Thyroid
cureality.com/reports Does iodine deficiency contribute to plaque growth?
Should we take a lesson from the Japanese, who, through their dietary reliance on seaweed (e.g., kelp, kombu, nori, etc.), have iodine intakes 30- to 100-fold higher (5,280-13,800 mcg per day) without excessive thyroid disease and reduced incidence of fibrocystic breast disease and breast cancer (Patrick L 2008)?
Assess body temperature:
Take oral temperature first upon arising (not after brushing your teeth, making the bed, drinking coffee, etc., first thing). This approximation of the body’s lowest overnight temperature yields important insight into the adequacy of thyroid status. Oral temperatures consistently <97.6 F suggest hypothyroidism; consistently <97.0 F almost certainly reflects hypothyroidism.
Iodine intake:
If all above measures are normal and hypothyroidism is not suggested, then simply adhering to the RDA of 150 mcg per day for adults or thereabouts is likely sufficient. If there is any indication of hypothyroidism, then strong consideration should be given to an increase in iodine intake to the 1000 mcg per day range, preferably from an iodine supplement such as kelp tablets, a form that approximates the Japanese experience. Toxicity from this dose is rare, confined principally to people who have unusual thyroid disorders, such as toxic nodular goiter (Pennington JA 1990); this is best decided with the assistance of your healthcare provider. Also, note that there may be a slight increase in TSH when higher doses of iodine are taken (Clarke CD et al 2003).