1. Improves thyroid and all endocrine gland function. Tissues that utilize iodine: thyroid, adrenal glands, breast, prostate gland, thymus, ovaries, hypothalamus, pituitary gland, GI tract, bones, connective tissue. Thyroid hormones are T3 and T4 which refers to the number of iodine atoms the hormone contains.
  2. Decreases cysts in body. Iodine maintains the normal architecture of the glands of the body including the thyroid, ovaries, uterus, breast, prostate. When there is enough iodine, the tissues maintain a normal structure, but when iodine is deficient the glandular tissues become cystic. If iodine deficiency persists then the cysts become nodular. If the iodine deficiency persists the nodules can become hyperplastic then can eventually result in cancerous tissue.
  3. Controls apoptosis hence helps with decrease cancer. When iodine is 100x RDA (~15mg) we produce iodinated lipids called delta-iodolactone, a fat-like substance that is a key regulator of apoptosis. Apoptosis is programmed cell death. In cancer cells they keep proliferating and don’t go through this programmed cell death, therefore promoting apoptosis can be a key factor in treating cancer.
  4. Increases intelligence of offspring. Offspring of mothers who had iodine levels <150g/L during pregnancy found to have statistically significantly lower scores in spelling, grammar and English literacy at age 9 (1)

Reference:

  1. Hynes et al. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2013. 98 (5): 1954-1962.