Iodine Deficiency linked with Hypothyroidism and Heart Health

Iodine deficiency has increased nearly 4x in the past 40 years and according to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition 74% of Americans are deficient in iodine. Iodine deficiency can cause direct issues with the thyroid gland but can also severely effect ovarian, heart, and immune health as well. In fact, the ovaries hold the 2nd highest concentration of iodine in the body after the thyroid gland.

Iodine used to be used in bread products however due to national laws, bread companies have been required to use bromine instead of iodine in bread. Bromine is supposed to assist yeast in allowing bread to rise, however it is highly toxic to your body and can actually interfere with iodine absorption in the body and lead to thyroid issues. Iodine deficiency has been linked to a number of health conditions including hypothyroidism, goiter, atrial fibrillation of the heart, mercury toxicity of the heart leading to heart disease, insulin resistance associated with diabetes, prediabetics, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Traditional medicine often uses sythetic thyroid hormones that already have iodine bound to them to treat hypothyroidism. For treatment of atrial fibrillation, many doctors utilize the medication Amiodarone which is a toxic sustained release form of iodine that can stabilize the heartbeat after 1500mg of iodine has been released by the medication with dangerous long term effects with continued use.

According to Dr. Michael Donaldson, "Iodine stabilizes the heart rhythm, lowers serum cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, and is known to make the blood thinner as well, judging by longer clotting times seen by clinicians. Iodine is not only good for the cardiovascular system, it is vital." 

What are the symptoms of iodine deficiency?

Moderate to high deficiency: brittle nails and thinning hair, cold hands and feet, depression, difficulty swallowing, dry skin or hair loss, fatigue, hoarseness, lethargy, menstrual irregularities, poor memory or concentration, slower heartbeat, throat pain, or weight gain. Children can also exhibit signs of mental retardation, developmental delays, and even some complications of Down's Syndrome.

Severe deficiency: infertility, thyroid dysfunction, fibrocystic breast disease or breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, 

How can you be tested?

AlignLife offers a simple skin test to check for rapid iodine deficiency through the skin and also offers laboratory testing for hormone and thyroid imbalances and panels for heart, liver, and cholesterol dysfunction. If you'd like to setup a free consultation with Dr. Andrea Schnowske to find out if iodine is contributing or causing your health issues, call AlignLife today at 689-6200.

CoQ10 is Not Just for Heart Health

CoQ10 has long been known to help lower your risk of developing heart disease and protect against arterial disease as well. However new research has been exploring the many benefits of CoQ10 for hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetics, Parkinson's, and even fibromyalgia.

So what is CoQ10? Well its a naturally occurring nutrient that is responsible for producing our energy at a cellular level in our mitochondria (the cell's powerhouse for energy production) and is also responsible for reducing oxidation which is the main source of aging. Due to many dietary and genetic factors of Americans, our bodies don't have nearly enough CoQ10 because we don't eat enough in our diet and our bodies lose the ability to convert it to its usable form as we age. Recent research has shown that CoQ10 levels and conversion of ubiquinol to ubiquinone may begin to lower as early as your 20s! CoQ10 supplementation is usually supplied in ubiquinol form which must be converted to ubiquinone before being able to be used in the body, however since we lose this ability with age we need to make sure we are supplementing our diets with the usable ubiquinone formation. AlignLife has reformulated our CoQ10 supplement with the usable form of ubiquinone and will be releasing this product in the next few months.

What does it help with? CoQ10 has been shown to have a high protective effect against heart disease and has also been shown to help keep artery walls flexible. A recent study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Disease found that a combination supplementation of aged garlic extract and CoQ10 for a year showed a 4 fold protection against progression of coronary artery plaquing or atherosclerosis and also helped to lower C-reactive protein. Coronary artery plaquing is the main culprit responsible for heart attack and stroke while C-reactive protein is associated with systemic inflammation in many different diseases. Another study published in Nutrition this year found this same combination effective for artherosclerosis prevention and progression even in fire fighters with high occupational stress levels.

Another recent study looked a fibromyalgia patients and found that CoQ10 levels were lower than normal and could be responsible for mitrochondrial dysfunction. This August 2012 study was published in Nutrition and reported oral supplementation with CoQ10 showed benefits for reducing clinical symptoms of fibromyalgia, restoring mitochondrial function, decreasing oxidative stress, and increased energy production in the mitrochondria. The researchers suggested that CoQ10 supplementation could be an alternative therapy for fibromyalgia!

Parkinson's disease is associated with a progressive disorder of the brain that affects the deterioration and death of nerve cells and also decreased levels of dopamine, an essential neurotransmitter (brain hormone) that is responsible for controlling movement and gut function. Researchers have found protein clumps in the brain, brain stem, and the olfactory nerves of these patients and have been looking into oxidation as a culprit of the progression of this disease. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Neurologic Science found that CoQ10 deficiency was associated with significantly greater odds of developing Parkinson's Disease and should be explored as a potential marker for oxidative stress in patients suffering from this disease. Unfortunately not much research has been done on this interaction, however a review of current literature has  found that there was a small and significant improvement in Parkinson's patients with the use of CoQ10.

Glycemic control is an important factor for diabetics and those suffering from metabolic disorders such as Syndrome X and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). A 2012 study looking at the effects of CoQ10 supplementation has found that supplementation improves glycemic response by improving insulin secretion and there is NO adverse side effects!!

So how much should you take? Well this is a loaded question because depending on what you're using it for the research is suggesting numbers in a large range from 100mg -1200mg/day so I'd highly recommend talking to a doctor that is up to date on the research and would be able to make more personalized suggestions for prevention, protection, or alternative treatments for the above mentioned conditions. In food sources the highest levels of CoQ10 are found in fish, organ meats such as liver, kidney, and heart, and the germ of whole grains, however the content varies based on the diet of those food sources and the way those foods are prepared.

If you'd like schedule a nutritional consultation in the Peoria area to discuss recommendations for your specific needs or have further questions about CoQ10's role in your health, please feel free to call my office at 309-689-6200 to setup an appointment.