The year is 1811, and a brilliant Bertrand Courtois heads off to his potassium nitrate factory for what should be just another normal day on the job. Little did Courtois know that his discovery in 1811 would mark one of the most prominent nutritional interventions the world has seen to this day.
To create the potassium nitrate powder, Courtois’ factory burned vegetable matter like seaweed and used large tanks to extract it. Of course, these tanks needed to be periodically cleaned. One day, a large amount of acid was used to clean the seaweed tanks, in which Courtois noticed these fumes emanating from the tanks. It then condensed on the side of the tank forming crystals. These crystals were sent to Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac, and Sir David Humphrey. Working independently, both scientists concluded that these crystals were a new element which they called “iode.” The name was later changed to Iodine.
What is Iodine? It’s an essential trace mineral that is imperative for proper thyroid hormone production. Iodine is a precursor for the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), which are key regulators of metabolic processes, protein synthesis, and enzymatic activity in the body. (1) When the body becomes deficient in these hormones, adverse side-effects such as a goiter (lump in the front of the neck), neurocognitive impairments, and hypothyroidism may manifest clinically. (1) An early sign of hypothyroidism is having an elevated blood level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), which can be detected by your physician using a blood draw. (1)
With Iodine being so crucial for humans to function properly, coupled with the fact that humans can’t produce Iodine within the body, it is apparent that we must be cognizant to get our Iodine via food and supplementation daily. In fact, if we go back just about 100 years ago, more than 26% of American children in the Great Lakes, Appalachians, and Northwestern regions of the US had clinically apparent goiter. (2) So, what did we do about this problem? Well on May 1, 1924, grocery shelves in Michigan began offering iodized salt. (3)
How much do you need? The RDA for Iodine is 150 micrograms (mcg) daily for adult men and women 19+ years old. (1) You could reach and exceed the RDA through daily use of iodized salt, or some other foods to consider are seaweed, fish/shellfish, chicken, dairy, eggs, and beef liver. You could also consider the Pinnacle Men's and Women's Multis, both dosed at the RDA of 150 mcg. The goal with The Pinnacle Multis is to provide you with the foundation needed to live your best life. Iodine is an inconspicuous mineral that has huge implications on your livelihood. By taking our clinically dosed multivitamin every day, you are ensuring that your body has this crucial building block to help Reach Your Pinnacle.
1. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17956156/
3. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article