“Dear Dr. Mishra,
I have a question regarding your magnesium/vitamin D oil. I recently received the test results of my blood work and my doctor says I need to take 5,000 units of vitamin D. How much is in your oil? I am not sure I am receiving enough from your oil. I am dark skinned and do not spend a lot of time in the sun.
The doctor has also advised me to take additional iodine. I have purchased your Soma Salt. Does it have iodine? Are there any other natural ways of receiving iodine?
Finally what do you think of organic cod liver oil from fresh water fish? I took this for 3 years to increase my vitamin D levels which are now at 30. I recently stopped after purchasing your vitamin D/magnesium oil because I did not want to have too much vitamin D.
I look forward to your response.
Regards,
Rhonda J.”
Vaidya Replies:
Dear Rhonda, my Vit D transdermal cream will deliver 3400 units of Vit D per 1 gram, while the roll-on will deliver 1400 units of Vit D per 10ml of the liquid. The same applies for the roll-on. The key is to supplement these transdermal products with a balanced alkaline diet. If you lead a stressful life-style, inflammation and acidic toxins adversely affect the levels of Vit D in your body as well. Try to correct things holistically, not just by supplementing what is missing. Otherwise, Cod liver oil is also a good source of Vit D that you can take in addition to the transdermal creams. If your diet is balanced (alkaline, nourishing, fresh, and timely), and you are using the Vit D Transdermal creams, you will see improvement over time. Many have.
The SVA Soma Salt does not contain any iodine. You can get iodine through food. For example, seaweed. If you regularly eat seaweed (multiple times a week), you will probably receive enough iodine. However, the availability of iodine from seaweed is variable so that sometimes you may end up getting too much iodine, which you also don’t want.
Cases of iodine toxicity reported in scientific journals are often from excessive amounts of kelp and kelp tablets. Iodine toxicity may develop when intake is > 1.1 mg/day. Consuming too much usually does not affect thyroid function, but it may, causing the thyroid gland to become overactive and produce excess thyroid hormones (hyperthyroidism), particularly in people who used to consume too little iodine. However, sometimes excess iodine can decrease production of thyroid hormones (causing hypothyroidism). As a result, the thyroid gland enlarges, forming a goiter. Goiters can form when the thyroid gland is underactive or overactive.
If people consume very large amounts of iodine, they may have a brassy taste in their mouth and produce more saliva. Iodine can irritate the digestive tract and cause a rash.
When iodine is deficient, the thyroid gland enlarges, forming a goiter, as it attempts to capture more iodine for the production of thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland becomes underactive and produces too little thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism). Fertility is reduced. In adults, hypothyroidism may cause puffy skin, a hoarse voice, impaired mental function, dry and scaly skin, sparse and coarse hair, intolerance to cold, and weight gain.
Infants, children, and adults with iodine deficiency are treated with iodine supplements taken by mouth. Infants are also given supplements of thyroid hormone taken by mouth, sometimes throughout life. Children and adults may also be given thyroid hormone supplements. But before taking the path of supplementation, unless your medical doctor has already advised you to do so, in which case you should not hesitate to follow his recommendation, it is good to try to correct your diet to include more iodine from natural sources. I do not recommend using regular table salt with iodine, as that salt impairs health by retaining toxins and water in the body. Sea salt that may be a better source of natural iodine might also be too sharp and pitta aggravating according to Ayurveda. So I would try to incorporate food items that can support and boost your iodine levels naturally.
What foods are naturally high in iodine? Iodine is a component of almost every living plant and animal. No standard measurements of iodine in food exist because iodine concentrations vary across the world. In general, foods from the sea contain the most iodine, followed by animal foods, then plant foods. Of all foods, seaweed (like kelp), is the most well known and reliable source of natural iodine. Egg and dairy products can also be good sources.
Other than fortified salt, the concentrations of iodine in these foods can vary widely and this table should be taken only as a rough guide.
Food | Serving Size | Iodine |
Dried Seaweed | 1 gram | 16-2984µg (11% – 1989% DV) |
Cod | 3 ounces* | 99µg (66% DV) |
Iodized Salt (Fortified) | 1 gram | 77µg (51% DV) |
Milk | 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) | 56µg (37% DV) |
Shrimp | 3 ounces | 35µg (23% DV) |
Fish sticks | 2 fish sticks | 35µg (23% DV) |
Turkey breast baked | 3 ounces | 34µg (23% DV) |
Tuna canned in oil | 3 ounces (1/2 can) | 17µg (11% DV) |
Egg boiled | 1 large | 12µg (8% DV) |