By Dr. Melanie Bone.
"Doctor, please check my hormones. I am sure there is a problem. I'm tired. My weight keeps going up and up no matter what I do, and my hair is getting thinner. It must be my hormones. I'm so frustrated by people telling me it's 'nothing.' "
"Doctor, I have the lumpiest breasts. I can't examine them because everything I feel is a lump. I always need to have a sonogram with my mammogram because they are so dense. Am I at higher risk for breast cancer because of this?"
Thyroid disease. Breast cancer. Both are common, hormonal complaints seen in menopausal women. Are they related? How? If you'd asked me right out of medical school or residency, I'd have told you that they are mostly female problems, but not that they were causally related. Now, I am not so sure.
Facts: Postmenopausal women with goiters (enlarged thyroid glands) have more than 2 times the risk of developing breast cancer.
Women with fibrocystic breast changes have been treated successfully with iodine, the main molecule found in the thyroid gland.
Women in the "Goiter Belt" of America, where the soil is deficient in iodine, have a higher rate of breast cancer.
Japanese women who consume a large amount of iodine in comparison with Americans have a much lower rate of breast cancer.
The thyroid gland sits in front of the trachea (windpipe) at the bottom of the neck. Most people cannot feel or see their thyroid gland. The gland serves to regulate metabolism, hence the reason women who feel tired and have weight gain think it may be due to an under-active thyroid. Iodine ingested in food is concentrated in the thyroid gland and thyroid hormone is produced. T4 or thyroxine, contains 4 iodine molecules. T3, triiodothyronine, contains only 3 iodine molecules, and is made by the conversion of T4 outside of the gland. T3 is the active form of the hormone. It gets much more complicated, but suffice to say that the gland sequesters almost all the iodine in the body.
The recommended daily allowance of iodine is 0.15mg (milligrams) or 15 mcg (micrograms). In the United States, iodized salt has always been a major source of iodine along with other fortified foods. A requirement so tiny should be easily met, and yet it is not. With a shift away from using salt in our diet, there has been a drop in the average iodine consumption. Increased consumption of bromides in flour, soda, medications as well as increased fluoride in water and toothpaste/mouthwash both block the effect of iodine and worsen the problem. Lack of iodine is the primary cause of an enlarged, nodular thyroid gland called a goiter. The incidence of goiter is increasing over the past few decades because of the decline in iodine consumption.
Breast tissue is made up of glands, fibers and fatty components. Fibrocystic breast disease is a very common condition in the United States associated with painful, lumpy breasts. Fibrocystic changes are a risk factor for developing breast cancer. Women are advised to avoid caffeine, which promotes these changes, but it might be helpful to advise them to add iodine. Breast cells are sensitive to iodine. The milk-producing glandular cells of the breast concentrate iodine in breast milk in order to help assure that breastfed babies are not at risk for the complications of iodine deficiency. Studies show that iodine supplementation in the lab reverses precancerous changes in breast cells and improves fibrocystic changes in the breasts of rats. Likewise, women treated with iodine may feel less tenderness and few lumps.
Breast cancer is more common in areas where iodine consumption is lowest. The highest incidence of breast cancer in the U.S. is in the "Goiter Belt," an area inland in the region of the Great Lakes. The land in the region has iodine-poor soil and there is no native, iodine-rich seafood to consume. In contrast, Japanese women consume 25 times more iodine than American women and their risk of breast cancer is reduced. Think how often this statistic is attributed to soy consumption or lack of red meat. Perhaps it has nothing to do with soy or fat, but rather with iodine?
How much iodine is the "right" amount to keep breasts and thyroid glands healthy? This is a hotly debated topic. It appears that up to 1 milligram a day is considered safe, even though this is more than 6 times the recommended daily allowance. Doctors who are proponents of iodine therapy advocate up to 50 milligrams per day. This is more than 333 times the recommended daily allowance! The theory behind this level of supplementation is to replenish the gland and leave extra to be taken up by other cells in the body. Advocates of this regimen suggest that women be tested to see if they need higher dose iodine by challenging them with a 50 mg dose and then collecting their urine for 24 hours. If their body has sufficient iodine, 90 percent of the dose should be excreted. If they are holding on to more than 10 percent, they are labeled as iodine-deficient and advised to go on a high-dose supplementation protocol for months followed by lifelong lower-dose daily dose.
The caveat: There are not too many mainstream doctors in agreement about the value of iodine. Those advocating it, do the testing at proprietary labs and also sell the supplements. Luckily, you would have to take a bath in iodine before toxicity sets in. I wonder, though.
As a middle-of-the-roader, I believe that high-dose iodine may not be necessary. Up to 1 milligram of iodine may be very helpful, especially for women suffering thyroid goiter and/or lumpy breasts.
Seaweed salad and sushi for dinner?
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