Question: Can you tell me more about bromine? What is it and how can I avoid coming in contact with it?

Dr. Brownstein's Answer:

We are awash in a sea of toxins, many of which have never, until recent years, come in contact with the human body. One such toxin, bromine, is found in a variety of everyday items, including foods. It is also widely used as a flame retardant in the United States.

In the April 2010 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers reported on the effect of a common flame retardant, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), focusing on toxicity to neural tissue. The scientists studied the most common PBDEs found among humans today, BDE-47 and BDE-99, in a culture with human nerve cells. They found that PBDEs inhibited the normal migration and reduced the normal differentiation of the cells.

Bromine is a toxic element with no known therapeutic value, and this study demonstrated that bromine was toxic to human nerve cells. Elevated bromine levels cause the body to release iodine. In iodine-deficient states, the toxicity of bromine is elevated.

Unfortunately, “acceptable” PBDE levels have been increasing (in adults as well as infants and toddlers) substantially during the last two decades. I have found the vast majority of my patients (over 95 percent) are iodine deficient, and nearly 100 percent have elevated bromine levels.

So what can you do to counteract this toxic substance? As much as you can, avoid food and drink with bromine, and ensure that you ingest enough iodine. More information can be found in my book, "Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It."