Iodine deficiency ! - falling intakes - goitregens - competition bromine and fluorine

[R.B.]

Nitrates

Another suggestion that I had seen was that nitrate was a 'goitrogen' (used here and elsewhere in the loose sense that it affects thyroid function by inhibiting iodine metabolism in some way).

It appears they are likely goitrogens - and of particular significance in part because they are found in drinking water and so effect large parts of the population.

Logically the effect will be additive or maybe multiply goitrogenic effects of chlorination and fluoridation of water.

Nitrates are also used as food preservatives.

Not to forget organochlorines, and how little we know about the downstream effect of disinfecting foods with chlorine based products, (all those bagged salads, packaged veg fruit etc)

Then we have new foods such as soy products . . . to add to the foods we have long eaten which are goitrogens.

In moderation none of which individually would probably for most be a problem of significance for those with adequate iodine intake, but combined . . .

Disease by a thousand cuts it appears!

Our best intentioned additions to water and foods in our war against bacteria (which does not differentiate between friend and foe) may have tipped the balance all of which argues for a likely greater need of iodine; increased iodine may not be optimal but is surely better than all of the downstream possible consequences of deficiency.



Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2005 Jul-Sep;49(3):284-8.
Evaluation of possible goitrogenic and anti-thyroidal effect of nitrate, a potential environmental pollutant.
Mukhopadhyay S, Ghosh D, Chatterjee A, Sinha S, Tripathy S, Chandra AK.
Source

Endocrinology and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology, University of Calcutta, University College of Science and Technology, Kolkata.

"The overall results indicated the development of a relative state of functional hypothyroidism with enlarged thyroid after nitrate exposure. This study can explain a part for the persistence of residual goitre in the post-salt iodization phase."

Nitrate intake and the risk of thyroid cancer and thyroid disease.
Ward MH, Kilfoy BA, Weyer PJ, Anderson KE, Folsom AR, Cerhan JR.
Source

Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, Department of Health and Human Services, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA. wardm@mail.nih.gov

BACKGROUND:

Nitrate is a contaminant of drinking water in agricultural areas and is found at high levels in some vegetables. Nitrate competes with uptake of iodide by the thyroid, thus potentially affecting thyroid function.


Increased thyroid volume and frequency of thyroid disorders signs in schoolchildren from nitrate polluted area.
Tajtáková M, Semanová Z, Tomková Z, Szökeová E, Majoros J, Rádiková Z, Seböková E, Klimes I, Langer P.
Source

Clinic of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, P.J. Safárik University, Trieda SNP 1, 040 66 Kosice, Slovakia.

It was concluded that long-term exposure to high nitrate intake by drinking water and home made meals from local products results in increased thyroid volume and increased frequency of signs of subclinical thyroid disorders (thyroid hypoechogenicity by ultrasound, increased TSH level and positive anti-TPO).


Comments on California’s Draft Public Health Goal for Perchlorate
February 23, 2011

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...AZ-E-vVD_oV2XA

My comments address a failure to account for ubiquitous exposure to
nitrate and thiocyanate, which have the same biological mode of action as
perchlorate, in setting the PHG. Potential perchlorate risks are unlikely to be
distinguishable from the ubiquitous background of other naturally occurring
substances present at much higher exposures that can affect the thyroid via the same biological mode of action as perchlorate, especially nitrate.

[R.B.]

There are references to some extremely thought provoking papers on the impact of fluoride in this site called fluoride alert.

Given the potential risks of the combination of increased fluoride intake and low iodine, and the growing apparent list of negative health effects of fluoride especially were iodine is low, including on the most fundamental human health issues such as early development and IQ, versus the only claimed upside possible of lowering of carries in the young (maybe at the expense of more brittle bones ? ? ? etc), I increasingly believe on a risk reward basis that the decision to fluoridate water should now be revisited.

http://fluoridealert.org/studies/thyroid01/

Abstract (I recommend you visit the site and particularly the above section; you too may want to have a silent scream)

"Fluoride Exposure Aggravates the Impact of Iodine Deficiency

A consistent body of animal and human research shows that fluoride exposure worsens the impact of an iodine deficiency. Iodine is the basic building block of the T3 and T4 hormones and thus an adequate iodine intake is essential for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. When iodine intake is inadequate during infancy and early childhood, the child’s brain can suffer permanent damage, including mental retardation.
Fluoride, Low Iodine, & IQ — Human Studies

In China, researchers have repeatedly found that an iodine deficiency coupled with fluoride exposure produces a significantly more damaging effect on neurological development than iodine deficiency alone. In the first study to investigate the issue, Ren reported that:

“From the results it is evident that disrupted child intellectual development is among the effects on the human body from a harmful environment containing both high fluoride and low iodine, and this disruption is clearly much more serious than the effects of iodine deficiency alone.”
SOURCE: Ren D, et al. (1989). A study of the intellectual ability of 8-14 year-old children in high fluoride, low iodine areas. Chinese Journal of Control of Endemic Diseases 4(4):251 (republished in Fluoride 2008; 41:319-20). [See study]

Since Ren’s study, other research teams have reported the same result. In 1991, a UNICEF-funded study concluded that fluoride levels of just 0.9 ppm (less than the level added to many water supplies for fluoridation) were sufficient to worsen the effects of iodine deficiency. The authors found that, when compared to children with iodine deficiency in a low-fluoride area, the children with iodine deficiency in the 0.9 ppm area had increased TSH levels, reduced T3, reduced intelligence, retarded bone development, and reduced hearing. According to the authors:

“Statistically significant differences existed between these areas, suggesting that a low iodine intake coupled with high fluoride intake exacerbates the central nervous lesions and the somatic developmental disturbance of iodine deficiency.”
SOURCE: Lin Fa-Fu; et al (1991). The relationship of a low-iodine and high-fluoride environment to subclinical cretinism in Xinjiang. Endemic Disease Bulletin 6(2):62-67 (republished in Iodine Deficiency Disorder Newsletter Vol. 7(3):24-25). [See study]" . . . MORE

[R.B.]

Another I want to scream (but only do so quietly to myself) or bash my head on the desk moment (which I do not do because it hurts); prompted by a reference to fluoride from coal combustion on the Fluoride Alert web site (see above). Why is somebody not looking in depth at our total fluoride / goitrogen exposure; if this is an issue in China should it not be under active consideration in the western world. If governments were looking at it surely all of these iodine blocking factors would be brought together in one place for assessment and reported on; I have not seen any suggestion that they are. To the contrary those who are better placed than me to know suggest no agency is looking at intake overall; see video link below.

Where we are going to get affordable energy from is a whole other issue; logically finding ways to use less might be a good start.

I wondered how much of an issue is fluoride emission from coal combustion, and was this only something particular to Chinese coal or a more global issue.

Depressingly it appears one way or another humans do absorb significant amounts of airborne fluoride. For those who feel China is a long way a way, it appears the reality is US (and so likely all) coal power plants emit significant amounts of fluoride (or at least did; I need to check if air scrubbing technology has improved ?).

So even those for whatever reason who have chosen to avoid fluoridated water and toothpaste may still be getting a daily dose of fluoride - OK the amount will depend on where you live etc etc! and maybe airborne fluoride alone may? not be an issue but we are back to disease by a thousand cuts and the as yet unassessed in full cumulative effects of fluoridation of water toothpaste, use of fluorine based products in the food chain, chlorination of water, nitrates, perchlorate etc etc etc.

The extent to which higher iodine intake will counter balance a higher fluoride intake is not clear, but the ever growing list of sources of 'goitrogens' including fluoride (water, air and food), chlorination (water and food), nitrates (water and food), toothpaste + perchlorate etc would add to the weight of argument for reexamining how much iodine we need and how to incorporate it into the diet (or even maybe by supplementation).



Fluoride from coal burning emission.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...55123115,d.Yms


RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TOTAL FLUORIDE INTAKE
AND DENTAL FLUOROSIS IN AREAS POLLUTED
BY AIRBORNE FLUORIDE

In fluorosis resulting from consumption of high fluoride (F) levels in drinking water, F enters the human body through the digestive tract. But, in fluorosis induced by airborne F, F enters the human body through both the respiratory and digestive tracts. The latter clearly involves contamination of both water and food by airborne F. The total fluoride intake of a patient with air-pollution-type fluorosis is, thus, the sum of fluoride intake through the respiratory and the digestive tracts.





http://208.109.172.241/f-powerplants.htm



Electric Power Research Institute - Hydrogen Fluoride.

Hydrogen fluoride from power plants is about 84% of all the hydrogen fluoride from human activities released into the air each year in the United States. Almost all hydrogen fluoride from power plants comes from burning coal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that U.S. power plants burning coal released about 32,100 tons of hydrogen fluoride into the air in 1994.

Fluoride Pollution from Coal Burning in China Compilation of recent studies, 1990-2001

Recently a huge amount of fluoride in coal has been released into indoor environments by the combustion of coal and fluoride pollution seems to be increasing in some rural areas in China...Since airborne fluoride from the combustion of coal pollutes extensively both the living environment and food, it is necessary to reduce fluoride pollution caused by coal burning. ("Health effects of fluoride pollution caused by coal burning." Sci Total Environ 2001 Apr 23;271(1-3):107-16

[R.B.]

Video clip from Fluoride Alert for those who prefer listening to reading.

Thought provoking stuff from a toxicologist.

http://fluoridealert.org/fan-tv/vyvyan-howard/


And a video about our increasing intake . . . (apparently pesticides are a significant source - I have not checked this out - yet)


http://fluoridealert.org/fan-tv/how-...-we-ingesting/