Movember means 'mo money & mo disease'

With so many men diagnosed with prostate cancer these days, almost 25,000 this year, which is about 1 in 7 according to the Canadian Cancer society statistics. In Canada, an average of 80 men each week die from this disease, over 4,000 annually, which could actually be more, since after 5 years the Cancer society statistics don't count you if you die, they count you as a survivor. In the US the numbers are greater of course, 217,730 men will be diagnosed and 32,050 men will die this year. Much of what is known about prostate cancer, it's prevention & treatment, can be linked to a mineral deficiency in iodine, but for some reason most men don't know this. A basic understanding of this essential mineral is needed if men would like to live without this disease.

Iodine is stored for immune health, in men's prostate glands. Iodine or iodide in it's reduced mineral salt form, potassium-iodide, is actually utilized by every cell in the body with major storage areas in the brain, thyroid gland & prostate glands in men. Without iodine/iodide in our bodies, our immune system breaks down and disease creeps in, in one form or another; prostate cancer or BHP being a couple of forms disease that are precipitated by a deficiency of this essential mineral. When there is sufficiency of iodine/iodide in the body, abnormal cells or cancer cells are induced into apoptosis, natural cell death, which they don't do without iodine. It's a way for the body to clean out the garbage cells in our system and help to move it into a homoeostatic state, which is always where the body wants to be, in balance.

What happens to the iodine? Why is there a deficiency?

In our modern lifestyles, we are subjected to a number of toxins which can play havoc with our immune system. Toxins such as fluorine/fluoride, chlorine/chloride & bromine/bromide compete for absorption in the body with iodine. These chemicals are known as halogens and are very reactive with other chemicals and when presented in the body, flush the healing iodine from the body, block it's return in it's receptor cells and leave it susceptible to disease. There are many ways to be exposed to these harmful chemicals that include; chlorinated & fluoridated drinking water, fluoride toothpaste, a trip to the dentist, vaccines, chlorine disinfected swimming pools, bromine disinfected hot tubs, fire retardants used in carpets & new car upholstery also contains bromine to name just a few. We are bombarded in different areas in life where exposure to these chemicals is causing real damage to occur in the body. So exposure to these toxins must avoided or be kept to a minimum.

How do I get iodine/iodide?

Iodine/iodide supplementation is the easiest way to re-introduce healing iodine back into the body. The Japanese eat a lot of brown kelp, so they have one of the lowest rates of cancer in the world, this is a great way to get iodine/iodide. Since brown kelp, like Kombu, also contains high concentrations of over 60 other minerals, all in a bio-available form, they help the body to re-absorb this essential mineral back into the body. Lugol's solution, which has been used by doctors since 1829 to treat everything from staphylococcal infections to thyroidism, without harmful side effects is another way. In fact, doctors prior to the 1950's knew it as a panacea, a cure -all for those conditions that resisted conventional treatment, they learned about it in medical school. They even learned a little rhyme to help them remember to use it; 'if ye don't know what when or why, prescribe ye then K and I'. Which is of course potassium-iodide. Lugol's solution contains 5% elemental iodine and 10% potassium-iodide in a water solution, it can be purchased for under $20 from any compounding pharmacy in Canada and is known as a 5% solution. In the US, a 2% solution is available without prescription, though most don't know to ask for it from their pharmacist. With over 7.8 million dollars raised last year for prostate cancer research in Canada from it's Movember fund-raising, it's surprising that the researchers aren't claiming eureka, we've found the cure and it costs only $20 a bottle for a yearly supply and funny thing is it's been available to everyone since 1829.