Vitamin D (secosteroid) and Iodine Myths

Iodine and Vitamin D Myths

People diagnosed with Hashimotos also are often diagnosed with Vitamin D and Iodine deficiency. Doctors will tell you that you need to supplement your diet to get more of these, however this is frequently the LAST thing you should do.

Here’s why . . .

The Vitamin D Myth in Hashimotos

If a blood test reveals that you have low Vitamin D levels, it is for one of two reasons.

1. You’re really are deficient in Vitamin D and your body simply requires more
2. You have a Vitamin D Receptor problem (VDR) which means that you are not deficient at all, but rather your body is down-regulating your Vitamin D levels

If you are low or deficient in Vitamin D (i.e., a simple deficiency), you will often need Vitamin D supplements. We recommend you take this with Calcium to aid absorption.

However, if you have a problem with your VDR, it is recommended that you do not supplement with Vitamin D. You see, in a normal body supplemental vitamin D is converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25-D), and then to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D (1,25-D), the active form of vitamin D that gives us the great benefits of this group of fat-soluble secosteroids. The 1,25-D has the job of activating our vitamin D receptor (VDR). However, if the VDR is blocked and dysfunctional (as is often the case in Hashimoto’s disease), 1,25-D can not activate the VDR. Interestingly it often appears that the VDR is blocked by a type of bacteria.

This means the person does not get the benefits of VDR activation, including the production of their own “antibiotics”/antimicrobial peptides which help the immune system to fight bacteria and viruses. It is these bacteria and viruses which may be linked to autoimmune disease and Hashimoto’s disease.

If your vitamin D levels are low, taking D supplements in these circumstances may be doing more damage than good. Ensure you get the proper blood tests done to determine the functionality of your VDR - often this includes measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin-D (25-D), and then to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin-D (1,25-D). If your 25-D is very low and your 1,25-D is very high, this will indicate VDR dysfunction.

Often people will try the following steps:

Step One: Try a Vitamin D supplement with a calcium supplement (to help absorption) for one month, and then see whether your Vitamin D levels (25-D) increase. If they do, then you’re on the right track. For people whose Vitamin D levels continue to decrease, proceed to step two.

Step Two: For people whose Vitamin D levels continue to drop, the Marshall Protocol argues that you need to stop taking supplements and begin the Marshall protocol with supervision from your doctor.

The Iodine Myth in Hashimoto’s

Many medical practitioners and natural health practitioners who are unfamiliar with thyroid function, or only have a basic understanding, may try to prescribe iodine to improve your thyroid function. They suggest purchasing thyroid supplements with iodine as an ingredient, or they may suggest you take herbs or supplements that contain iodine, such as kelp or bladderwrack.

In some cases you may truly be iodine deficient, at which point iodine may be helpful. But for a great many people diagnosed with Hashomoto’s disease, iodine will aggravate autoimmune (Hashimoto’s) thyroiditis. This has been evidenced scientifically where the incidence of Hashimoto’s disease increases in populations that increase their iodine intake.

Dr. Datis Kharrazian in his book “Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms?”(2010) opposes the use of iodine in Hashimoto’s. It appears that iodine is only safe when there is enough circulating selenium in the body. In this way, excess iodine intake can cause autoimmune thyroiditis, but only when selenium is deficient or in excess. Thus, optimizing selenium intake protects against Hashimoto’s disease, and enables our tolerance of wide ranging iodine intakes.

source: http://www.scienceformulations.com/VitDIodine.html
 

Newport claims that Iodine "nuts" that take 6mg+ of either form of I unblocks receptors in about a week. http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1506480