Iodine Spot & Load Test
USD $120.00
SAFE EFFECTIVE IODINE BALANCING
Why is it important to check on and balance my Iodine levels?
Iodine is a critical element for proper and vital
thyroid and
cardiovascular function. Additionally, for women, it will affect overall
breast health, prevention of breast cancer and regulation of estrogens. In men, this same mechanism will allow for preventative
prostate care.
Don't I get enough Iodine in salt?
No! The amount of iodine in iodized salt is only 1/89 of what is required to maintain optimal health. People living in Japan consume 92 times more Iodine in their daily diets than the RDA recommends in the USA.
Higher iodine consumption in Japan has been associated with substantially lower cancer rates, decreased incidence of heart disease, and overall greater longevity.
Are You Tired? Low Iodine May be affecting your Thyroid
Iodine is a natural thyroid stimulator and is beneficial in many areas of health as noted above. When iodine is low you can be certain that your thyroid is impacted. A test can confirm this and initial consultation is included. We will also gladly provide information and answer your questions regarding natural methods to remedy any hypothyroid imbalance.
HOW DO I TEST?
This 24-hour Spot and Load Urine Iodine Test is simple and straight-forward. When you buy the testing kit here we ship the complete collection kit including instructions to you by courier. When the kit arrives you can collect the specimen in the privacy of your own home and then send it directly to the lab in four easy steps:
- Step 1: The Spot test establishes a baseline of your Iodine level the day you are collecting and is used in the calculation of your overall Iodine tissue stores.
- Step 2: Take the enclosed Iodine tablets and begin the 24-hour urine collection. This load (challenge) test evaluates the whole body's tissue stores of Iodine to see if you are sufficient or not by determining how much of the iodine tablets you excreted and how much you held onto (you should spill >90%).
- Step 3: Follow the instructions for recording the volumes and filling appropriate sample bottles.
- Step 4: Follow the shipping instructions for returning your specimen to the lab.
The lab will measure and report the results back to us electronically. We will then contact you to set up a telephone appointment and make arrangements to send a copy of the results to you so that we can review them with you.
DO YOU HAVE AN IODINE DEFICIENCY?
Iodine insufficiency is far more common than you would have guessed. Because it is essential to the vitality of every cell in the body, when deficient, it affects overall health. It is estimated that one third of the world's population may be suffering from iodine insufficiency and as many as 95% of individuals seeking medical advice for other conditions have been found to be insufficient. Symptoms of low iodine in the body will often present as:
- Low Energy
- Slow Metabolism
- Hypothyroidism (slow thyroid)
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Heart Palpitations
- Polycystic Ovaries
- Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
- Fibrocystic Breasts
- Uterine Fibroids
What Causes A Thyroid Disorder? Low Iodine levels along with hormonal imbalance connected with adrenal fatigue may be the under lying factors that may contribute to or even trigger a thyroid disorder. It is very important that you take charge and personally investigate such underlying causes by properly testing for all of them.
Not testing yourself can open the door to a possible flawed diagnosis. as detailed in the article that follows. The following article includes Doctor recommended information on how to best approach the testing and re balancing of your thyroid.
REBALANCING THE THYROID SYSTEMarticle by Martin Feldman, M.D., and Gary Null, Ph.D.
Conventional medicine’s view of thyroid functioning is marked by two distinct problems:
1) The flawed process of diagnosing thyroid disorders: Even when a patient is obviously symptomatic, his or her condition may go unrecognized by orthodox physicians because they focus so exclusively on the results of conventional thyroid blood tests. These tests do not directly measure the functioning of the entire thyroid system, which includes both the central production of T4 hormone and the conversion of T4 to T3 at the tissue level. This conversion process, which occurs outside of the thyroid gland itself, is essential because T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone that works in the body’s cells.
2) The mainstream approach to the treatment of thyroid functioning: This flaw generally occurs in the treatment phase. When a patient is in fact diagnosed with a low thyroid condition by conventional medicine, the physician’s automatic, reflex reaction generally is to prescribe a synthetic T4 medication that does not contain T3. The use of thyroid medication may be the easiest path for doctor and patient alike, but
it is not the best long-term solution for a suboptimal thyroid system. A preferable (and more natural) approach is to help the thyroid mechanism heal itself using a variety of non drug treatments. This healing process may reset the full functioning of the thyroid system, whether the central thyroid thermostat, which produces T4, or the peripheral conversion of T4 to T3. As a result, the patient will not have to depend on an oral thyroid hormone medication to function optimally.
In Dr. Feldman’s experience, when a patient takes thyroid hormone medication for months on end, the thyroid system recognizes that it no longer needs to produce thyroid hormone internally and shuts itself down. The result is that the patient stays on the drug for many years or even for life. Therefore, when patients are amenable to a natural re-balancing, Dr. Feldman prefers to try to repair and optimize the thyroid system without medication. This process usually requires a two- to three-month therapeutic approach. Think of it this way, if the problem took time to develop, then is it not unreasonable to expect an instant solution. The reasonable approach understands it will also take a little time to fix or reverse a thyroid condition if the approach is natural.
The solution is here:
Testing: Urine Iodine Spot and Load Test
Supplementation: Nutritional as well as antioxidant and iodine supplements along with optional bio-identical hormone skin creams (if deemed necessary through additional hormone testing) tailored to fit your personal needs.
Lifestyle: Whole Foods, diet, exercise and lots of laughter.
VERY IMPORTANT: To feel and achieve the best results using any natural approach using natural supplementation products allow 3-6 months of consistent proper daily dosing: Results will vary person to person based on body type, personal life circumstances such as stress levels and habits (smoking, alcohol, diet), including where you work as well as live as it relates to toxins in the air or ground (from industry) and water (town water or private rural well) . Most individuals will notice substantial results after remaining on the program for 3 months and almost all individuals will see positive results after being on the program for 6 months if a regular daily dosing regime is maintained over this time.
Products included in our tailored programs are:
MaxGXL - a cellular detoxifer and master antioxidant that supports the cells, blood and adrenals.
Iodine - is a natural antioxidant that specifically boosts thyroid function and protects breast tissue.
Hormone Test - checks progesterone levels which support the thyroid and can check other critical hormones associated with adrenal fatigue.
Progesterone Cream - a skin cream with bio- identical progesterone. Bio-identical meaning that it is natural in it's molecular structure. This differs from synthetic hormones which have the bad reputation associated with hormone replacement. The cream helps to raise natural progesterone levels if a hormone test shows they are low. Usually the cream is used over a 3 to 6 month period on and off, used as a temporary measure to boost levels when they are very low or to hold of symptoms until burned out adrenals recuperate.
BELOW IS A LITTLE EXTRA INFORMATION THAT MAY HELP
A NATURAL PROTOCOL FOR REPAIR
The effectiveness of the natural repair process is partly determined by the patient’s level of commitment. The more changes you are willing to make, the higher your probability of success in re balancing the thyroid, immune and adrenal system.
The specific steps involved fall into two main categories: lifestyle changes and natural therapies that support bodies thyroid, immune and adrenal functions. They are as follows:
1. DETOXIFY AND CLEANSE THE BODY
Any toxins in your system may have a negative effect on thyroid functioning, so it’s important to reduce your exposure to toxins such as fluoride, chlorine, mercury, pesticides, aspartame and caffeine. Patients with a suboptimal thyroid system need to clean out the toxins that have been accumulating in the body.
In Thyroid Power: Ten Steps to Total Health, authors Richard Shames, M.D., and Karilee Shames, R.N., Ph.D, note that the
“everyday legal drugs” of caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and even sugar are especially harmful to thyroid function. Nicotine, in particular, hinders the conversion of T4 hormone to T3, while the others have a more indirect effect.
The Shameses also believe that the multitude of chemicals found in our food, water and air are largely responsible for today’s epidemic of thyroid conditions.
These chemicals are hormone disruptors that can confuse and stress the immune system, leading to an autoimmune process that attacks the thyroid system. Other investigators agree that synthetic chemicals often interfere with the thyroid hormone balance.
Of the many types of hormone disruptors that exist today, the main culprits worldwide seem to be pesticides. Herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and nematocides often contain PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and dioxins, both of which have a wide range of disruptive effects. These effects have been documented, but there are many other synthetic chemicals polluting the environment that have not been well studied.
As you detoxify your body, consider whether your diet also may be impairing your thyroid functioning. An excess intake of carbohydrates, for example, can be a major contributing factor in hypothyroidism because it can push the blood sugar high and stimulate the production of cortisol. This leads to hypoglycemia and interferes with thyroid production.
2. USE A FLUORIDE FILTER
The incidence of hypothyroidism is higher among people who drink fluoridated water without using a filter, according to Dr. Feldman’s patient records. The reason for this connection is not entirely clear, but it may be that the fluoride and thyroid molecules are similar in chemistry. As a result, fluoride poisoning seems to target the thyroid.
People with thyroid problems would do well to avoid fluoride, which actually was used as a medication in the past to slow down an overactive thyroid, according to Richard and Karilee Shames in Thyroid Power.
The forms of fluoride being added to drinking water today to prevent tooth decay are not the pharmaceutical grade sodium fluoride that was originally researched for this purpose. Waste products derived mainly from the phosphate fertilizer and aluminum industries are the source of fluoride for 90% of fluoridated communities.
Worse yet, most of the fluoride put into the water supply does not end up on our teeth, but rather in lawns, swimming pools and rivers. We accumulate this fluoride from showering and swimming in it, and we take in an unknown amount from the fluoridated drinking water that may be used in juices, beers, wines and other drinks.
You can protect your thyroid system from fluoride exposure by using a special dedicated fluoride filter or drinking bottled water. Most standard water filters do not remove fluoride efficiently, so you will need a separate fluoride filter to do the job. In addition to using a fluoride filter, people with low thyroid conditions should install a chlorine filter on their shower head. Chlorine gas is produced as the shower water sprays out, and this toxic substance will be breathed in as you bathe.
3. REDUCE OR ELIMINATE MEDICATIONS
If possible, reduce your use of medicine of all kinds to help detoxify the body. Medications that may weaken the thyroid include Premarin and Provera, two synthetic, chemical hormone products that are commonly prescribed as birth control and hormone replacement therapy for postmenopausal women. Birth control medications also prove harmful to the thyroid.
A discussion of the problems associated with hormone replacement therapy can be found under the following link: http://ladycomp-babycomp.com/show.php/en/hormone_balance . This is especially true since bioidentical hormones that duplicate the body’s own hormones exactly are available from natural Methods Inc. from this website http://ladytobaby.com/show.php?item=87
4. REDUCE YOUR ALLERGIC BURDEN
Any person with a low thyroid condition must seriously honor his or her immune system, since it may contribute to a suboptimal thyroid condition. One important way you can assist your immune system is to avoid foods and environmental allergens that cause reactions.
What is the connection? The immune system must process any allergens that enter the body, but it has only so much capacity to meet this ongoing demand. At some point the immune function reaches its threshold and begins to spill over like a rain barrel. This malfunction can set off an autoimmune process that causes the immune system to attack the tissues of its own body as if they were foreign invaders. The thyroid mechanism is one area commonly targeted by this improper, destructive response. Other types of tissue that may be targeted include the myelin nerve sheaths, skin, connective tissue and joints.
Each person’s level of immune-system overload will depend in part on the severity and frequency of allergic reactions. Dr. Feldman’s analysis of patient records in his practice has revealed a high correlation between allergic incidences and stress on the immune system. Some of the more serious autoimmune illnesses are lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, severe allergy states, multiple sclerosis, uveitis, scleroderma and Sjögren’s syndrome.
The goal is to lessen your body’s allergic burden so that all of the individual allergens cannot build to the point that they exceed the threshold level. Start by reducing or eliminating any foods to which you are intolerant. Pay particular attention to common food allergens such as wheat, dairy, sugar, beef, corn, eggs and yeast.
In addition, reduce your exposure to environmental allergens such as dust mites, molds, tree, grass and weed pollens, and animal dander, as well as seasonal allergens. Use air purifiers and dehumidifiers and take other steps to protect yourself from these allergic triggers on how to access the lessons.
5. USE NATURAL THERAPIES
The lifestyle changes you make should be accompanied by natural therapies that help rebalance the thyroid functioning. A complementary health professional can guide you in the use of appropriate therapies. Dr. Brownstein’s protocol for thyroid repair is individualized and may include many of the following components:
Thyroid-supporting nutrients. A number of minerals and amino acids help the thyroid system function optimally. They include:
Iodine. The follicles in thyroid tissues normally contain 40 times more iodide—the form of iodine found in foods—than does the blood. The thyroid’s concentration can be 300 times greater at maximal activity. Iodine is chemically combined with tyrosine, an amino acid. Be aware, however, that not everyone with a low thyroid condition needs to supplement iodine. An excess of this mineral may create problems, so each person’s level must be assessed by a knowledgeable health-care professional. For those who do need iodine, a certain subgroup will respond much better to iodine drops in the form of potassium iodide than to kelp or other iodine tablets.
Selenium. This mineral is needed in the process of converting T4 hormone to T3 in the liver, kidney and elsewhere. Even people who have healthy diets may not obtain sufficient selenium because some regions of the country have marginal levels of the nutrient.33 The food supply is low in selenium because it has been depleted from the soil.
Magnesium. This nutrient plays a role in the regulation of energy production and the functioning of the mitochondria—both of which are closely associated with thyroid hormone. The RDA for magnesium is 350 mg, an amount that often is not met by the typical American diet.34 In fact, as the diet includes more processed foods, adults are consuming an average of only 143 to 266 mg per day.
Zinc. This mineral is an essential enzyme cofactor in metabolic pathways, and it affects the formation of thyroid hormones. In one study, zinc-deficient rats had 30% less concentrations of T3 and free T4. Meanwhile, many Americans have a marginal zinc deficiency. The optimal level of zinc supplementation for an individual may exceed 20 mg per day, depending on his or her status.
Rubidium. This mineral promotes thyroid metabolism, according to anecdotal reports and case studies. The mechanism by which it does so is unknown.
L-Tyrosine. This amino acid is a building block of the body’s proteins and the foundation of the thyroid hormones T4 and T3.37
Glutathione. Like other free radical scavengers, glutathione offers protection in the body’s process of converting T4 to T3 in the liver and elsewhere. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a precursor of glutathione that is well tolerated and assists the optimization of this metabolite. The product MaxGXL found on this web site is a product that can effectively help increase your glutathione.
Herbs. Many herbal preparations are available that can aid the thyroid. They include skullcap (herb), parsley (plant) and uva ursi (leaf).
6. CORRECT THE STRUCTURE OF THE NECK
Dr. Brownstein’s patient records statistically verify that a poor alignment of the neck (including the upper back and base of the skull) is more prevalent in patients with thyroid problems. As a result, realignment modalities are occasionally needed as part of a complementary approach to rebalancing the thyroid system.
Two readily available modalities are osteopathy and chiropractic, both branches of structural medicine. The need for such treatments is not much of a leap philosophically, since the thyroid gland does sit anatomically inside the neck.
HOLISTIC HORMONE BALANCE
As you work to improve your thyroid functioning, remember that this mechanism is intricately connected to the rest of the body’s hormonal systems (adrenals, pancreas, pituitary, ovaries, testes). All of the hormonal glands must work together efficiently, and a malfunction in any one of them may have a negative impact on the others.
Hormonal malfunctions that begin with a gland other than the thyroid can end up reducing thyroid functioning. For example, an imbalance of the ovarian functioning may interfere with the thyroid system over time. And if the adrenal glands are repeatedly stressed to the point that they wear out, they can have a negative effect on the thyroid as well.
As with the thyroid system, natural therapies also are available to support other hormonal systems:
THE CONSEQUENCES OF MISSED DIAGNOSES
People suffer when thyroid disorders are not diagnosed because the conventional blood tests are “normal” and physicians do not recognize a patient’s symptoms as thyroid related. If a patient is profoundly depressed and is put on Prozac or another drug when the cause may be a low thyroid condition, his or her problems have just begun.
A missed diagnosis means the person will have two major problems to contend with: one is the underactive thyroid system itself and all of its ramifications; the other is the depression, which is often treated with antidepressants like Prozac in America today.
When you have an undiscovered organic basis for a psychological problem, being put on psychotropic medication is like sitting on a thumbtack and being put on pain pills for the rest of your life. It has about the same effect. It wears the system down, and as a result the patient’s condition not only does not improve but will in fact deteriorate, because the underlying cause is not being treated.
