How Chlorinated Water Impacts Our Body's Ability to Use Iodine

We get this question often:

"Why do I need to take my Iodine supplement
with filtered (non chlorinated) water?"

In this blog we want to share with you the "why" but also help you understand a few more things you need to be sure to consider when taking an iodine supplement, or eating iodine-rich foods to improve your iodine levels.

Did you know...

Chlorinated water, bakery products, flame retardants and other dietary and environmental issues reduce our body’s ability to use iodine. WHY?

Chlorine, Fluorine and Bromine compete with iodine in the body.

On the periodic table of elements, iodine is in a group called the Halogens. Fluorine, Chlorine and Bromine are in the same Halogen family.

Iodine is lower on the table, which means that the elements above
iodine in the Halogens group are much more reactive.

Fluorine, Chlorine and Bromine compete with and displace iodine. They are all more reactive than iodine. They are more electronegative than iodine, so they will take binding sites first and even displace iodine that has already attached to the receptor.

Why is This Important?

Fluorine, Chlorine and Bromine compete very strongly with iodine. Chlorine and Fluorine are in our water. Bakery products and carpets are now very high in Bromine. Chlorine, Bromine and Fluorine compete with iodine-binding sites on the thyroid hormone. When this occurs, the thyroid hormone does not function as it does when iodine is in place. It creates a state of thyroid deficiency called secondary hypothyroidism.

Even though you may have adequate thyroid hormone levels according to test results, if it is brominated (meaning the iodine-binding sites have bromine instead of iodine), the thyroid hormones do not work like they should! Chlorine and Fluorine in water also compete with iodine and replicate the above situation. Hypothyroidism leads to many serious health issues, including obesity.

Fortunately, iodine supplementation can help increase urinary excretion of Fluorine, Chlorine and Bromine. These elements—Fluorine, Chlorine and Bromine—are toxic to our bodies. Take care to drink pure water and eat non-brominated bread in order to significantly decrease your toxic exposure.

Summary

So now you know why you want to be sure that you are not taking an iodine supplement with chlorinated water. Make sure you are taking it with filtered water.

If you are not already using toothpaste that is fluoride-free, consider switching your toothpaste.

If you choose to be extra careful, you may also want to consider finding bakery products that are organic and Potassium Bromate free.