Do you remember the movie “Big Fat Greek Wedding” where the Dad sprayed Windex on everything?
My Grandma’s Windex was povidone iodine.
She’d get out the cotton ball and wipe down any cut or scrape.
I’m not sure what was worse, the hydrogen peroxide my Mom used or the iodine from Grandma.
I always thought of iodine as “old school” medicine.
But dang if I’m not returning to all the things my Grandma used to use.
Right down to the Cream of Tartar to prevent restless legs and waking up to pee at night.
On Monday I talked about using a singular molecule of iodine as an antioxidant for cell health.
Povidone iodine is different as are most of the iodines that are out on the market.
Does it mean that they are not effective, absolutely not.
All of my patients, my husband, Dad and I have used povidone iodine spray to prevent illnesses and no one has been sick at least for the last year.
I haven’t been sick since 2019 and I travel a lot!
Iodine has a bad rap.
And it’s because of two main things – too high of dosages and toxic iodine products.
Sadly, many are told they have an iodine allergy based on reactions to iodine based dyes used in imaging.
I admit that I have fallen victim to this mis-information as well and am working to help my clients understand the distinction of a true allergy.
The only way to know if you have a true iodine allergy is to apply a drop of a type of iodine like Acceleradine (singular type of iodine) to your skin and see what happens.
If there’s a skin reaction – redness, swelling, irritation at the site of application then you have a true allergy.
And if nothing happens then you are allergic to what the iodine molecule is attached to.
I’ve found over the years that many have side effects to iodine when they take too much for their first dosage.
Iodine should be ramped up slowly and why I often recommend a drop at a time increase.
And sometimes I have people mix it with water if they are sensitive in the first place.
What are possible side effects of taking iodine too fast?
- heart racing or palpitations
- dizziness
- headache
- flushing
- histamine reactions
Why do these symptoms occur?
Because of iodine’s exerts a direct effect inside of your cells.
If you’re struggling with fatigue you want to increase your iodine dosage slowly.
Fatigue = poor mitochondrial function, decreased circulation or a hijacked immune system.
Reduced mitochondrial function can be due to toxic materials in cells.
If you give your cells and mitochondria something to help them work better they will kick out cell waste and toxins.
And if you have a lot of bacteria, viruses and other organisms in your body and the iodine gives the immune system a boost to kick them out…
…you might feel toxic using a higher dosage than your body can tolerate.
What’s the solution?
Go very slow when you introduce iodine and allow the cells to clear months, years or even decades of cell trash slowly.
This will prevent issues over time and have you feeling much better faster.
How do you slowly introduce iodine?
One drop at a time under the tongue or on the skin for a week.
Then if no side effects move up to two drops and so on weekly.
What’s the max amount of iodine one can take?
Great question.
While the US RDA has levels, I don’t find that to be useful.
I think it’s best to work with someone like myself to help you identify your iodine sweet spot.
Especially, if you’re sensitive to supplements or have a chronic illness.
For me, I’m at 6-9 mg depending on the time of the month.
That’s a lot.
For others it can be 300-450 mcg of iodine.
If you’re a DIY person the only way to know is to slowly ramp up till your symptoms resolve or you get any of the side effects I mentioned above.
The bottom line is iodine is not a one size fits all situation and dosing can change based on if you have a period or not as it helps with hormone balance.
Or if you’re a male and are taking testosterone injections a few times a week as I’ve recommended adding some iodine after injections to help with estrogen balance.
If you’re curious about iodine and open to chatting about it – hit reply.
Because I’m asked all the time – I have to come out and say this…
…anytime I invite you to “hit reply” or schedule a call – it’s complimentary – I’m not charging for these things.
My mission in life is to share what I’ve learned so you can share with your families and friends to help this world become a healthier place.
I enjoy meeting you all and learning from you.
I’m curious about what you’re going through and interested in when it comes to your health.
This helps me keep my emails informative and relevant.
If you find you want to work with me that’s awesome but there’s no pressure to do so.
In fact, the greatest compliment I receive is when someone tells me they shared my email with a family member or friend!
This is what it’s all about – sharing information and having real conversations about all the tools that can help you along your health journey.
Looking for answers to burning questions?
I’m happy to help save you time on Google Doctor searches.
On Friday I’ll be talking about how cell hydration and breath work work together for sustaining energy, boosting longevity and preventing chronic illness.
Here’s to your health,
Dr. J
