fw: ONE MINERAL CAN HELP A MYRIAD OF CONDITIONS FROM ATHEROSCLEROSIS TO COPDTO ZITS

[Guest guest]

For those interested in using iodine for health, I found the following

article very useful. I was not aware of some of the benefits

mentioned here, nor some of the means one can apply it.

 

- John

 

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from: http://www.tahoma-clinic.com/iodide.shtml

 

ONE MINERAL CAN HELP A MYRIAD OF CONDITIONS FROM

ATHEROSCLEROSIS TO " COPD " TO ZITS

 

(Reprinted From " Nutrition and Healing " )

 

If you've read or heard anything at all about potassium

iodide, it's probably been in association with terrorist

attacks or nuclear power plant disasters. Potassium iodide

(usually taken in tablet form) is recommended by " public

health " authorities to protect the thyroid gland against

accumulation of radioactive iodine released by a " terrorist

bomb " or by nuclear power plant " meltdown " . But in reality,

potassium iodide is a very effective " home remedy " with

literally dozens of uses.

 

Older readers may remember Mother putting " iodine " on cuts

and scrapes. It kept infection away as well as any " modern "

antibiotic ointment, with the added benefit of not inducing

" bacterial resistance " . But what else is potassium iodide

(usually abbreviated by it's Latin initials " SSKI " ) good

for? Read on…and then make sure to read the separate section

about keeping SSKI use safe.

 

Some years ago, a retired Indian physician told me about his

use of SSKI during more than 30 years traveling from village

to village in rural Africa. Most usually, the only drinking

water available was from a local stream or river, muddy and

contaminated. After removing sediment and debris by

straining the dirty water through cheesecloth, he'd add

several drops of SSKI, and wait two to three minutes. He and

his team could then drink the water. In over 30 years, he

never got an infection from contaminated water. The SSKI

killed any micro-organisms present.

 

Fortunately, the water available to most of us when

traveling is considerably cleaner. Despite this, when Holly

(my wife) and I travel, we always carry a small bottle of

SSKI, and put one or two drops into any water we're not

absolutely certain about. We've cut back considerably on

airline travel this year because of the thoroughly

un-American and extremely unpleasant " airport Gestapo "

experience. But when we're forced to travel by air, we drink

a few ounces of water with 10 drops of SSKI, and prevent any

" airline sinusitis " or other respiratory infection that so

often follows several hours spent breathing re-cycled, germ

laden air. (SSKI rapidly accumulates in any and all body

secretions, including in the sinuses, where it inhibits or

kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi before they can cause an

infection.)

 

Although Holly has never had the experience, occasionally

another woman at one of the conferences we attend has

developed a bladder infection when far away from home and

her own physician. Holly gives her our " back-up " small

bottle of SSKI with instructions to take 10 to 15 drops in

water or juice every 3 to 4 hours (while awake) until the

infection is gone.

 

[Although SSKI is close to 100% effective in the elimination

of bladder infections, this is a " high dose " ; make sure to

read the section " Keeping SSKI safe " . If possible, it's best

to use the simple sugar D-mannose to eliminate bladder

infections. D-mannose is effective over 90% of the time, and

is very, very safe. For details, see D-mannose and Bladder

Infection by Lane Lenard Ph.D. and me, available through the

Tahoma Clinic Dispensary.]

 

When our children were teenagers, they always knew where to

find the SSKI bottle. Whenever one of them " popped a zit " ,

she or he would rub SSKI into it every hour or two. The

offending " zit " would be gone in 24-48 hours or less; an

innumerable number of social events were rendered " zit-free "

by this approach.

 

So far, I've been telling you about SSKI's ability to " kill

germs " in one place or another. We'll return to this

important " home remedy " use for SSKI, but let's digress for

now to other uses.

 

Many women develop " fibrocystic breast disease " . In the

1970s, I learned from pioneering trace element researcher

Dr. John Myers that iodine (a close " relative " of SSKI)

would eliminate even the most severe cases of fibrocystic

breast disease. [For the full details of this treatment, see

pages 169-174 of The Patient's Book of Natural Healing by

Alan Gaby M.D. and me.] In " medium " to " minor " cases, 6 to 8

drops of SSKI taken in a few ounces of water daily will

frequently reduce fibrocystic breast disease to

insignificance within three to six months. Please do not do

this without monitoring your thyroid function…see " Keeping

SSKI Safe " on page whatever.

 

One of our daughters and at least thirty other women I've

worked with in nearly 30 years have helped ovarian cysts

disappear within two to three months with the same quantity

of SSKI. Again, make sure to monitor your thyroid function!

 

It's very likely that SSKI helps eliminate fibrocystic

breast disease and ovarian cysts at least partly through

it's interaction with estrogens….which brings us to another

important use for SSKI (and other forms of iodine such as

" Lugol's solution " and " di-atomic iodine " ). All of these

forms of iodine help your body to metabolize estrone (a

slightly carcinogenic human estrogen) and

16-alpha-hydroxyestrone (a much more dangerous metabolite of

human estrogen) into estriol, an " anti-carcinogenic " or at

worst " neutral " form of human estrogen. I've reviewed

literally hundreds of hormone tests in over 26 years which

have proven this point. This testing and treatment usually

requires the help of a physician skilled and knowledgeable

in nutritional and natural medicine, who can also help with

monitoring thyroid function. (See " Resources " , page 8).

 

" Dupuytren's contracture " and " Peyronie's disease " are two

" fibrotic " conditions that can be helped considerably by

SSKI. In Dupuytren's contracture, thickening (fibrosis)

occurs along one of the tendons in the palm in the hand,

pulling the related finger down towards the palm. As the

problem progresses, the finger often can't be straightened

any more.

 

In Peyronie's disease, a very similar thickening occurs

along the shaft of the penis, making erections increasing

" curved " and painful. In both cases, rubbing SSKI into the

thickened tissue at least twice daily softens and lessens

the fibrotic area over a period of several months, allowing

for more normal function.

 

For these conditions, it's additionally helpful to take

para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) 2 grams, three times daily,

and to rub a mixture of Vitamin E and DMSO into the

thickened areas, also. However, if " caught early " , SSKI

alone will often " do the job " . (It's also advisable to have

glucose-insulin tolerance test done, as there's an unusually

high incidence of " insulin resistance " in people with

Dupuytren's contracture or Peyronie's disease.

 

" Keloids " are abnormally thick scars, sometimes as much as

an inch thick, that can form after injury. Although anyone

can get a keloid, they're more common among blacks than

other ethnic groups. Rubbing SSKI into a keloid at least

twice daily will ultimately flatten them down to a " normal

scar " , but it can take many months to a year for

particularly bad ones. The treatment goes faster if SSKI is

mixed " 50-50 " with DMSO.

 

" Fistulas " are literally abnormal tunnels through tissues,

" tunnels " prevented from healing by chronic infection. Two

not-unusual types are " peri-anal fistulas " (a " tunnel " from

outside the anus to the inside of the rectum) and

" recto-vaginal " fistulas. Although these fistulas can be

treated successfully by surgery, they can often be healed by

frequent swabbing inside and out with an SSKI-soaked

" Q-tip " . Patience is required: Complete healing often takes

several months. The treatment appears to work better if the

SSKI is mixed with DMSO, which enhances " penetrance " . My

colleague Richard Kunin, M.D. of San Francisco, is a " world

class " expert on the use of SSKI and other forms of iodine.

He has found that hemorrhoids will sometimes disappear

literally overnight, when SSKI (20 drops) mixed with

flaxseed oil (1 ounce) is rubbed in them at bedtime. He's

also found that SSKI alone will do the same job, although it

" really stings " when applied to a hemorrhoid by itself.

 

When I was a pre-med student at Harvard University, the

famous chemistry professor Louis Feiser made a point of

demonstrating to all the pre-medical students that iodine

and iodide would make oils, fats, and waxes (cholesterol is

actually a wax) more soluble in water. He urged us to

remember this in our medical practices, as he was sure it

wouldn't be taught in medical school (he was right!). This

known action of iodide likely explains why SSKI can be

useful in the next two applications.

 

Over 30 years ago, two ophthalmologists observed that a

combination tablet called " Iodo-niacin " (iodide 120

milligrams, niacin 15 milligrams) taken for several months

could actually reverse atherosclerotic clogging of arteries.

They proved this effect by taking pictures of clogged

arteries in the backs of the eyes ( " retinal

photomicrographs " ) before and after treatment. The published

photographs showed a significant lessening of the

cholesterol-laden artery clogging in the " after " pictures.

 

Amazingly enough, no follow-up study has ever been published

(probably because niacin and iodide aren't patentable).

Despite this, the published pictures speak clearly for

themselves. I recommend 4 to 6 drops of SSKI and

niacin-containing B-complex daily (along with many other

things) for anyone with significant cholesterol-related

atherosclerotic clogging. Thyroid function must be

monitored!

 

" Sebaceous cysts " are cysts which contain oily, fatty

material. They usually appear rather suddenly on the face or

in the groin or labia. Rubbing in SSKI mixed 50-50 with DMSO

will almost always persuade these cysts to go away in a week

or two; it appears that the iodide " dissolves " the fatty,

oily material contained in the cysts, allowing your body to

slowly re-absorb and dispose of it.

 

Although it's not a common condition, from time to time

someone will come to my office at Tahoma Clinic inquiring

about alternatives to surgery for " parotid duct stone " .

These are " stones " which can form in the saliva-carrying

duct(s) from the major salivary glands ( " parotid " glands,

located at the " angle of the jaw " ). 3 to 4 drops of SSKI

taken in water daily will almost always dissolve parotid

duct stones within four to eight months.

 

If you have chronic bronchitis and or emphysema ( " COPD " ,

" COLD " ) SSKI is an invaluable tool. SSKI " gets into " all

body secretions, including often thick and hard to cough up

bronchial secretions, which get infected very easily. SSKI

takes care of both of these problems. It " loosens "

secretions remarkably, making them much easier to " clear " ,

and it prevents micro-organisms from growing easily. With

regular SSKI use, bronchial infection is a much less

frequent happening. Depending on the severity of COPD, I

recommend 3 to 6 drops of SSKI taken in water once daily. As

COPD is usually a chronic condition, SSKI use will usually

be indefinite, so make sure to monitor your thyroid

function! (See the August 2002 Nutrition & Healing for a

more complete discussion of natural COPD treatment.)

 

Now, back to other infections. For this group, using SSKI

mixed " 50-50 " with DMSO works better, as the DMSO enables

SSKI to penetrate much more deeply into the tissues and kill

germs.

 

Infected " hangnails " are perhaps the easiest to clear up

this way, as are nagging bacterial infections around the

edges of the toenails. Rub in the mixture several times

daily, and the problem's usually gone in a few days. Herpes

simplex ( " herpes " ) ourbreaks can be " stopped cold " in the

same way, but it often takes longer for the " sore " to heal

itself over.

 

If you have persistent " swollen glands " in the throat or

groin areas, see a doctor first! These can very rarely be

signs of leukemia, lymphoma, or another cancer, especially

in older people. But if all tests and studies are negative,

and the doctor says " it's just swollen glands " , rub in the

SSKI with DMSO. In a large majority of cases, the " just

swollen glands " will gradually fade away.

 

Fungus under the toenails ( " onychomycosis " ) is a difficult

problem to treat. Even " conventional " anti-fungal drug

treatment takes months to work, and (for safety) monthly

liver function tests are necessary. SSKI and DMSO rubbed on,

around, and under the affected toenails doesn't work any

faster, but it's just as effective, and definitely safer.

Make sure to wear old socks, because SSKI and other forms of

iodine leave an orange-brown stain. (Other safe and

effective alternatives include geranium oil, oregano oil,

and tea tree oil. These and other anti-fungal oils also

require " help " from DMSO to penetrate the toenail and soak

the fungus underneath.)

 

SSKI can also help clear up vaginal infections. 20 to 30

drops in water, used in a small " douche " once daily for five

to ten days will usually do the job. (There's actually a

prescription-only iodine preparation of available for

vaginal infections, too.) However, iodine preparations of

any sort for vaginal infections are often not popular

because of the inevitable orange-brown stains they leave on

clothing.

 

What about SSKI to help a " weak " thyroid (hypothyroidism)?

Even though iodine and iodide are absolutely essential to

thyroid hormone formation, in most " developed " countries,

hypothyroid conditions are not usually due to an outright

lack of iodine or iodide. Still, hypothyroidism is

occasionally helped by 1 drop of SSKI daily. Make sure to

work with your doctor on this one!

 

Lastly, there's a gastronomic use for SSKI: reducing the gas

we all get from eating beans! If you're soaking beans before

cooking them, add 1 or 2 drops of SSKI, and let them soak

for an hour or more. (Pour offf that water before cooking,

and add fresh water.) You'll be surprised at the reduction

in resulting intestinal gas! (For those who want a technical

explanation: There's a naturally occurring enzyme inhibitor

in beans which interferes with starch digestion, producing

gas. SSKI inactivates this enzyme inhibitor.)

 

OBTAINING SSKI

 

In the past, SSKI and other forms of iodine and iodide were

available only on prescription, or through chemical supply

sources. Since the mid-1990s passage of the Federal DSHEA

law, we've regained the basic American freedom to buy and

sell natural substances (narcotics exempted) without

prescription. You haven't read or heard much about SSKI

because (despite Federal Appeals Court decisions) FDA still

maintains it's First Amendment violating policy of complete

suppression of truthful product use information on package

labels or in advertisements….unless of course FDA is paid an

enormous amount of money ($250 million minimum, according to

Congressional testimony) for " approval " . Since SSKI can't be

patented…well, you know the rest.

 

SSKI can be obtained without prescription in some

compounding pharmacies, some health food stores, through

" on-line " sources, and at the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary (with

which I am of course affiliated) in a convenient travel-size

dropper bottle.

 

USE SSKI SAFELY!!

 

There are three " hazards " to using SSKI: staining, allergy,

and a very small possibility of thyroid suppression with

longer-term use of " too much " .

 

Staining can be a big nuisance, but it's not a health

hazard. When SSKI is applied to skin, it can impart a faint

to moderate orange-brown color, which fades away once SSKI

is no longer being applied. SSKI and other iodine stains in

clothing can be semi-permanent or permanent, so don't plan

to wear anything " nice " in the vicinity of recently-applied

SSKI.

 

Iodine allergy is a possibility, although in nearly 30 years

of medical practice I've seen it only a few times. Usually,

it causes a red, bumpy skin rash, which goes away after SSKI

or other iodine is discontinued. Topical (applied to the

skin surface) iodine allergy is almost never a serious

emergency.

 

SSKI or iodine can very occasionally cause acne, which also

goes away once the source of iodine is dicontinued.

 

The type of so-called " iodine allergy " that can interfere

with breathing and occasionally sends us to the emergency

room is usually not allergy to iodine or iodine molecules,

but instead to much larger, possibly iodine-containing

molecules found in lobster, crab, clams and other

" shellfish " . These molecules are not present in SSKI or

iodine. However, if there's any suspicion at all of iodine

allergy, it's best not to swallow any without testing for

allergy or sensitivity.

 

Too much iodine for too long can suppress thyroid function.

Many of the uses described for SSKI in the accompanying

article are short-term, from a few days or less to a week or

two. If SSKI is then stopped, there's almost no chance of

significant thyroid suppression. However, if SSKI is to be

used for two to three weeks or longer, and especially if

it's to be used continuously (for example, COPD or

cholesterol-related atherosclerosis) monitoring thyroid

function is very important. To find a physician near you who

can help order and interpret thyroid function tests, consult

the Resources section on page 8.

 

Fortunately, in my experience with over a thousand

individuals, internal use of than nine drops of SSKI daily

has or less has very rarely resulted in thyroid suppression.

On those very few occasions, discontinuance has resulted in

prompt recovery. So far, I've never seen thyroid suppression

result from " topical " (skin surface) use of SSKI.

 

A final " safety " note: Dr. Kunin cautions (and I agree) that

if you use SSKI or other iodine " long-term " , make sure your

diet contains plenty of essential fatty acids (both omega-3

and omega-6) as well as the sulfur-containing amino acids

methionine and cysteine. If you eat animal protein daily,

that's usually sufficient as a source of these two amino

acids, but if you're vegetarian (or close) and using " long

term " SSKI or other iodine, then take 300-500 milligrams of

each daily.

 

IODINE, IODIDE, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

 

Iodine is a basic element, as are calcium, zinc, oxygen and

other elements. The word " iodine " usually refers to two

iodine molecules chemically " stuck together " (I2), just as

the word " oxygen " usually refers to two oxygen molecules

" stuck together " (O2). Since iodine is more reactive, and

therefore more likely to cause problems, iodine is usually

used as " iodide " , a word which refers to one iodine molecule

combined with another molecule such as potassium (KI) or

sodium (NaI). In chemical terms, such molecules are called

" salts " ; the best known salt is sodium chloride (NaCl), a

" salt " of chlorine (Cl2).

 

The " SS " in " SSKI " refers to " Saturated Solution Potassium

Iodide " . Other medically useful forms of iodine include

" Lugol's solution " , invented by Dr. Lugol of Paris in the

1840s, which contains a mixture of types of iodine and

iodide, and " di-atomic iodine " , which is another name for

iodine, but usually prepared as a solid in a capsule instead

of a liquid.