A New Thought About Iodine...

[MGoers37]

I was thinking this over recently, could iodine actually help those with dh?

here's my reasoning: for the spots to form, iodine bonds to the gluten and forms the spots on your skin, a decrease in iodine means less spots. But, if we did the opposite and increased iodine in our diets we'd notice more spots. If we were to go on a gluten free diet, meaning no more gluten was being taken in (from a theoretical standpoint, a gluten free diet is very hard to do completely) and increased the iodine in our diets, would it mean that we would see more spots for a shorter duration and then no longer see any spots? im assuming that the spots cannot be formed if there's no gluten left over in the system, and that the six month period is just your body getting rid of the excess gluten. What im saying in a nutshell is that the iodine could increase the expellation of gluten from your system via the spots, when it runs out of gluten spots are gone...

i've noticed a lot more new spots when i put iodized salt on my food versus not having any...as of late it's been driving me insane, but i'll live i guess...haha

[Ursa Major]

That is certainly an interesting thought. Like accelerating the purging of the system of the cause for DH.

[Kaycee]

That is very interesting.

I know I have heard somewhere that coeliacs should avoid iodine, but I am not sure who and why it was mentioned it, just something I have heard in passing. I don't avoid iodine, as I never considered it a gluten problem, but that is very interesting what you have said.

Cathy

[mf in CA]

Hello, I'm newly diagnosed with dh and have been gluten-free for the past 6 weeks. i am wondering if you've experimented with iodine in the past few weeks? I haven't completely eliminated iodine and am considering it. The rash got better for a couple of weeks about 3 weeks into the gluten-free diet but in the past week has completely flared up and is driving me insane! I'd like to eliminate all gluten from my system as quickly as possible but don't want to aggravate my skin any more than necessary... Anyway, please give an update if you've increased your iodine intentionally or what your results were if you eliminated it.

Thanks,

Michelle

I was thinking this over recently, could iodine actually help those with dh?

here's my reasoning: for the spots to form, iodine bonds to the gluten and forms the spots on your skin, a decrease in iodine means less spots. But, if we did the opposite and increased iodine in our diets we'd notice more spots. If we were to go on a gluten free diet, meaning no more gluten was being taken in (from a theoretical standpoint, a gluten free diet is very hard to do completely) and increased the iodine in our diets, would it mean that we would see more spots for a shorter duration and then no longer see any spots? im assuming that the spots cannot be formed if there's no gluten left over in the system, and that the six month period is just your body getting rid of the excess gluten. What im saying in a nutshell is that the iodine could increase the expellation of gluten from your system via the spots, when it runs out of gluten spots are gone...

i've noticed a lot more new spots when i put iodized salt on my food versus not having any...as of late it's been driving me insane, but i'll live i guess...haha

[roger]

One of my naturopathic doctors told me to get off the iodized salt due to my potato allergy, as it is used in the iodization process; I have also read on this forum that corn can also be used as well, to which I am equally as allergic. So I keep on the lookout on product labels for sea salt, which, unfortunately is not used as much as I would like to see...oh well!

[ravenwoodglass]

I was thinking this over recently, could iodine actually help those with dh?

here's my reasoning: for the spots to form, iodine bonds to the gluten and forms the spots on your skin, a decrease in iodine means less spots. But, if we did the opposite and increased iodine in our diets we'd notice more spots. If we were to go on a gluten free diet, meaning no more gluten was being taken in (from a theoretical standpoint, a gluten free diet is very hard to do completely) and increased the iodine in our diets, would it mean that we would see more spots for a shorter duration and then no longer see any spots? im assuming that the spots cannot be formed if there's no gluten left over in the system, and that the six month period is just your body getting rid of the excess gluten. What im saying in a nutshell is that the iodine could increase the expellation of gluten from your system via the spots, when it runs out of gluten spots are gone...

i've noticed a lot more new spots when i put iodized salt on my food versus not having any...as of late it's been driving me insane, but i'll live i guess...haha

The iodine is not increaseing the speed with which the antibodies to the gluten leave the skin. What is doing is stimulating the antibody reaction. I think this may actually increase the amount of time that the antibodies are there not 'flush' them out. I had severe DH since childhood. It took 2 years for my skin reaction to not be the first thing I see in a glutening. I now only get a couple very small spots when glutened instead of large oozing blisters. I still don't consume iodine intentionally, I figure the small amount I get in processed foods and seafood is plenty.

[jesse]

i'll say this much, ive stayed away from table salt for about 2 weeks now and im noticing a difference in the level of DH that i get particularly around the mouth (lips) area. if you have problems like this do what im doing and see if it makes a difference.

i wouldnt exactly say its the salt, but more of less the iodized salt factor....

peace,

jdog

[ravenwoodglass]

i'll say this much, ive stayed away from table salt for about 2 weeks now and im noticing a difference in the level of DH that i get particularly around the mouth (lips) area. if you have problems like this do what im doing and see if it makes a difference.

i wouldnt exactly say its the salt, but more of less the iodized salt factor....

peace,

jdog

If you miss the salt you may want to try getting some that just isn't iodized. I use Morton's or Sea Salt.

[FGFP]

I have DH and was diagnosed in 1977. I was told also I was allergic to iodine. I was told I shouldn't eat wheat but after trying to avoid it I said forget it. If I knew at the time I had celiac I would have maybe had a different mind set. I was told and have read in many articles that many people with DH also are allergic to Iodine. I no longer have iodine in my diet, but can find it hard if I am gone from home for many days. I often carry my own salt. If I get a breakout I can almost always look back and realize I had iodine in the salt.

[jesse]

hey,

i guess this about the 3-4 week point now, and would like to say that around my lip/mouth area i am having a night and day difference w/ only an occasional relapse, but i guess you'll have that from time to time.

anyway, anyone who sees this should attempt a "no table salt or iodized salty food diet" for a few weeks. if you have the same lip/mouth area dh/acne then its worth doing. i have also changed my soap from the dial gel which you need the sponge thingy to a bar of white ivory.

im doing much better and might be onto something for myself, i hope these words bring good fortune to others also.

incidentally, i do use kosher salt for cooking and even though its bigger grains i will put it on my food too.

only the best,

jdog

[darlindeb25]

One of my naturopathic doctors told me to get off the iodized salt due to my potato allergy, as it is used in the iodization process; I have also read on this forum that corn can also be used I never heard this before. I used iodized salt, only because we were raised to think we must use iodized. I can't have corn or potatoes either. Thank you for the advice.

[92Aotearoa]

One of my naturopathic doctors told me to get off the iodized salt due to my potato allergy, as it is used in the iodization process; I have also read on this forum that corn can also be used I never heard this before. I used iodized salt, only because we were raised to think we must use iodized. I can't have corn or potatoes either. Thank you for the advice.

Chlorine is in the same chemical family as iodine and right next to it in the periodic table. Usually it is tightly bonded to something or other and this may be why it doesn't usually have the effect on us that iodine does. But table salt, even pure table salt with nothing else whatsoever in it, is half chlorine. And when dissolved in water, this chlorine is in ionic form and freely available for chemical reactions. I therefore wonder if salt could cause a DH reaction just as iodine does (and suspect that, if it does it probably would take larger amounts of it (due to its relative position in the periodic table). [to check, I'm going to try the "iodine patch test" (I discussed in other posts) except using a salt solution instead of potassium iodine (which I haven't yet be able to get anyway)]

My point is that it might be wise to avoid much salt period, whether sea salt or even purified salt (i.e. chemically pure sodium chloride without anything else at all). You really don't need it.

Note that getting sufficient iodine in the diet is (barring thyroid problems) generally only a problem in areas distant from the sea for those therein that don't each much food from other areas. * Given the widespread long distance transportation of much of our food supply today I really doubt that iodizing salt is still really needed (JMHO).

I've been most vegetarian for decades (only very rarely eating a little fish, dairy (goat) or egg - about once/month) and adding no salt to anything nor eating anything with significant amounts of added salt. (and drinking only distilled water (no tap or spring water) too boot). With no discernible effects except that my blood pressure is consistently 100-110/60-70 (and my three siblings have (and my father had) high blood pressure. (and the last time tested ~ 2 years ago my bone density was "101% of a young adult males" - not bad for a celiac disease patient who'd lost over 20% of lean body weight before diagnosis 25 years earlier!)

* that would exclude watersheds to which salmon migrated even when distant from the sea: salmon have a lot of iodine and, surprisingly enough, research has shown that they contribute a large and highly significant amount of biomass input to the sources of the rivers they migrate in (where they leave it all) There may be other exceptions as well.

PS: your taste adapts to the lack of added salt and soon things will taste about the same without it as they did with it (better, really, because their flavor is not being masked by salt.

Jim