iodine: cure for flu and cold?

A friend appears to be dealing with colds and flu a lot this year and I have now read two bits in acres usa about iodine.  I think they are both written by the same person.  The first is an article and the second is a letter to the editor.

So .... digging .... I found the letter:  "I take eight drops of Lugol's Iodine Solution in a glass of water, to cure colds and flu."  Apparently this isn't just any iodine, but "a mixture of Iodine and Potassium Iodide" ....   hmmm ... the author now mentions that it comes from a book called the cure for all diseases.

Interesting stuff.  I'm just passing on what I read because I thought it was interesting.  I'm a bit skeptical.

I've read the cure for all diseases, much of it is unscientifically proven, yet as you say it's interesting.

As long as we are throwing out natural cures:

Adel Davis recommends - 1,000 mg per hour of natural V-C

-unknown-  Hydrogen peroxide soak - tilt head, place in ear, leave until bubbling stops, repeat for other side, treat every day.  Seems the ears and nasal passages are connected.

i have not heard that one, but have heard the following.

zinc - mixed reviews
hydrogen peroxide
vitamin c - heard many people praise this one
vitamin d - supposedly most people are deficient in this vitamin. in super high dosages, one doctor claims it can help cure, but works best if taken consistently over time. the sun works best, and the right sunlamps can work too. (search for -vitamin d doctor- on google videos)
silver - if it is bacteria or viral related. make sure you get the right type, or you will turn blue for life.
neti pot - might help, flushing out the nasal passages, but needs to be done properly, or you will end up with infections

a lot of different teas and oils may help too. think someone use to give me a few drops of oregano oil in a glass of water (might have been something different) and that helped a lot.

there is always getting out side for some fresh air, laughter, stretches, exercise.

thanks for the iodine tip.

Since my wife started it her thyroid test have all come back good. No more thyroid meds so far.

I've given my opinion of Hulda Clark elsewhere. I suggest you read her accounts of experiments, if you have any interest, with an eye for opportunities she might have had for independent confirmation of her findings.

She seems to have passed up myriad opportunities where her assertions could be independently confirmed, by proven methods. I can't help bud infer that she let these opportunities pass due to a conscious or unconscious concern that her ideas would be disproven.

Also, some of the families that went to her Tijuana clinic have successfully sued for fraud. It would seem that going to her for help meant a long and complicated process, even if the book suggests that all diseases can be cured simply.

Chuck wrote:
Since my wife started it her thyroid test have all come back good. No more thyroid meds so far.

It? Iodine?

(This is Chuck's wife.) Yes, iodine. When I started taking it we were eating wild AK salmon almost daily, so then I was only taking 2 drops a day of the iodine. I weaned off my thyroid med within a week of starting it. Now that we don't get salmon very often I take 3 - 4 drops in a glass of water each day along with a low dose of a supplement by Standard Process called Thytrophin PMG. Works great.

I am glad to see someone else onto this topic, as it is true. Iodine (not the topical variety which is poison) does indeed prevent colds and flu , i have subclinical hypothyroidism which means i have all the symptoms with no detectable tsh hormone drop . rather than spend a fortune on expensive medications i opted for dr. david derry's method, of high doses of iodine and thyroid extract. My understanding is his success turned his peers against him and his licence to practice was revoked. For me iodine is a life saver, it lifts my depression and keeps me from getting ill. in the course of my research i discovered that when your thyroid is functioning optimally it will proccess out cold and flu viruses preventing you from getting sick. if you wait too long to use it , the result will be negligable, it is more of a preventitive.  i had a friend who used to party too much and as a result of his unhealthy lifestyle would go from one cold into another every month, in effect he was always sick and showed signs of a weakened immune system. I put him on 16 drops of iodine at 225 mcg it would be 4 mg....this is the top end of what is permissible for acute cases, and then dropped to 8 drops. the change was amazing....he almost never gets sick anymore either. Everyone i try and tell about this refuses to listen or believe me or are strangely afraid to take the iodine....their loss not mine.    cheers

BillHilly - do you take thyroid extract?  And where do you get that?  I have a friend how I'd like to share your information with....Thanks!

Neutrophils (white blood cells, granulocytes) attack invading microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) with a little bit of iodine to damage them and take them out of action.

The body has other defense mechanisms, but this one is simple and effective.

There are some who suggest that regular use of a neti pot may help to actually PREVENT colds and the flu.  See http://netiflu.blogspot.com .  I started using neti about five years ago to help with allergy relief.  That it does very well.  But noted a possible side benefit in that I haven't come down with a single case of cold or flu in that five years.  Coincidence?  I don't know, but I can tell you that I regularly came down with a sickness at least once every year prior to starting use of my neti.  Maybe there is something to it?

Yes, neti not only cleanses the sinuses and helps with allergies, but it also improves the function of the cilia in the nasal passages. I would not be surprised to find research showing that it also improves the overall health of the air passages to the point where colds are less common.

There is a lot of information available on iodine.  Bread bakers used to use a form of iodine as a dough conditioner before they started using the toxic bromates instead.  Some are switching back. 

Much is said about many cancers being related to an iodine deficiency. 

Kelp and other seaweeds are good sources of iodine.  Black walnut (nuts, hulls and leaves) are an iodine accumulator, which may be the reason they work so well as a parasite cleanse. 

Cold and flu?  Absolutely.  It seems most pathogens can't survive in an iodine environment.  It is strongly anti-bacterial. 

Red Cloud 31 wrote:
There is a lot of information available on iodine.  Bread bakers used to use a form of iodine as a dough conditioner before they started using the toxic bromates instead.  Some are switching back. 

Much is said about many cancers being related to an iodine deficiency. 

Kelp and other seaweeds are good sources of iodine.  Black walnut (nuts, hulls and leaves) are an iodine accumulator, which may be the reason they work so well as a parasite cleanse. 

Cold and flu?  Absolutely.  It seems most pathogens can't survive in an iodine environment.   It is strongly anti-bacterial. 

good to know about bread.

it appears black walnuts do not have a lot of iodine when compared to kelp. walnuts will get you by, kelp will load you up.

another way to get iodine? use topical iodine on the skin to get iodine in the system. http://www.ki4u.com/plan_b.htm

Great thread!  I will have to do some research.  This iodine that you take orally - do you buy it at the drug store?

South Carolina wrote:
Great thread!  I will have to do some research.  This iodine that you take orally - do you buy it at the drug store?

have not found it at the drug store. they look at you funny. health stores, internet, etc have it. topical is available at drug store. do not take orally. http://www.jcrows.com/ has a lot of info on their site on this topic, has an online store.

anyone know of issues with taking too much iodine? have had several people tell me it can burn out different organs.

Not sure if iodine is a cure. But tea can be really useful.

paul wheaton wrote:A friend appears to be dealing with colds and flu a lot this year and I have now read two bits in acres usa about iodine.  I think they are both written by the same person.  The first is an article and the second is a letter to the editor.

So .... digging .... I found the letter:  "I take eight drops of Lugol's Iodine Solution in a glass of water, to cure colds and flu."  Apparently this isn't just any iodine, but "a mixture of Iodine and Potassium Iodide" ....   hmmm ... the author now mentions that it comes from a book called the cure for all diseases.

Interesting stuff.  I'm just passing on what I read because I thought it was interesting.  I'm a bit skeptical.

I'd like to share my experience.  I have been taking Lugol's iodine for years.  I'm 48 years old and started using it in my late 20s.  I am very health savvy and am very well read when it comes to the body and preventing serious illness and I am always learning.  My experience with using Lugol's is as follows:

Lugol's cure flu and Strep and probably any other viral or bacterial infection at the right doses.  I have cured my flu many times but I rarely get sick any more due to the dosages I have taken and my thyroid/tissues being saturated with iodine.  I used to get cold sores when I was in my teens and 20s but since starting to dose with iodine at about 8-15 drops a day for almost a year it disappeared and never returned.  The Lugol's flu protocol I use is derived from a doctor/missionary named David Fisher, he used it to cure influenza and malaria in Zambia (ref: https://www.curezone.org/forums/am.asp?i=1998232).  He used the protocol on patients that never used iodine supplements and was able to cure the diseases.  His protocol I have used a bunch of times and let me tell you if you are sick with the flu and unable to get out of bed after day 1 of this protocol you will have your energy back and the flu will already be almost gone.  You will still have to battle secondary infections and for that I use a neti pot with sodium bicarbonate as a sinus flush but the virus will be eradicated.  So the protocol is like this:

Day 1: 20 vertical drops of Lugol's 5% iodine in water 4 times spread out throughout the day (approx every 6 hours)

Day 2: 10 drops of Lugol's 5% iodine in water 4 times spread out throughout the day (approx every 6 hours)

If need be do another day of Day 2 but for me I never had to go further than Day 2, I always felt WAY better after Day 1 but I do Day 2 just as a precaution.

My son had strep throat and he is 14.  I used 15 drops instead of 20 on first day for him and he also gargled with a sodium bicarbonate solution and intermittently an iodine solution for throat.  He was better after1-2 days.

The effects of iodine on the body and organs is very positive for your health as a secondary benefit but always do a spot test on your skin to make sure you are not allergic to it, allergies to iodine are rare but can occur so I don't want you to consume a large dose if you are allergic.  

I want to share this information because there is really no reason to be sick every cold/flu season.  After taking iodine regularly and doing this protocol 1-2 times your immune system will be 'jacked' and you will be protected from most if not all microbes and you will rarely if ever get sick from microbes.   If you have any questions feel free to ask me, I can be reached at 514manny@gmail.com  

Take care!

the idea scares me. If you take enough iodine to kill bad microbes, won't it kill good microbes? and aren't we...like..kind of mostly microbes?

Michael Sohocki wrote:the idea scares me. If you take enough iodine to kill bad microbes, won't it kill good microbes? and aren't we...like..kind of mostly microbes?

This is a very good question.  I have been using this [protocol for several years now when I come down with a flu and I would do it over and over again becuase of how amazingly effective it is.  I have had no ill effects from using this protocol and I also take iodine regularly in smaller doses for overall health. iodine researchers now find there is not a problem with iodine and healthy microflora. It is anti-biotics and not iodine that damage your gut flora.

Iodine is by far the best antibiotic, antiviral and antiseptic of all time - Dr. David Derry

Dr. Derry says that iodine is effective "for standard pathogens such as Staphylococcus, but also iodine has the broadest range of action, fewest side effects and no development of bacterial resistance." There is a world of difference between using an antibiotic – anti-life substance – and an antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal substance like iodine, which is life serving because it is a basic and most necessary nutritional substance.

Iodine kills single celled organisms by combining with the amino acids tyrosine or histidine when they are exposed to the extra-cellular environment. All single cells showing tyrosine on their outer cell membranes are killed instantly by a simple chemical reaction with iodine that denatures proteins. Nature and evolution have given us an important mechanism to control pathogenic life forms and we should use it and trust it to protect us in ways that antibiotics can't.

Some reading:

Extrathyroidal Benefits of Iodine

http://www.donaldmiller.com/JPandS%20Extrathyroidal%20Benefits%20of%20Iodine.pdf

Interesting to note however is that it's difficult to get 5% Lugol's since it's been moved to List 1 of controlled substances, due to people using it to produce methamphetamines. Amazon used to sell it but no longer. You can only buy it from J. Crow's official site, and only 1 bottle at a time.

The antiseptic effects of iodine are safe because it only destroys gram-negative bacteria, and not the gram-positive bacteria in our gut flora.

Another herb to try for pathogens is Echinacea. It has worked for me in the past except for recently where I've contracted a weird virus (but iodine is working on it).

An even more controversial thing to try is Chlorine Dioxide, in specific low doses as described by Jim Humble (also known as MMS or the CD protocol, just Google it). Word of caution, if you have dental amalgam do not take chlorine dioxide as it can lead to extreme illness or death. CD reacts to heavy metals as an oxidizer which is very harmful to the body, especially when that heavy metal is mercury.

I believe in this lugols iodine with everything...it has saved me from food poisoning more then once, flu many times and west nile too...I take seven drops in a glass of water every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours first sign of anything. Iodine is like vitamin c you can't  over dose your body flushes what it doesn't need...oh yes UTI too just add it to cranberry juice with a little baking soda...gone with in 2 days without antibiotics.

Orion Xavier wrote:Interesting to note however is that it's difficult to get 5% Lugol's since it's been moved to List 1 of controlled substances, due to people using it to produce methamphetamines. Amazon used to sell it but no longer. You can only buy it from J. Crow's official site, and only 1 bottle at a time.

Yes, in Canada where I am you can order it from any pharmacy so I’m grateful for that.

I know it was very useful to pull my son out of what looked line mono. We tried so many things including oregano oil, vit c, vit D in mega doses, etc. These things were helpful, but he was still sick and weak. Then he got white spots not only on the tonsils, but they started spreading in his mouth. WE put some iodine on his finger and told him to put it on his throat and everywhere. Several times a day. From the very first application things turned around and he got well quickly.
 For colds I tested 2 things on myself which worked:
1. Lomatium root tincture. Half teaspoon every 2 hours for 2-3 times, then reduced to 1-2 droppers every two -three hours. Totally for 2 days. It goes away in 15 minutes, but if you do not keep up taking it, it might come back.
2. Eating nasturtium leaves. I ate 7 largish fresh leaves to start with (had to drink water often while eating as they are very peppery). Then ate 2-3 leaves every 2-3 hours. For 2 days, although I got less particular about timing on the second day.

Another thing is horseradish -about a tablespoon, but since I rarely get colds, didn't get to test that one yet.