to so many toxic items that inhibit or block iodine utilization in the body--fluoride, bromide and chlorine--our body's need for iodine has dramatically increased over the last 30 years. My experience has shown that milligram amounts of iodine are necessary for achieving whole-body iodine sufficiency. In fact, any iodine supplementation program should strive for whole body iodine sufficiency, not just thyroid sufficiency.

How much iodine is needed to achieve whole-body iodine sufficiency? My clinical experience has clearly shown that milligram amounts of iodine are needed to achieve whole-body sufficiency. These amounts can vary between 6-50mg/day for most people. Some may need more, some less.


There is no doubt that the radiation cloud from Japan will pass over the U.S. This radiation exposure is a potential health risk. How much iodine should you take to ensure that your body will not absorb radioactive iodine? Without proper testing, it is impossible to say what dose is perfect for everybody. However, I have recommended that adults take 12-14mg/day of a combination of iodine and iodide. That amount will prevent nearly 95% of radioactive iodine from binding to the thyroid gland and still leave other amounts of iodine available for the rest of the body's need. Children will need smaller amounts. You can dose a child down for his/her size. A general rule of thumb for children is 0.08mg I/pound of body weight. If a newborn is breast feeding, they do not need iodine supplementation if the mother is iodine sufficient. Iodine can be excreted in the breast milk.

I generally recommend either Lugol's iodine, Iodoral (from Optimox) or Optizyme Hp (from Biotics). Lugol's iodine dosage is 2 drops per day (12.5mg) or 1 tablet of each of either Iodoral or Optizyme HP (both products are 12.5mg/ tablets). When should people begin iodine supplementation? At this point, with the disaster still progressing, I would say it is time to begin supplementation with iodine.

As with any substance, there can be problems with iodine supplementation. Before beginning supplementation, it is best to discuss this option with your health care provider. More information about iodine can be found in my books, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It and Overcoming Thyroid Disorders.

In the next few days, I will begin to answer some of the many questions sent to me.

Iodine for Health & Radiation Protection; Lugol's Iodine Solution- What is it and how to make it yourself

Above photo of raw materials used to formulate Lugol's Iodine Solution, a folk remedy used to help with goiters and thyroid symptoms before synthetic drugs became the western medical standard. Iodine is necessary for every cell in your body and deficiencies are reported to be worldwide.

I purchased these elements and a bottle of prepared Lugol's 2% Iodine Solution

from an Ebay seller for extremely reasonable cost.  You can also purchase a bottle of the formulation many places on the web. Swanson's Vitamins sells a bottle for about $10.

Use the link on the right for any current discounts available.

Or click this link to go directly to the Lugol's page

J. Crow's Lugol's Solution 2% Iodine

For those interested in learning how to make your own, here's a youtube video link to a naturopath demonstrating how to make it. I don't have any connection to this person, these videos are posted for the sole purpose of explaining the process and uses of Lugol's Iodine Solution. All other opinions are his alone.

Iodine has rapidly become the topic of the web since the nuclear fallout of Japan's power plant meltdown. So many people are out of the loop on iodine and why you need it, coupled with confusion and fear, there's a feeding frenzy and lot's of bad info going around. 

While many are new to the concept of using iodine to replenish the body's deficiency, there's a growing number of people becoming aware of this issue and the news is spreading about how valuable iodine is to the body and it's numerous values attributed to its use. From reversing health problems of myriad types to energy and detoxification from halides that we absorb and which block iodine uptake, the list is long and vast.

This brings us back to the old folk medicine recipes long ago abandoned by 'civilized society' as thyroid meds and other so called medical advances have become the norm. The doctors tell us iodine is poisonous and  there's no need for if you use table salt. They aren't aware of the common deficiencies being detected and how iodine interelates to so many crucial function in the body.  Not to mention protection from radiation poisoning.

You may be intrigued and want to try it for yourself  but it's important you understand this is NOT the tincture of Iodine , not the stuff you find on drug store shelves used for wounds. It's also not Povidone Iodine. Those are topical use only. Then there's others you can take internally but some are more bioavailable and active than others.  It's a little intimidating unless you've got solid information which I urge you to get for yourself prior to starting on it. The forerunning pioneers of this movement are doctors who've put their information and research out there for review The Iodine Group at http://www.iodine4health.com/basic/iodinegroup.htm .

From reproduction challenges, thyroid, fybromyalgia, breast cancer and so many more, the reasons to pay attention to iodine is vast and the interest is growing, but not without attracting controversy as all new schools of thought do.  Since it's rare that your doctor will prescribe iodine it's going to take an informed decision and the web has a lot of it. Some commercially driven, some benevolent and experiential with a lot of testimonials to back them up.

There are a number of places on the web to learn about the use and benefit of iodine therapy which you should definitely take the time to research and learn about prior to jumping into this therapy. Learning about the amounts to take is very important as well as which types are most effective, and the difference in cost is something to factor in as well.

Too high a dose starting off can overwhelm you.  There are also labs that offer tests to check out your levels. 

You can also join the Iodine Group on Yahoo.com for in depth personal experience from people using the formulation and clinical information or visit the curezone.com and check out their iodine resources.
Regarding the Radiation concerns and iodine;

Here's the blog of Dr.Brownstein, the doctor who wrote the book on iodine and why your body needs it. You can find it offered at his site below where he also addresses the radiation concerns from the Japanese nuclear powerplant and personal protection here. https://www.drbrownstein.com/homePage.php

Japan Radiation Update

I have received many questions from my post yesterday about the nuclear disaster in Japan. Unfortunately, there has been little information about the amount of radiation released from either Japan or the U.S. I find it hard to believe no one in the U.S. government has any idea on the amount of radiation that has been released and the amount of radiation that is predicted to fall over the U.S. in the next 3-7 days.

What should we do? I still say that we have time to sit tight as there is still time to take enough iodine in order to prevent problems from radioactive iodine. How much iodine? As stated yesterday, the U.S. government recommends 130mg of potassium iodide in the event of a nuclear disaster. However, that amount is only necessary for those who are near a nuclear explosion.

Thankfully, we are not near the explosion. As the cloud drifts over the ocean, the amount of radioactivity will dissipate. Although there is no sure amount that we know will prevent damage from this catastrophe, ensuring adequate iodine intake will minimize any exposure to radioactive iodine. How much iodine is that? Until we know what the exposure is going to be, no one can know what dose of iodine to take.
Now it is time to get off the fence. The average Japanese ingests around 13mg of iodine per day. This is 100x more than the average U.S. citizen. I have discussed this in my book, Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It. Since I have been recommending most people take 6-50mg of iodine per day, I would suggest taking the average Japanese dose of 13mg/day. This is one Iodoral pill or one Iodozyme HP pill or two drops of Lugol’s iodine. I do not believe microgram doses will do the trick.

There is risk with taking iodine, just as there is risk with any substance, but my experience has shown this dose to be safe for the vast majority of people. Please discuss this dosage with your health care provider before beginning supplementation.

In the next day or two, I will try to answer the questions that I have received about this crises. Also, I will keep you informed if any new information becomes available.

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