M.D. Robert Thompson

This book argues that everyone needs iodine supplementation, and the more the better! It recommends commercial supplements without disclosing whether the author has a financial interest in the company that makes them.

It asserts that halogens are toxic but iodine, which is a halogen, is good for you. It fails to explain why iodine is so different from the other halogens. It says that iodine is a “powerful antimicrobial,” which means that it is toxic to living things.

On page 15 it says that salt is “a perfect food in its unrefined form containing every mineral needed by the human body in the exact proportions.” It fails to mention that those minerals are not in an organic form that can do the body any good. It recommends sea salt, which is inorganic and hence no more bioavailable than any other kind of salt. On page 59 it recommends detoxing by drinking salt water! How can you detox by drinking something toxic? Salt water induces vomiting.

The author lists symptoms of iodine deficiency, but they are common and can be due to many causes, as he admits. He tells how to test iodine levels, both at home and through medical laboratories. To his credit he condemns fluoridation of water and toothpaste. He blames thyroid cancers in French Polynesia on iodine-deficient soils, without a mention of the nuclear bomb tests that took place in that region.

Iodine supplements are not panaceas for everything that ails you and may not be safe. My parents had tincture of iodine in their medicine cabinet. It had a skull and crossbones on the label. Of course iodine is an essential trace mineral, no one disputes that, but it must be in an organic and bioavailable form. Organic means derived from living sources—plants or animals. Inorganic iodine is dangerous. Iodine in the dosages recommended by this book is ridiculous, and probably dangerous. Taking any mineral supplement in the absence of other minerals is dangerous. But this book implies that iodine supplementation is harmless when it states on page 20 that “It is nearly impossible for a human to get too much iodine.” I don’t believe it! Iodine is a trace element, not the staff of life.

I tried the iodine supplements recommended by this book but had a very bad reaction. I cannot prove a cause-and-effect connection, but after I stopped the iodine supplements I recovered. Be careful! A serving of seaweed once a week will provide all the iodine you need, and safely.… (plus d'informations)