Iosol Iodine is a proprietary iodine formulation that has been in widespread use for the past fifty years.  I am often asked what the difference is between this iodine supplement and others, and many have asked what the source of the iodine is that is used in Iosol.

Iosol Iodine is a proprietary iodine formulation that has been in widespread use for the past fifty years.  I am often asked what the difference is between this iodine supplement and others, and many have asked what the source of the iodine is that is used in Iosol.

Iosol Iodine is in my opinion the premier iodine supplement on the market today.  This is because of the superior water solubility of the iodine.  This feature makes free iodide readily available for your body to use.

There are two sources of iodine in the Iosol formulation.  One is from kelp.  Iodine in kelp is naturally in the form of potassium iodide.  However, potassium iodine is not very soluble in water and may be difficult for your body to easily use.  For example, if you get liquid potassium iodide on your clothes it causes a permanent stain of red.  If you get Iosol on your clothes the red will evaporate out in a few minutes or readily come out with washing.  In fact, potassium iodide has been shown to congest the thyroid gland when taken in high doses – which is how Hashimoto’s thyroiditis was first discovered (Japanese citizens consuming too many sea vegetables).  This is why I don’t use potassium iodide in any supplement I produce.

During the production of Iosol, iodine is extracted from kelp and made into pure iodine crystals.  This is not potassium iodide, rather it is an unbound form of iodine.

The second form of iodine used is ammonium iodide, a form that readily dissolves in water.  These two forms of iodine are combined in a proprietary manner in a base of vegetable glycerin. 

Ammonium iodide is a combination of the mineral iodine and ammonium (NH4).  This is a synthesized compound, not derived from a food source.  It has superior bioavailability as the iodine readily disassociates from the ammonium upon exposure to water, producing a free iodide ion – exactly what your body would like to use in metabolism. 

Some people think that ammonium (NH4) sounds like some sort of toxin, compared to potassium or sodium iodide.  This is far from the case.  As different from ammonium, ammonia (NH3) is an irritant gas with a pungent odor.  Anhydrous ammonia (meaning no water in the ammonia) is the third most synthesized chemical in the U.S., with one-third of it used by the farming industry as fertilizer and animal feed.  The ability to fix nitrogen in some type of compound is vital to the growth of plants and crops.  Many household cleaning products use ammonia in the form of NH3 plus water. 

Ammonium is a primary source of nitrogen for humans. It is involved in many cellular chemistry reactions necessary for health.  As dietary protein is metabolized ammonium is produced.  The liver converts any extra ammonium to urea, which is easily cleared through the urea cycle.  The amount of ammonium in Iosol can act as a nutrient in normal cell metabolism or it can readily be cleared by the liver.  The amount of ammonium in a dose of Iosol is trivial compared to the amount of ammonium produced in routine protein metabolism.

Ammonium toxicity in humans occurs from excess consumption of protein or from liver disease wherein the urea cycle does not function well.  If you experience headaches or excess irritability following a high protein meal or while on a high protein diet you may have too much protein in your diet (resulting in too much ammonium).

The bottom line is that Iosol Iodine is a very safe and effective form of iodine to use as a dietary supplement.  In my experience over the past twenty years it has routinely produced outstanding results.

What is the dose of Iosol?

The most commonly used dose of Iosol is 1 drop of the preparation in a few ounces of water, taken once a day.  Each drop has 1.8 mg of iodine or 1200% of the government’s recommended daily value.  If you would like to get only 100% of the daily value then take 1 tsp of a mixture of 1 drop of Iosol in 2 ounces of water; however, most people like taking more than this. 

Adequate iodine tends to keep your head more awake during the day, helps support your energy level, and helps you warm up (if you are cold).* Many people take 1-5 drops of Iosol per day, using enough to feel warmer and more energetic.  While this can be taken all at once in the morning, some like to split the dose and take some in the afternoon as well.

Some people find that taking iodine every day really helps to support metabolism.  Others find that they only need to take it once or twice a week.  Regardless of the dose used or frequency of the dose, the goal is to notice energy support.  And if you are too cold, another goal is to warm up.  Iosol Iodine is one of the best nutrients for natural thyroid support.*

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.

The nutritional requirements to support the healthy function of thyroid hormone are poorly understood.  A main reason why you may have the symptoms of poor thyroid function is a lack of nutrients that are vital for the normal function of thyroid hormone.  Nutrient deficiencies place a major stress on the thyroid gland itself, helping to lock in sluggish and inefficient metabolism of calories.

Various nutrients are needed to form thyroid hormone, activate thyroid hormone, and protect the thyroid and liver during this process.

I have tried to make this easy for people by designing nutritional products that provide the most needed nutrients.  Thyroid Helper is a mix of tyrosine, selenium, manganese, guggul, and Ashwaganda, our top product for thyroid support.  Iosol Iodine is the best iodine supplement you can find.  Daily Energy Multiple Vitamin features high levels of co-enzyme B12, folic acid, and B6, along with important krebs cycle bionutrients and magnesium.  This type of quality is seldom found in a multiple vitamin.  These products form core nutritional support for thyroid function.

Tyrosine

Tyrosine is an amino acid that converts to dopamine and norepinephrine with the help of vitamin B6 and vitamin C.  Norepinephrine is a sympathetic nerve neurotransmitter that is the stimulus for your subconscious brain (hypothalamus and pituitary) to activate the production of thyroid hormone in the first place (TRH and TSH). 

Brain levels of leptin act as a traffic cop, regulating the amount of norepinephrine allowed to stimulate the production of thyroid (leptin bases this on the adequacy of stored fat – a perception that is often faulty).  Norepinephrine-transmitting nerves are also wired directly to the thyroid gland, which act as a catalyst to get the thyroid moving. 

Supplemental tyrosine is well known to promote brain activation, mental clarity, and better mood.  Tyrosine is also the central molecule of thyroid hormone (four iodine molecules are attached to one tyrosine to make thyroxine, T4).

Iodine

Iodine is absolutely vital for the formation of thyroid hormone in the thyroid gland.  Adequate iodine is also needed to block various compounds from binding to the thyroid (fluoride, perchlorate, goitrogens in food).  Iodine is also needed to assist the metabolism of estrogen in a healthy way (high estrogen blocks thyroid function) and iodine is needed to assist various hormone receptors throughout the body to work properly.  Iodine is essential for brain function and intelligence.

I rely on a product called Iosol Iodine for needed iodine supplementation.  I like it because ammonium iodine rapidly dissociates and forms free iodide, the exact form your body needs (1.8 mg a drop).  By comparison, Lugols and Iodoral contain the potassium salt of iodine which I don’t feel is as efficiently metabolized.  Many people use up to 5 drops of Iosol per day (if it can be observed that it helps the person warm up and sustain energy), I would never recommend 25 – 50 mg of a potassium iodide containing supplement. 

In fact, I won’t put potassium iodide in any supplement I design.  One cause of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is excessive potassium iodine from sea vegetables like kelp, which is how the problem was first discovered.  This means that potassium iodine has been shown to clog the thyroid gland and shut it down on too much intake.  I have never seen such a problem from Iosol in two decades of use.

Thyroid hormone (T4) is composed of four molecules of iodine attached to one molecule of tyrosine.  A lack of either nutrient makes it difficult to form thyroid hormone.