IODORAL = Iodine & Potassium Iodide: The Overlooked Supplement That Powers Mood, Metabolism, and Pretty Much Everything Else
Discover why iodine matters more than ever and how Besana Health and Wellness in Lone Tree helps you understand and experience its benefits.
When “Normal Labs” Don’t Tell the Full Story
You’re not imagining it! Fatigue drains your energy day after day. That stubborn weight refuses to budge despite “doing all the right things.” Irritability creeps in, and brain fog clouds your focus. The labs may look normal, but deep down you know something isn’t right.
What’s Missing From Today’s Healthy Lifestyle?
What if the issue isn’t just about eating well, exercising, or doing more testing? What if your body lacks a trace mineral it once absorbed easily but no longer does?
The Silent Epidemic of Iodine Deficiency
In the 1920s, public health leaders added Potassium Iodide (PI) to table salt to prevent goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. Today, roughly 50% of Americans follow salt-free diets that remove this major source of iodine. Without iodine, thyroid function falters, slowing metabolism, weight management, brain function, memory, and hormone regulation.
Why Food Alone Falls Short
You can find iodine in seaweed, egg yolks, and some seafood. A Western diet, you can’t realistically meet your needs through food alone. Your body struggles to absorb iodine on its own.
Lugol’s Breakthrough and the Birth of Iodoral
In 1829, French physician Jean Lugol solved the absorption problem by combining 5mg of Iodine with 7.5mg of Potassium Iodide. Lugol’s Solution worked, but its bitter taste and staining made it difficult to use long-term. In 2001, Dr. Guy Abraham and Optimox introduced Iodoral—a coated caplet delivering the same benefits in an easy-to-swallow form.
Why Your Body Needs Iodine Everywhere
Brain & Mood Regulation
Iodine drives cognitive function and emotional balance. Deficiencies link to depression, mood swings, poor memory, and brain fog. The thyroid gland acts as a master gland for metabolism and uses the form of Iodine called Potassium Iodide to make its hormones. T3, the most bioactive thyroid hormone, is used by the cells to regulate temperature, energy production, weight stabilization, mental clarity and focus as well as GI and heart function.
Breast, Prostate & Reproductive Health
Iodine receptors are abundant in breast tissue, ovaries, and the prostate. These glands love and soak up this mineral. Research shows that molecular iodine reduced breast pain and nodularity in fibrocystic breasts without adversely affecting thyroid levels. It went on to note that Iodine supplementation reduces the risk of breast cancer and helps to reduce calcifications of the breast ducts. Iodine reduces the size of the prostate gland as well as improves pregnancy outcomes. As a bonus, babies born to moms with optimized iodine levels are smarter!
The Modern Iodine Deficiency Problem
Commercial Changes in Food
Despite Potassium Iodide being added to table salt over 100 years ago, most of that solid iodine, sublimes “vaporizes” into the atmosphere, leaving us very little to use as a nutrient and it is paired with Sodium Chloride. Chloride is a halide and halides block iodine! Maybe not the best food to choose. Fortunately, in the 1960s, PI was added to commercial baked goods as a dough conditioning agent, and a single slice of bread would provide the very low RDA of 150mcg daily.
There was heated debate as to the amount of iodine people were getting and the National Institute of Health, without extensive scientific evidence, raised concerns about Americans consuming too much iodine. This led to a recommendation to reduce iodine in bread production. In the 1970s Potassium Bromate, a form of bromine started replacing potassium iodine in all commercial bread and baked products. Not only did this eliminate this source of iodine, an iodine blocking mineral, bromine, was added further contributing to the Iodine Deficiency Problem. This is how we became nutrient-depleted and contaminated with one of a class of iodine blocking chemicals, scientifically called halides, from our food.
Changes in Water
Chlorine and Fluoride are in our drinking water. Chlorine used for water sanitation and Fluoride added for “cavity prevention”. Whether this works is debatable but more importantly, Fluoride is a known neurotoxin at any level, so it is time to fully remove harmful chemicals from all municipal water supplies and that is starting to happen. Chlorine will at least dissipate from water over hours of exposure to air and sunlight can speed this up a bit but will taste “flat”. Water filtration is highly recommended for personal use to avoid these compounds as well as microplastics and pharmaceuticals that are found in drinking water.
Bromines are everywhere and hard to avoid. Since the 1970s there has been an influx of more products using this iodine-blocking chemical, in various products contaminating our personal environment and therefore our bodies. Bromine is now widely used as an alternative to chlorine for hot tubs and most pools are still chlorinated although more private pools are moving to salt water. New clothing, furniture and drapery are routinely treated with a form of bromine used as a flame retardant providing constant and close contact and absorption as the products “off gas” the chemical. Iodine is a great supplement to displace halides from the receptor they are stealing and replace it with the mineral designed to fill it.
Recommended Daily Requirement vs. True Health Needs
The RDA sets iodine at 150 mcg—enough to prevent goiter but not enough for optimal health. Researchers like Dr. Abraham and Dr. Brownstein recommend 12.5 mg of Iodoral daily for most Americans.
How to Test for Iodine Deficiency
- Urine Spot Test – basic, but limited accuracy
- Iodine Clearing Test – more reflective of true deficiency
- Skin Absorption Test – the quicker iodine absorbs, the more deficient you are
With 90% of Americans estimated deficient, most people benefit from supplementation.
Supplementing With Iodoral
Start with a low dose, such as 6.25 mg, and gradually increase as tolerated. Some people thrive at 12.5 mg, others at 25–50 mg. Pairing iodine with magnesium, selenium, vitamin C, and zinc helps with absorption and reduces detox symptoms.
Because iodine affects thyroid function, some people need medication adjustments. TSH levels may rise at first but stabilize with consistent supplementation.
It is always best to discuss adding Iodoral to your daily regimen with a knowledgeable iodine provider and at Besana Health and Wellness. We monitor you for any side effects, know which thyroid tests and levels are appropriate and monitor your progress on your health journey.
The Missing Link in Wellness
Iodoral remains one of the most underutilized supplements for supporting thyroid health, balancing hormones, and restoring whole-body wellness.
At Besana Health and Wellness, we don’t just mask symptoms. We help men and women understand their bodies at the cellular level and design customized treatment plans to restore balance.
Could this overlooked mineral be the missing link in your health journey?
References
- American Thyroid Association. “Iodine Deficiency”. https://www.thyroid.org/iodine-deficiency/
- Ghent WR, Eskin BA, Low DA, Hil LP. “Iodine replacement in fibrocystic disease of the breast. The Breast (2004); 13 (4): 307-313
- Caldwell KL, et al. Iodine status of the US population. NHANES 2005-2006. Thyroid (2008); 18(11):1207-1214
- IODINE why you need it , why you can’t live without it David Brownstein, MD
- The Iodine Crisis Lynne Farrow
- Natural Thyroid Toolkit Jeffrey Dachs, MD
