Apple Cider Vinegar: Uses, Health Benefits and FAQ - Ted's Q&A

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Thyroid Problems

Posted by L (USA) on 11/24/2007

Ingesting ACV has long been used for medical treatment and is sometimes very effective. HOWEVER, one should also take an iodine supplement, such as kelp tablets or kelp extracts while using this therapy. Extended ACV consumption can remove iodine from the body, and can result in thyroid problems. (Salt also causes the same problems which is why commercial salt has added iodine.) I learned all this back in the early 1970's, and have not found this important information on iodine/ACV interaction in any articles or books recently. However I have not covered your entire site. So in case no one has mentioned this yet, it really needs to be addressed.

Replied by Ted
Bangkok, Thailand
391 posts

Actually the problem is related more to drinking and showering with chorinated water, eating bleached white bread using the widely practiced bromine bleaching process, and using high flouridated products toothpastes which causes iodine deficiency. It should be noted that the use of halogen of fluorine, chlorine, and bromine displaces iodine that is bound organically to the thyroid, resulting in hypothyroidism and iodine deficiency despite adequate intake of iodine. There are many studies to show that eating bromine rich foods found in white flour and white bread causes increase excretion of iodine, resulting in less iodine. I have seen many instances where a child has hypothyroidism, get fat, after going to highly chlorinated swimming pools, and found that iodine levels were low inspite of adequate iodine intake. The research for this is shown below where in high chlorine environment, the iodine is no longer organically bound and are destroyed to become and iodate compound and are thus rid of by the body. In other words, chlorine displaces the iodine, and this is why in livestock animals, not just the chlorine, but also fluorine, and bromine does it cause stunting of animal growth and developmental problems. Henceforth, the degree to reduce environmental toxins is more important in reducing exposure to chlorine, bromine, and fluorine, but at the same time increasing the dosage of iodine whenever such exposure are unavoidable. I often find myself quite often unable to avoid chlorine exposure, but I do this by dechlorinating my water by adding drops of sodium thiosulfate (a dechlorinator) to my drinking water, or by adding tiny pinches of borax, to remove the fluorine, and try to now and then to add couple of drops of iodine mixed with waterused as a mouthwash. Bromine are rather easy to avoid. I simply just don't eat any white bread or anything processed with white flour. Hence the degree of iodine deficiency is more common than many will admit. Obviously suboptimal iodine is likely despite adequate iodine intake, but the high halogen environments of fluorine, chlorine and bromine causes the body unable to retain iodine to be bound organically and hence, the thyroid becomes naked without the iodine, as the other halogen stips away whatever is left. The only thing I can think of that apple cider is guilty of is it is too acid and tends to dissolve the enamel of the teeth. And therefore it is much safer to neutralize the acidity of the apple cider vinegar using a common buffer such as baking soda, using my common remedy of 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda plus 2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. While more iodine intake from kelp and seaweed is needed much more. The problem is not apple cider vinegar, but environmental toxins being introduced into our body, even from something as simple as eating white bread.


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