Mercola Article on Infant Formuala, Perchlorate & Iodine Uptake

Link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/05/Rocket-Fuel-Found-In-Most-Powdered-Infant-Formula.aspx


I just signed up for his e-mail list and forwarded the link to this article on infant formulas to a friend because they are adopting their first baby soon. Unfortunately it won't have the benefit of mother's milk, but I sent her this link since it talks about which formulas are better and how to boost them nutritionally. It had an interesting section on perchlorate inhibiting the thyroid's uptake of iodine, that section here:

The Dangers of Perchlorate

This is a serious concern because perchlorate is known to disrupt thyroid function and hormone production by inhibiting your thyroid gland's Iodine uptake. This has actually been known since the 1950’s, when it was used to treat overactive thyroids.

In addition, at high doses perchlorates may affect fetal development, so the mother’s toxic load can also place the child at risk.

According to the CDC, perchlorate affects your health in the following ways:

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Blocks your thyroid gland from taking up iodine. (Your thyroid gland needs iodine to make the thyroid hormones that regulate how your body uses energy.)
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Iodine deficiency or conditions that prevent its use in making thyroid hormone lead to decreased amounts of thyroid hormone circulating in your blood, which can manifest as symptoms of hypothyroidism.

The researchers did note that supplemental iodine can counteract some of the toxic effects of perchlorate, and that the FDA requires infant formula to be supplemented with iodine.

However, the required concentration ranges from as little as 5 to as much as 75 mcg per 100 kcal of energy. Brands that contain only the minimum requirements leave infants iodine deficient and therefore more susceptible to thyroid damage.

That said, the researchers still stressed that even the formulas containing adequate amounts of iodine were not guaranteed to prevent “perchlorate-induced thyroid dysfunction.”

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