Question: I am worried about the radiation fallout from the Japan nuclear plant disaster. How much iodine should I take to protect myself?

Dr. Brownstein's Answer:

My clinical experience has shown that more than 95 percent of patients who come to my office are iodine deficient. Furthermore, over the last 30 years, iodine levels have fallen by 50 percent across the United States. Practitioners from across the country have informed me that they are seeing similar numbers in their practice.

Therefore, I believe that most Americans are suffering from iodine deficiency. What are the consequences? The tissues affected by iodine deficiency include the thyroid (autoimmune disease, hypothyroidism, and thyroid cancer), breast (fibrocystic breast disease, breast cancer), ovary (cysts, cancer), uterus (fibroids, cancer), and prostate (enlargement, cancer). Iodine therapy may help all of these conditions.

It is estimated that the Japanese ingest around 12 mg of iodine per day. This amount of iodine has been shown to decrease the absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland by more than 95 percent.

My experience has shown that most adults require 6 to 50 mg per day of a combination of iodine and iodide. Lugol’s solution, Iodoral, and Iodizime HP are all examples of the optimal form of iodine for supplementation.

The best results with iodine supplementation occur as part of a holistic treatment regimen. I wrote about iodine in the July, 2008 issue of my "Natural Way to Health" newsletter. More information about iodine also can be found in my book, "Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It."