Assessing Your Iodine Status (for breast cancer survivors)

Assessing Your Iodine Status (for breast cancer survivors)

The best way to discover whether you are iodine deficient is to take an iodine
loading test (a large dose of iodine), which a holistic practitioner can provide. This
test, developed by Dr. Guy Abraham, measures the amount of iodine you expel in
your urine. When the body has a sufficient supply of iodine, the excess is excreted.
Higher levels of iodine in urine signify lower or nonexistent degrees of iodine
deficiency. In Helayne’s practice, she has yet to find a woman who does not test as
deficient in iodine.

Sources of Iodine

Concentrated food sources of iodine are sea vegetables, yogurt, organic milk,
eggs, and fish, including shellfish. We enjoy experimenting with various types of
seaweed. Sea vegetables are delicious and easy to add to your diet. A few strips of
kombu or wakame, boiled in water, make a simple broth to which you can add other
ingredients. Adding chipped dulse to a pot of beans or other legumes boosts both
nutrition and flavor. Dulse flakes, available in natural groceries, are a tasty addition
when sprinkled on salads or sandwiches, while toasted nori sheets make a great
snack. Toasted and crumbled nori can also be great sprinkled on popcorn.

Note of Caution about Iodine

If you have an autoimmune thyroid disease (for example, Hashimoto’s
thyroiditis), you may be more susceptible to problems that can arise from excessive
iodine consumption. It is very important to consult with your holistic health care
practitioner before starting on a supplementation program.