Did you know that iosol iodine could keep your hands and feet warm this winter?

Iosol Iodine is a proprietary formulation of iodine that has been widely used for the past fifty years. I am often asked what is the difference between this iodine supplement and others, and many have asked me what is the source of the iodine used in Iosol.

Iosol Iodine is, in my opinion, the leading iodine supplement on the market today. This is due to the greater water solubility of iodine. This characteristic makes free iodide readily available for your body to use.

There are two sources of iodine in the Iosol formulation. One is seaweed. The iodine in seaweed is found naturally in the form of potassium iodide. However, potassium iodine is not very soluble in water and may be difficult for your body to use easily. For example, if liquid potassium iodide is stained on clothing, it produces a permanent red stain. If Iosol gets on your clothes, the red will evaporate in a few minutes or wash away easily. In fact, potassium iodide has been shown to congest the thyroid gland when taken in high doses, which is how Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (Japanese citizens consuming too many sea vegetables) was first discovered. This is why I do not use potassium iodide in any supplement that I produce. During the production of Iosol, iodine is extracted from seaweed and turned into pure iodine crystals. This is a free form of iodine, not potassium iodide.

The second form of iodine used is ammonium iodide, a form that dissolves easily in water. These two forms of iodine are proprietaryly combined in a vegetable glycerin base.

Ammonium iodide is a combination of the mineral iodine and ammonium (NH4). This is a synthesized compound, not derived from a food source. It has superior bioavailability as iodine readily dissociates from ammonium on exposure to water, producing a free iodide ion, exactly what your body would want to use in metabolism.

Some people think that ammonium (NH4) sounds like some kind of toxin, compared to potassium or sodium iodide. This is far from the case. Unlike ammonium, ammonia (NH3) is an irritating gas with a pungent odor. Anhydrous ammonia (meaning there is no water in the ammonia) is the third most synthesized chemical in the US, with a third used by the agricultural industry as fertilizer and animal feed. The ability to fix nitrogen in some type of compound is vital for the growth of plants and crops. Many household cleaning products use ammonia in the form of NH3 plus water.

Ammonium is a primary source of nitrogen for humans. It is involved in many cellular chemical reactions necessary for health. As dietary protein is metabolized, ammonia is produced. The liver converts any excess ammonia into urea, which is easily eliminated through the urea cycle. The amount of ammonium in Iosol can act as a nutrient in normal cellular metabolism or can be easily eliminated by the liver. The amount of ammonium in a dose of Iosol is trivial compared to the amount of ammonium produced in routine protein metabolism.

Ammonium toxicity in humans is caused by excessive protein intake or liver disease in which the urea cycle malfunctions. If you experience headaches or excessive irritability after a high-protein meal or while on a high-protein diet, you may have too much protein in your diet (resulting in too much ammonia).

The bottom line is that Iosol Iodine is a very safe and effective form of iodine to use as a dietary supplement. In my experience over the past twenty years it has routinely produced outstanding results.

What is the dose of Iosol?

The most commonly used dose of Iosol is 1 drop of the preparation in a few ounces of water, once a day. Each drop has 1.8 mg of iodine or 1200% of the daily value recommended by the government. If you want to get just 100% of the Daily Value, take 1 teaspoon of a mixture of 1 drop of Iosol in 2 ounces of water; however, most people like to take more than this.

An adequate amount of iodine tends to keep your head more awake during the day, helps maintain your energy level, and helps you warm up (if you’re cold).* Many people take 1 to 5 drops of Iosol per day, using enough to feel warmer and more energetic. While this can be taken all at once in the morning, some like to split the dose and take a bit in the afternoon as well.

Some people find that taking iodine every day really helps support metabolism. Others find they only need to take it once or twice a week. Regardless of the dose used or the frequency of the dose, the goal is to notice energetic support. And if you are too cold, another objective is to warm up. Iosol Iodine is one of the best nutrients for natural thyroid support.*

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.