Iodine,
Metabolism and Oxygen
Published on July 14, 2017 / Dr. Mark
Sircus
http://drsircus.com/iodine/iodine-metabolism-oxygen/?utm_source
Though doctors and people do not
normally associate iodine with oxygen, we have to see that iodine-carrying
thyroid hormones are essential for oxygen-based metabolism. First increases of
iodine and thyroid hormones increase red blood cell mass and increase the
oxygen disassociation from hemoglobin.[1] Thyroid hormones have a significant influence on erythropoiesis, which is the process that produces
red blood cells (erythrocytes).
The most common thyroid dysfunctions,
hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism affect blood cells and cause anemia with different
severity. Thyroid dysfunction and iodine deficiency induces other effects on
blood cells such as erythrocytosis, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and in rare
cases causes’ pancytopenia. It also alter RBC indices include MCV, MCH, MCHC
and RDW.
Thyroid hormone increase oxygen
consumption, increase mitochondrial size, number and key mitochondrial enzymes.
Meaning iodine increases plasma membrane Na-K ATPase activity, increases futile
thermogenic energy cycles and decreases superoxide dismutase activity.
Mitochondria, by virtue of their
biochemical functions, are a natural candidate as a direct target for the
calorigenic effects of thyroid hormones. Going further, we can see that
mitochondria are highly dependent on thyroid hormones (thus iodine) for their
very existence. Thyroid hormones are like the “signal” to make more
mitochondria. Thyroid hormone (T3) has a profound effect on mitochondrial
biogenesis; without T3, there will be less or no mitochondria. On the other
hand, if mitochondria are damaged or depleted due to some reason other than too
little T3, then existing T3 has “nothing to act on.” You can have all the T3 in
the world, but without mitochondria, there will not be any energy. Again, you
can see the circular downward spiral of both host cell and mitochondria that
can occur if either 1) too little or no T3 exists, or 2) too little or no
mitochondria exist.
Summing it up we see that the total
number of mitochondria in cells, and thus the total number of rechargeable
ATP/ADP batteries, is dictated by the amount of functional thyroid hormone
present in cells. If normal levels of thyroid hormone are reduced, the body
develops hypothyroidism and the number of mitochondria in individual’s cells is
restricted. Hypothyroidism is a very common condition that is implicated in
what is called metabolic syndrome (formerly known as syndrome X).
What is the basic cause of
hypothyroidism? Iodine deficiency! Without iodine, the thyroid gland is unable
to produce sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone. This leaves cells unable to
function normally. In response, the body develops hypothyroidism.
Metabolism
Metabolismis defined as “taking food
and converting it to energy”. Our bodies need oxygen on a moment to moment
basis and the higher the metabolism the more oxygen is needed. Cells will begin
to rapidly deteriorate without adequate supply of oxygen or when metabolism,
due to iodine deficiencies go south. Efficiency of oxygen conversion into
cellular energy is a key to the use of its energy; therefore, oxygen has in
effect its own metabolism. The body’s requirement for oxygen makes oxygen the
most important nutrient needed by the body.
Nutrients that are commonly used by
animal and plant cells in respiration include sugar, amino acids and fatty
acids, and the most common oxidizing agent (electron acceptor) is molecular
oxygen (O2). Note that the amount of energy produced for the four types of food
is roughly proportional to the amount of oxygen use, so that the metabolic rate
can be measured by measuring the rate of oxygen consumption. Almost every
process in the body that uses energy gets it from ATP, and in the process converts
it to ADP.
The thyroid gland is like a building
thermostat sending a message to a furnace to produce heat. Unlike a thermostat,
the thyroid does not send its message to a single furnace, but, instead, sends
the message to zillions of mitochondria via the chemical thyroxin that they
should burn more fuel to create more biochemical energy.
In order for the thyroid to send this
“make more energy” message, the body needs ample amounts of iodine. There must
be four atoms of iodine in each molecule of thyroxin (T4), the chemical that
transmits the message to the mitochondria. Unfortunately, many people are
deficient in iodine (because it is not in their food) with the result that the
“make more energy” command is not communicated from the thyroid to the mitochondria.
The consequence of this is low energy, low production of endorphins, and fat
gain (because food energy is not converted to energy, but is instead stored as
fat).
Oxygen levels are sensitive to a
myriad of influences. Toxicity, emotional stress, physical trauma, infections,
reduction of atmospheric oxygen, nutritional status, lack of exercise and
especially improper breathing will affect the oxygen levels in our bodies. Now
we have to see how important iodine and thyroid hormones are in this process as
well.
Crucial
Iodine
We can begin to see how iodine is
important in cancer treatment, not only because it provokes cell apoptosis and
kills viruses, bacteria and fungus on contact (infections cause as much as 40
percent of cancers) but also because iodine is crucial in metabolism and oxygen
deliver to the cells. Any element that threatens the oxygen carrying capacity
of the human body will promote cancer growth. Likewise, any therapy that
improves the oxygen function can be expected to enhance the body’s defenses
against cancer. In order for cancer to ‘establish’ a foothold in the body, it
has to be deprived of oxygen. If these two conditions can be reversed
cancer can, not only be slowed down, but it can actually be upended.
Oxygen,
pH and Iodine
Dr. David Brownstein indicates that
iodine is alkaline and the body uses iodine to recover from an acid state.
One’s body pH value tells you how acidic or alkaline your body is relative to a
neutral 7.0, and balanced body pH is essential for a healthy body and a major
line of defense against sickness and disease. Most people do not know that pH
is also a measure of oxygen and cell voltage. The more alkaline the more oxygen
and the higher the cell voltage.
To maintain a balanced pH, your body
pulls certain minerals, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium, from
its tissues to neutralize acids in the blood. Iodine/iodide appears to be
essential to this process because it is the key to metabolism and important
with oxygen levels. If your body cannot do this successfully because you are
deficient in the iodine (and thus low on energy), necessary for this process to
occur, the acids accumulate in the body and cause health problems over time.
The longer your pH remains below normal in the acid range and your deficiency
is not corrected, the higher your risk that symptoms of various ailments will
occur and increase in severity.
The most important factor in creating
proper pH is increasing oxygen because no wastes or toxins can leave the body
without first combining with oxygen. The more alkaline you are, the more oxygen
your fluids can hold and keep. Oxygen also buffers/oxidizes metabolic waste
acids helping to keep you more alkaline. Iodine sufficiency is one crucial key
to oxygen sufficiency.
According to Annelie Pompe, a
prominent mountaineer and world-champion free diver, alkaline tissues can hold
up to 20 times more oxygen than acidic ones. When our body cells and tissues
are acidic (below pH of 6.5-7.0), they lose their ability to exchange oxygen.
Increases of carbon dioxide, bicarbonates and electrons lead to increased
oxygen.
The quickest way to increase oxygen
and pH is through the administration of
sodium bicarbonate
and that is why bicarbonate has always been a mainstay emergency room and
intensive care medicine. Of course, when we increase oxygen and pH levels we
are simultaneously increasing cellular voltage.
We can violently pull the rug out
from under most pathogens by bombarding them with a blast of alkalinity, which
is the same thing as blasting with oxygen when we take high dosages of iodine,
along with supplying our immune system with plenty of magnesium, selenium and
sulfur.
Oxygen
is the Source of Health
Improving oxygen intake, uptake, and
assimilation is critical to the body’s energy and as an inhibitor to disease
and decay. Movement and exercise invites a need for more oxygen. To digest and
assimilate food uses up oxygen. Every bodily function uses up oxygen in varying
degrees.
Dr. D. Treacher and Dr. R. Leach
write, “Mammalian life and the bioenergetic processes that maintain cellular
integrity depend on a continuous supply of oxygen to sustain aerobic
metabolism. Reduced oxygen delivery and failure of cellular use of oxygen occur
in various circumstances and if not recognized result in organ dysfunction and
death. Prevention, early identification, and correction of tissue hypoxia are
essential skills. An understanding of the key steps in oxygen transport within
the body is essential to avoid tissue hypoxia. Although oxygen is the substrate
that cells use in the greatest quantity and on which aerobic metabolism and
cell integrity depend, the tissues have no storage system for oxygen. They rely
on a continuous supply at a rate that precisely matches changing metabolic
requirements. If this supply fails, even for a few minutes, tissue hypoxaemia
may develop resulting in anaerobic metabolism and production of lactate.”
Dr. Otto Warburg won the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1931 for
his discovery that cancer was anaerobic: cancer occurs in the absence of free
oxygen. As innocuous as this discovery might seem, it is actually a startling
and significant finding worthy of a Nobel Prize. What it means is that cancer is
caused by a lack of free oxygen in the body and therefore, whatever causes this
drop in free oxygen to occur is a root cause of cancers.
Hypoxemia or what might be called
“blocked oxidation,” is followed by fermentation of sugar in cells, which then
leads to the primary condition upon which cancer, infectious and inflammatory
processes feed. Viruses are “anaerobic” creatures, which thrive in the absence
of oxygen. Yeast, mold and fungus live in an anaerobic environment. Most
strains of harmful bacteria (and cancer cells) are anaerobic and are not
comfortable in the presence of higher oxygen levels so doctors will find cancer
cells easier to kill when oxygen levels are increased.