Atherosclerosis and Iodine Deficiency
By Ellen L. Davis
The story of atherosclerosis and iodine deficiency is an interesting one. It begins with how the cholesterol hypothesis came about.
The idea that atherosclerosis is caused by too much cholesterol in the diet began with a study of rabbits. In 1911, two Russian scientists fed rabbits a high cholesterol diet, and reported that upon examining the rabbits' arteries, they found severe arterial plaque had developed.
More interestingly, in 1933, researchers repeated these rabbit cholesterol experiments but decided to add different substances to see if they could prevent the atherosclerosis. They divided the rabbits into several groups:
All of the rabbits were fed a high cholesterol diet which resulted in the high blood levels of cholesterol. The control group of rabbits was only given the high cholesterol diet. Experimental group 1: the diet plus desiccated whole thyroid gland.Experimental group 2: the diet plus thyroxin or T4 (synthroid).Experimental group 3: the diet plus potassium iodide.Experimental groups 4 and 5: the diet plus potassium bromide and potassium chloride.
The results from each group were intriguing:
Control rabbits fed cholesterol developed marked aortic atherosclerosis.Rabbits fed the cholesterol-rich diet and thyroxine (T4) showed slight to moderate aortic atherosclerosis.Rabbits fed the cholesterol-rich diet and either desiccated thyroid or iodine had NO atherosclerotic lesions.In the group of rabbits given the potassium bromide or potassium chloride and the cholesterol, all of the rabbits exhibited marked atherosclerosis. In other words, the effectiveness of potassium iodide was not shared by potassium bromide or potassium chloride, so potassium was not the mitigating factor.
The study showed that the presence of whole thyroid or iodine resulted in a marked decline in the development of atherosclerosis.
Currently, coronary heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. The evidence from the study above may point to a lack of iodine in the American diet as a contributing factor in that mortality rate.
Today, in the United States and around the world, iodine deficiency is a growing problem. In 1970, only 2.6% of the US population was iodine deficient. By 2005, that number had jumped to 16.5%.
This is in part due to the Federal government and medical personnel advice to the American public to reduce salt consumption. Since iodized salt is one of the main sources of iodine in the Western diet, the effect has been to reduce iodine consumption as well.
Other causes of iodine deficiency are related to the reduction or removal of iodine in commercial bakery and dairy products in the late 60s and 70s.
In addition, bromine, which is toxic to humans, will interfere with iodine and replace it in the thyroid gland. The levels of bromide ingestion and exposure in the US have increased significantly in the past 30 years.
For example, bromine can be found in antibacterial agents, pesticides and fumigants, and these substances are found in 40% of our food supply. The EPA says that the amount of bromine in human breast milk has increased 10 fold in the last decade.
Ellen Davis researches nutrition and health issues and shares that information with other health conscious consumers. You can find more alternative information about nutrition and health at her website Healthy Eating Politics. The URL is http://www.healthy-eating-politics.com
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