Health experts often turn to Japan for secrets to a long and healthy life. After all, the Japanese have one of the longest life expectancies on earth, as well as the greatest percentage of people who live past the age of 100. Conventional wisdom often attributes this longevity to the diet of the Japanese people. To many observers, the fact that the Japanese eat lots of fish and seaweed is why they are so healthy and live so long. And it may be true that the Japanese diet is at least partially responsible for their health and longevity, but such reasoning can be dangerous, especially when it is based on false and misleading data. One example of false data is the claim that the Japanese consume more than 13 milligrams of iodine daily in seaweed consumption alone. Some well-known health experts and supplement manufacturers, and retailers have been using this […]
Iodine
Editor’s Note: Below is Part 2 in our two-part series on restoring thyroid health. As we learned in Part I of the series (which we encourage you to read before moving on to the post below) — Restoring Thyroid Health: Part 1: Hypothyroid — Just shy of 15 percent of the U.S. population is expected to develop a thyroid condition at some point, while roughly 20 million people in the U.S. have a form of thyroid disease, and 60 percent of those people with thyroid disease are actually unaware of their condition. In this part, the focus shifts to diagnosing and treating hyperthyroid (overactive thyroid). Symptoms of hyperthyroid include: Appetite change (decrease or increase) Difficulty sleeping (insomnia) Fatigue Frequent bowel movements or diarrhea Heart palpitations Heat intolerance Increased sweating Irritability Light menstrual or missed menstrual periods Mental disturbances Muscle weakness Nervousness Fertility issues Shortness of breath Tremor/shakiness Vision changes Weight loss or