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By Olive Pate


Iodine is an important building block that thyroid makes use of to produce the necessary hormones of metabolism. The processes of metabolism cannot take place without enough iodin in the body and the individual will suffer from hypothyroidism. The iodine skin test is one way of testing for deficiencies of iodine.

It theoretically measures how fast the iodin is absorbed into the body via the skin. It is not perfectly reliable because it does not give the levels of iodine concentration in the body as would a test carried out by the doctor. It just gives the speed of absorption. It cannot therefore used as a substitute to the usual laboratory tests.

The procedure of performing requires a tincture or a solution of iodin. It is usually orange in color. Smear a 3 by 3 inch square of your skin with the solution. The preferable sites include the inner forearm, inner thigh or the abdomen. Make sure it has dried off well before touching anything because it may stain it. The patch is monitored for the next twenty four hours for any changes in color.

What one should be keen about is the time taken for the spot to fade in color. If it is still present 24 hours after the painting, then the results are within the normal ranges but if disappearance takes place before 24 hours are over, then some deficiency is present. In addition, if significant lightening occurs within 18 hours, this is an indication of sever to moderate deficiency. Supplementation may have to be considered.

Several factors interact together to cause the color disappearance. Iodide is the component which results when iodin is reduced by the human skin. It is white and that is why the original color disappears. Evaporation is affected by the room temperatures and also the atmospheric pressure. Loading test is a better choice when reliability and validity of the results is desired.

Thyroid conditions may result to low iodin levels. The importance of the element is that is helps the gland to regulate heartbeats, maintain weight, stabilize cholesterol, balance hormones, enhance the growth of the muscles, keep regular menstrual cycles, provide energy and maintain positive perceptual attitude.

About two thirds of the iodin found in the human body is kept in thyroid gland. Taking seaweed vegetables is a sure way of boosting the iodine content in the body. One spoon a day of this is enough to regain the normal levels. Seafood of even fish can also help out. Other food types containing iodin are eggs and also dairy products. Goitrogens are foods which hinder utilization of iodin in the body. They are food like cabbage, kale, soy flour, peanuts, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips and kohlrabi.

Copper, zinc, iodine, selenium and tyrosine are the minerals needed to reactivate thyroid gland. Make sure to include foods rich in these nutrients in your nutrition. For those suffering from Hashimotos Thyroiditis, iodine supplementation should be avoided unless advised otherwise by your doctor.




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