TYROID – IODINE and AUTISM
A large study cited in The Annals of Neurology stated that pregnant women who didn’t make nearly enough thyroid hormone are nearly 4 times likelier to produce autistic children. Studies have shown that optimum thyroid function is crucial to the migration of fetal brain cells during embryo development.
“It is increasingly apparent to us that autism is caused by environmental factors in most cases, not by genetics” says lead author Dr. G. Roman, M.D., a neurologist and neuroepidimeologist.
The most common cause of thyroid hormone deficiency is a lack of dietary IODINE; both thyroid hormones T3 and T4 contain this element. Iodine deficiency is common throughout the world, including developed countries. The World Health Organization estimates nearly 1 in 3 people are affected globally. A 2005 CDC-University of Kansas study estimates that in th4 U.S. where it was thought that iodine deficiency had been eradicated tanks to iodized salt, 1 in 7 Americans is believed deficient. (Many doctors and scientists feel that iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism is well above the 1 in 7 government/university estimation.)
Dr. Roman advises women who are planning to become pregnant to measure urine iodine and thyroid function beforehand. If a woman has just become pregnant he recommends supplementing with a multi-vitamin/mineral and adding iodine if necessary. A lack of dietary iodine interferes with normal thyroid function, leading to pregnancy complications; as well as deafness, developmental delays, loss of control of fat and sugar metabolism and heat generation in the mother.
It is well established that expecting mothers’ poor thyroid function (whether caused by poor diet, disease or genetics) can lead to serious problems with fetal brain development, but in the past 10 years or so hypothyroidism has been implicated as a possible cause of autistic spectrum disorder.
I have written extensively in a[i]series of articles (published in The Front Page) on this topic. It is rare that we ingest an adequate amount of iodine through our food supply. Though most minerals are obtained from the earth and then transmitted to our foods, iodine primarily comes from the oceans. If iodine is present in the soil near the oceans ( through evaporation) then our food supply i.e.: fruits and vegetables) would have iodine in them. Because our foods are grown on soil that is chemically fertilized and chemically sprayed our foods have from 60 to 90% less minerals than today’s organic foods or the foods our grandparents ate. Based on urine testing of over 5000 Americans it is clear that we are overwhelmingly deficient in iodine. Not only is iodine found concentrated in the thyroid but in the ovaries, breast and cerebrospinal fluid, as well. We need milligrams (mg) of iodine daily not micrograms(mcg) as is found f in most thyroid supplements. What is known as Lugol’s solution in the scientific and medical world is a combination of iodine and iodide in a balanced ratio. This product is available in a pill or capsule form through my office. Whether through a urine load test or kineseolgy muscle test I determine the correct dosage for each individual. I take 25 mg daily as well as does dozens of my patients. The results are gratifying; more energy, weight loss, and as per this article and Dr. Roman’ research prevention of autism in our children.