The thyroid in women including the breast, ovaries and uterus, and in men the prostate, require large quantities of iodine.  It’s impossible for the thyroid to function without iodine.  In fact, iodine and L-tyrosine, an amino acid commonly found in protein foods, naturally bind together to produce thyroxin, the hormone of the thyroid.  The American diet is drastically deficient in iodine.  Experts believe that 70% of females have hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid.  And in men, 50% have hypothyroidism.  While doctors rely on a blood test to determine the activity of the thyroid, medical experts disagree on this measurement to determine thyroid activity.  Some call the blood chemistry test highly inaccurate to determine the function of the thyroid.  Thyroid function is one of the most hotly debated medical topics amongst lay people and physicians.  Since our diets are so deficient in iodine, there is an abundance of hypothyroidism in America.  And unfortunately, when a physician diagnoses an individual with hypothyroidism, iodine is never prescribed, but a synthetic hormone replaces natural iodine to improve thyroid function.  After years of prescribing a synthetic hormone for the thyroid, the thyroid shuts down as it is not required to produce the hormone, thyroxin.  Synthetic hormones never duplicate the natural hormone produced by the body.  Iodine is the product of choice for thyroid function.  Alternative physicians treat the thyroid and breast of women who have goiter, nodules and cysts with iodine and achieve significant benefits.  As we have learned that the dosage of vitamin D3 has increased from 400 IUs daily to 5000 IUs daily, the same is true for iodine.  150 mcg which we once thought was sufficient for thyroid health has been discovered by alternative physicians to be more effective at 12.5 mg per day.  The subject of iodine and hypothyroidism needs to be understood by those who are experiencing symptoms but are considered to be healthy by their physicians or after their physician’s examination.  You wouldn’t think about bone health without adding calcium and you shouldn’t think about thyroid health without adding iodine.  You can learn more by going to the newsletter archive section at www.TerryTalksNutrition.com and search, “thyroid and iodine”.