Selenium & iodine supplements

Charla Shambart admins the Iodine Support Group on Facebook. I’ve recently joined and, as with many other healthcare Facebook groups, there’s loads of great information there. Here’s the welcome message:

“Welcome to IODINE SUPPORT GROUP.  Please listen to these 2 lectures by Dr. Jorge Flechas and study the attached pdf  ‘Iodine: Essential Nutrient for Life’.  Also attached is a quick overview of the Lugol’s Iodine Protocol.  If you are working with an MD, please keep them advised of what you are doing and share the lectures by Dr. Flechas with that doctor, as Dr. Flechas is speaking to other doctors.  Then let us know how we can help you. Group administrator  Charla Shamhart.

Dr. Jorge Flechas Total Body Iodine Sufficiency

Both women and men are now experiencing estrogen dominance because of pesticides in the environment and xenoestrogens from plastics.  These cause many health problems.   Iodine Deficiency and Estrogen Dominant Diseases – Jorge D. Flechas, MD

We also recommend the books ‘The Iodine Crisis’ by researcher Lynne Farrow and ‘Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, 5th Ed.’ by Dr. David Brownstein, MD.   ”

During a message conversation I had with Charla, she informed me about the importance of getting enough selenium if you are taking iodine supplementation:

“Selenium in the form selenomethionine is critical to take with iodine, otherwise it can potentially cause health problems. Selenium is required to absorb iodine and iodide.

No dose of iodine is safe without selenium.  Get the selenium immediately. Some people choose to eat 2-3 Brazil nuts a day, but many of the farms are now deficient in selenium and this is no longer a guaranteed source of selenium in the amounts we need while taking iodine. You can take 2 a day for the first month then must take only one d day.  Selenium is required to absorb iodine, otherwise you can end up with problems.  <Visit Vitacost online shop. Alternatively check Ebay.>

From my paper IODINE: ESSENTIAL NUTRIENT FOR LIFE. Researchers Wolff and Chaikoff from UC Berkley in 1948, describing their finding in rats administered potassium iodide in increasing amounts by injection. When serum (blood) inorganic iodide levels reached 0.2 mg/L, radioiodide uptake by the thyroid gland became undetectable. The correct interpretation would be that iodide sufficiency of the thyroid gland was achieved when serum inorganic iodide levels reach 10-6M. But Wolff and Chaikoff concluded that serum inorganic iodide levels at a concentration of 10-6M blocks the synthesis of thyroid hormones, resulting in hypothyroidism and goiter. These authors DID NOT ACTUALLY MEASURE THYROID HORMONES in the rats studied. Hypothyroidism and goiter WERE NOT OBSERVED in those rats.  Note that THEY DID NOT ADMINISTER SELENIUM that is necessary to absorb iodine or iodide.”