The Pancreas, the Thyroid, and Iodine
Iodine has a direct and an indirect impact on pancreatic function.Iodine is one of the most important nutrient cures for cancer. It ranks up there with vitamin B17 / amygdalin as a medicine that can shrink tumors naturally throughout the body. One of the most serious forms of cancer is pancreatic cancer, a disease that is often fatal when treated by conventional medicine doctors because of the natural role that pancreatic enzymes play in preventing and killing cancer cells when they develop in the body. In healthy people who eat a moderate amount of meat and animal products, cancer cell development is stopped when excess pancreatic enzymes that are leftover after we digest our food circulate in the blood supply and kill the cell. Pancreatic enzymes are a frontline defense against the development of tumors from cancer cells. Dr. John Beard elaborated on this fact to develop pancreatic enzyme therapy as a cure for cancer in the early 1900s with noteworthy success. Click here to read more about pancreatic enzyme therapy as a cure for cancer.
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So we know that pancreatic cancer can be fatal, but now, we also know that pancreatic cancer is often fatal because pancreatic enzymes naturally prevent cancer. If the pancreas itself gets sick and becomes host to cancer, it’s harder for people to recover unless they administer pancreatic enzyme therapy as a part of the treatment. So you need to have a healthy pancreas in order to prevent cancer and also to treat cancer effectively, especially pancreatic cancer. Scientific studies have shown that diabetes and pancreatic cancer (both are pancreatic diseases) can be caused by iodine deficiency. The pancreas soaks up the molecular iodine found in Lugol’s iodine 2% and then uses this iodine to keep inflammation and free radical damage to a minimum inside pancreatic tissues.
Scientific studies have shown that supplementation with Lugol’s iodine or Iodoral prevents abnormal pancreatic alterations including:
- Inflammation of pancreatic tissues
- Hyperglycemia / abnormally high blood sugar
- Decreased beta-cells (which means a lower level of insulin production)
- Increased alpha-cells
- Increased development of fibrotic tissue
Iodine for the Thyroid Gland, Iodine for the Pancreas
Essentially, when you take Lugol’s iodine, your thyroid gland and reproductive organs soak it up and use this mineral for fuel and food. But the pancreas is another organ that also soaks up and uses iodine. As a vital mineral that the body uses to produce immune system components like leukocyte myeloperoxidases and immunoglobulin-G in lymphocytes, iodine prevents the pancreas from becoming infected with viruses or bacteria. And iodine, as an extremely powerful and effective antioxidant also prevents pancreatic tissues from breaking down due to the production of excessive amounts of free radicals.Additionally, the thyroid gland requires iodine. In order for the pancreas to function properly, the thyroid gland must also be functioning properly. So iodine is essential for pancreatic health both because of the role that iodine plays in thyroid health, but also because of the role that iodine plays in keeping the pancreas healthy and free of infection.
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The Thyroid and Pancreas Connection
The thyroid gland relies on iodine as its main source of food and fuel. We’ve talked about this in a variety of other discussions on the topic of iodine. But the pancreas relies on the thyroid gland and thyroid hormones to trigger certain pancreatic functions as well. The thyroid gland, after all, has an effect on all of the other endocrine glands including the pancreas. So while iodine does have a direct effect on pancreatic function, it also has an indirect effect on pancreatic function via the thyroid gland.One of the most important functions of the pancreas is to secrete insulin. This function is altered when a patient has diabetes. Scientists have noted that thyroid dysfunction and thyroid hormone imbalances lead to pancreatic dysfunction and problems related to insulin secretion. In other words, thyroid disease, pancreatic disease, and diabetes are all related problems that are both responsive to iodine supplementation.
Iodine levels in the body play a vital role in heart and cardiovascular system health, in part via its effects on the blood. In addition to its ability to stabilize heart rhythm, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol, iodine also thins the blood. But in terms of the pancreas, iodine also attaches to insulin receptors to improve glucose metabolism which can be incredibly beneficial for patients with diabetes. Indeed, iodine deficiency contributes to the development and maintenance of diabetes through its effects on insulin receptors along with its effect on thyroid and pancreatic function in general.
Thyroid hormones increase energy metabolism. And research has confirmed that there’s a link between autoimmunity (including diabetes), thyroid disease, and pancreatic disease. Autoimmune thyroid disease and autoimmune pancreatic lesions are related disease processes, for example. Recent studies have also shown that thyroid hormone levels change pancreatic cell development and they also play a role in diseases of the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin. The disease progression of both cancer and diabetes are thus affected by thyroid hormone levels in the pancreas. As such, iodine deficiency, which invariably causes imbalances in thyroid hormone levels, predictably also causes issues related to the pancreas including pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and digestive issues.
The Thyroid-Adrenal-Pancreas Axis
Adrenal fatigue is a diagnosis that is current en vogue for patients who are frequently fatigued and suffering from brain fog. But adrenal fatigue is extremely had to fix as an isolated health issue. Most of the time adrenal fatigue is actually not adrenal fatigue at all, but a nutritional imbalance that is affecting the thyroid gland, pancreas, and the adrenals.You see, thyroid hormones are built from two basic ingredients: iodine and L-tyrosine. L-tyrosine is an essential amino acid that is converted into thyroid hormone as well as dopamine. A deficiency of L-tyrosine will cause dopamine deficiencies which can lead to mood problems, difficulty concentrating, susceptibility to addiction, and adrenal fatigue. That’s because L-tyrosine is needed to produce L-dopa, the precursor to dopamine. And then dopamine is the precursor to both noradrenaline and adrenaline.
Pancreatic Health Problems Caused by or Negatively Affected by Iodine Deficiency
A number of diseases of the pancreas can take shape as a result of iodine deficiency and poor thyroid function. Diseases that have been cited in the scientific literature include:- Pancreatic cancer
- Pancreatic cysts
- Diabetes
- Pancreatitis
- Insulinitis
If your pancreas is diseased and not functioning properly, it is also important to note that your lungs may also be unable to function properly. Pancreatic enzymes have an important impact on the lungs. In particular, they prevent fibrotic tissue from developing in lung tissues. Additionally, a deficiency of pancreatic enzymes due to pancreatic disease can lead to poor digestion and poor nutrient absorption. In turn, this problem can lead to an array of different nutritional deficiencies that may masquerade as diseases like cancer, autoimmunity, and more.
Summary
Though iodine is extremely important for reproductive organs and the thyroid gland, these glandular structures impact the entire body by releasing hormones. The pancreas is affected directly by iodine deficiency, but it is also indirectly impacted by the thyroid hormones that can become imbalanced as a result of iodine deficiency.
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Resources:
• Rodriguez-Castelán, J. et al. (2022). Molecular Iodine Supplement Prevents Streptozotocin-Induced Pancreatic Alterations in Mic. Retrieved August 24, 2023 from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8840345/
• Chen, C. et al. (2018). The Roles of Thyroid and Thyroid Hormone in Pancreas: Physiology and Pathology. Retrieved August 24, 2023 from https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ije/2018/2861034/
• Aceves, C. et al. (2021). Molecular Iodine Has Extrathyroidal Effects as an Antioxidant, Differentiator, and Immunomodulator. Retrieved August 24, 2023 from https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/3/1228
• Hedberg, N. (2023). The Thyroid, Adrenal, Pancreas Axis. Retrieved August 24, 2023 from https://drhedberg.com/the-thyroid-adrenal-pancreas-axis/
• Sircus, M. (2010). Diabetes and Iodine. Retrieved August 26, 2023 from https://drsircus.com/cancer/iodine/
