Still not feeling right, even after doing the basics? You’re not alone, and it’s not in your head. Sometimes one more piece of the picture helps show why.
Iodine gets a lot of attention, and for good reason: it is an essential mineral that every person needs. But Barbie’s message about iodine is a careful one. It matters, many people may be low, and it is still not something to start on your own. Here is why she tests your minerals first.
What iodine does
Iodine is best known for the thyroid, which uses it to make thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone sets the pace for energy, temperature, and metabolism throughout the body. But the thyroid isn’t the only tissue that uses iodine. Breast tissue and the ovaries also take up iodine, and so do other glands and tissues such as the salivary glands, the stomach lining, and the skin. Authors who write about iodine argue that the body’s need goes well beyond what the thyroid alone requires.
Why some authors believe many people run low
Dr. David Brownstein and Lynne Farrow have both written widely about iodine. Each argues that many people today don’t get enough iodine for the whole body’s needs, not just the thyroid’s. Their reasons include changes in the food supply over recent decades, iodized salt being less useful than people assume, and growing exposure to substances that compete with iodine. These views are not shared by everyone in mainstream medicine, which is one more reason Barbie prefers to look at your own results rather than assume.
Halides: the competition for iodine
Iodine belongs to a family of elements called halides. Its relatives include bromide, fluoride, and chlorine. Because they are chemically similar, these authors explain, they can compete with iodine for the same places in the body. Bromide is found in some baked goods, flame retardants, and certain other products. Fluoride and chlorine are common in water and household products. When the body is low on iodine and exposed to more of its relatives, they can crowd iodine out. Farrow calls this “bromide dominance.”
Why Barbie wants minerals tested first
This is the heart of Barbie’s approach. Before anyone starts iodine, she wants to see your HTMA and your Functional Lab Panel. Here is why:
- Minerals work as a team. Iodine depends on helper nutrients to be used well, including selenium and magnesium, among others. If those are low, adding iodine on top can be like pressing the gas with the parking brake on.
- Your thyroid pattern matters. HTMA shows ratios such as calcium-to-potassium, which reflects how thyroid hormone is working at the cell, and sodium-to-potassium, which reflects stress. A body under heavy stress, or with a thyroid pattern pointing one way or the other, may need something different first.
- Iron and other blood markers matter. The thyroid also relies on iron and other nutrients. The Functional Lab Panel shows iron status, copper, vitamin A, and more, so gaps can be supported in the right order.
- Going it alone can backfire. Starting iodine without guidance can make some people feel worse. Both authors describe reactions when iodine is started too quickly or without the right support. That is exactly what Barbie wants to help you avoid.
If your results suggest iodine may be part of your plan, it should be done with a practitioner who knows your history, your thyroid status, and your other results. Barbie may also suggest a thyroid panel first, and she sequences iodine carefully rather than starting it on day one. You can read more about that timing in Why Your Thyroid Panel and Iodine Can Wait.
The short version
Iodine matters, and many people may be low. Test first, build the foundation, and start iodine only with guidance.
Further reading
- David Brownstein, MD, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It (Medical Alternatives Press). Book page
- Lynne Farrow, The Iodine Crisis: What You Don’t Know About Iodine Can Wreck Your Life. lynnefarrow.net
- Breast Cancer Choices, the nonprofit Lynne Farrow co-founded: The Bromide Dominance Theory
These are shared for background reading; they are not a recommendation to follow any protocol from them on your own.
This page is educational and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is not an iodine protocol and does not recommend any amount or product. Barbie Fisher is a certified HTMA practitioner and health coach, not a medical doctor. Please do not start iodine without guidance from a qualified practitioner, and keep your physician involved, especially if you have a thyroid condition, take thyroid medication, or are pregnant or nursing.