Iodine can relieve breast pain, ovulation pain, premenstrual mood symptoms and help to prevent ovarian cysts. It works by promoting healthy estrogen metabolism, down-regulating estrogen receptors, and stabilizing estrogen-sensitive tissue in the breasts, uterus, ovaries, and brain. As one paper says, iodine has “a net anti-estrogenic effect.”
Iodine’s anti-estrogen effect makes it one of the best treatments for estrogen excess or “estrogen dominance”—although I don’t use that term.
Iodine for women’s health
Milligram-dose iodine can be an effective nutritional strategy for the following women’s health conditions:
- fibrocystic breasts, breast cysts, and pain
- ovulation pain
- prevention of ovarian cysts
- irregular periods, including some types of PCOS
- prevention of fibroids
- heavy periods
- perimenopause
- endometriosis
- premenstrual mood symptoms, including PMS and PMDD.
👉 Tip: Iodine’s benefits for endometriosis may stem (at least in part) from its antimicrobial and immune-modulating effects.
👉 Tip: Additional treatments for premenstrual mood symptoms include a dairy-free, histamine-reducing diet, magnesium, vitamin B6, and progesterone.
Milligram dose means 1 to 3 mg (1000 to 3000 mcg), preferably as molecular iodine (I2) like the Violet Daily brand, which is better for breasts and safer for the thyroid. A higher dose of iodine is safe only if you test negative for thyroid antibodies (see below).
👉 Tip: Taking selenium can help to protect the thyroid gland from iodine.
Don’t take iodine without testing for thyroid antibodies
Before taking iodine, it’s crucial to screen for thyroid antibodies (also called anti-thyroid antibodies or anti-TPO antibodies) because too much iodine, especially potassium iodide, can harm the thyroid or trigger autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s thyroid disease).
If your blood test is positive for thyroid antibodies (or you have already been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease), do not take more than 0.3 mg (300 mcg) of iodine. Unfortunately, this may not be enough to relieve women’s health symptoms, but a larger dose is not safe in your case. Furthermore, if you develop abnormal thyroid function while taking iodine, stop it immediately and check with your doctor.
On the other hand, Ii your blood test is negative for thyroid antibodies, it could be safe to try milligram-dose iodine for its anti-estrogen benefits.
👉Tip: An abnormal thyroid result (especially positive thyroid antibodies) means it’s not safe to try iodine.
Also, note that milligram-dose iodine is not safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
How to know if iodine might be helpful
Apart from the safety check of testing for thyroid antibodies, there’s no reliable way to assess for iodine deficiency. Instead, I look to the symptom of breast tenderness as a sign of iodine deficiency and an indication that iodine will likely be helpful.
Iodine deficiency is more common with a plant-based or vegan diet because plant foods are low in iodine.
Food sources of iodine
- Seafood (10 – 190 mcg per 100 grams).
- Egg yolks (24 mcg per yolk).
- Butter from grass-fed cows, but only with iodine-rich soil.
- Iodized salt (400 mcg per teaspoon).
- Seaweed or kelp (2 – 800 mcg per 100 grams). Unfortunately, kelp also contains bromine, which prevents iodine uptake and may contain toxic metals.
- Plant foods like mushrooms and leafy greens, but only with iodine-rich soil.
