By: Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Iodine supplements may improve mental function in children with even mild deficiencies in the nutrient, a small study suggests.

Iodine is a chemical element necessary for normal growth and development of the brain and body. Because the body does not make iodine, it must be obtained from the diet — from sources like seafood, dairy products, plants grown in iodine-rich soil and iodized table salt.

Severe iodine deficiency has long been known to cause mental impairment, stunted growth and other problems in children. Such deficiency remains a major problem in parts of the world — typically where the soil is iodine-poor, people eat little seafood and uae salt that is not iodized.

But there has also been a recent re-emergence of milder iodine deficiency in certain countries, including New Zealand and Australia — thought to be due to factors like declining use of iodized salt and changes in dairy-product manufacturing that have lowered iodine levels.

Whether mild deficiency affects children's mental functioning, and whether the problem should be treated, is still in question.

To study the issue, researchers in New Zealand randomly assigned 184 mildly iodine-deficient children to take either a tablet containing 150 micrograms of iodine or a placebo pill every day for 28 weeks.

At the end of the study, children in the iodine group showed an overall improvement on two standard cognitive tests that gauge problem-solving abilities. And they outperformed children who received the placebo.

Iodine is necessary for the body to produce thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism. The traditional view was that since these hormone levels are still within normal range when a person is mildly iodine deficient, the lack of iodine may have no health effects.

The current findings, however, suggest that mild iodine deficiency "could prevent children from attaining their full intellectual potential," the researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Still, it is too soon to start routinely treating children with mild deficiencies, according to Dr. Sheila A. Skeaff, a senior lecturer at the University of Otago in Dunedin and one of the researchers on the work.

"More studies should be done," she told Reuters Health in an email. "We found a small effect in children (and) we don't know if this is permanent or not."

Skeaff pointed out that there are no standard tests for mild iodine deficiency. The best solution for people who think they might be deficient is to regularly eat foods high in iodine and/or use iodized table salt.

Note:  We think it is important to point out here that just using more iodized salt is really not the healthiest alternative.  Read this article to look at one of the healthier alternatives!

CAOH

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L. Sims

A: It’s possible it can increase your energy level. The only way it will work is:

1. If you were deficient in a vitamin or mineral and that deficiency was causing your tiredness.
2. The deficiency was causing an organ to not function properly (thyroid or adrenal gland).

The odds of #1 or 2 being present are greater than 50%, in my opinion.

Worst case scenario: you take both and increase your odds of living a longer and healthier life. That doesn’t sound too bad.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc.

Question:

Answer: Patrick, I am 42 years old, 5’9″, 175 lbs. My wife is a personal trainer and we built a 260sqft gym at our house. I have two businesses, a wife and two kids and tons of stress. My blood pressure can be high at times also. It sound like were twins.

Here is what I do as a daily routine. It is designed to balance all aspects of my body. My wife and kids follow the same program with some minor differences. I have tons of energy, rarely get sick, my skin looks younger than my age and my blood tests have been perfect for as long as I have taken them. Here goes and please share.

My morning shake:

1. 8oz: water
2. 1 cup total: (Tader Joe’s) frozen raspberry, blue berries and strawberries
3. 1tablespoon each: flax seed oil (omega 3′s), wheat germ oil (the best source of natural Vitamin E) and CAOH’s Ultra Supreme Greens.
4. 1 teaspoon: molecularly distilled fish oil (source of EPA/DHA), CAOH’s Liquid B-complex and Liquid CoQ10
5. 1oz: CAOH’s Noni Juice, Mangosteen Elixir or Goji Juice
6. 1oz: Liquid Power Multi-V
7. 1scoop: CAOH’s Ultra Whey Protein

BLEND AND DRINK

Some of the supplements I take during the day are:

CAOH’s Super Power (Digestive) Enzymes one with each meal and Now Foods triple lecithin caps (3 day)

Right Now I am doing a cleanse, so to speak. I am having the above shake for breakfast and 2 more during the day minus the oils and Liquid Power Multi-V. I am doing this for one week. I have lost 5 lbs since Monday and feel great. I don’t even miss my coffee.

Salt is not bad in small amounts. Switch to kosher or sea salt and NEVER use standard table salt.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc

Comment: Marcus, I think you are right about the twins. We also put in a gym almost that exact same size in our home. I also look years younger than I am and would like to keep it that way. I did fudge a little on my height .It is 5’9′ and a half. Thank you so much for your quick response. I am going to place an order for all products listed.
Thanks again. Patrick

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At the forefront of CAOH’s offerings are its Therapy Juices™. CAOH presently has four unique, Super-Fruit blends and four 100% Super-Fruit juice products, with 2 new formulations coming in 2009. California Academy of Health management has circled the globe, traveling to South America and Asia to find the best natural product sources and farms for their goji, mangosteen, noni, and acai fruit, much of which supports eco-responsible and cooperative farming. As a result, California Academy of Health has one of the only 100% USDA Organic mangosteen juices on the market. In addition, they provide a 100% organic, freeze-dried acai berry powder that is just one step from eating the Acai berry off the tree!

The uniqueness and quality of their products has created a steady, high-quality repeat customer base. One of the most popular products is their Liquid Power Multi-V™, a completely vegan, hypo-allergenic, liquid multi-vitamin, mineral and phyto-nutrient supplement. Also a proprietary blend, CAOH developed this product to respond to the growing demand for a high-quality, gluten-free, vegan formula. In addition, California Academy of Health is constantly researching and formulating new Therapy Juices™ and nutraceuticals.

CAOH provides a 24-hour order line, as well as immediate access to their Research & Development department to answer any questions. There is no middleman or broker to deal with – CAOH works with all of their customers directly. CAOH constantly strives to keep prices low and focus on quality, with optimal health being their primary goal.

Main products: Power Multi-V™ (vegan, hypo-allergenic, liquid multi-vitamin, mineral and phyto-nutrient supplement); Therapy Juices™ (certified organic): Goji Fusion™, Absolute Goji™, Mangosteen Elixir™, Absolute Mangosteen™, Acai-Max®, Totally Nude Noni Juice™, and Almost Nude Noni Juice™, and Absolute Acai™(Organic, freeze-dried, acai berry powder).

The nutrition and sport industries most comprehensive protein powder is now another California Academy of Health exclusive.

“It’s no just one of the best whey protein powders on the market, I feel it is the best” said Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc., California Academy of Health’s Director of Research and Development, because our Whey Protein Gold Isolate Plus contains a proprietary blend of three specific forms of whey protein: Ion-Exchanged, Cross-Flow Microfiltered, and Enzymatically Hydrolyzed. Only the highest quality, natural ingredients are used, manufactured in a GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and QAI (Quality Assurance International) facility. It’s an amazing 80% protein by weight, yielding 25 grams of easily absorbable, ultra high Biological Value (BV) protein. Not to mention only 2 net grams of carbohydrates per serving.”

One portion of California Academy of Health’s Whey Protein - Gold Isolate Plus goes through a Cross-flow microfiltration process. Cross-flow microfiltration gives an isolate which is greater than 90% in protein and possesses undenatured sub-fractions like beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactoglobulin, immunoglobulins IgG, IgA and IgM, glycomacropeptides, bovine serum albumin, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidaes and lysozyme. “Our Whey Protein Gold Isolate Plus not only is the best protein source for building lean muscle mass but it also possesses potent immune system modulators.”

Whey Protein Gold Isolate Plus is the new “Gold Standard” in sports nutrition, says Dr. Ettinger. California Academy of Health’s Whey Protein Gold Isolate Plus, packs an incredible 5.5 grams of lean muscle mass building, Branch Chain Amino Acid’s per serving. Branch Chain Amino Acid’s (BCAA) are imperative for protein synthesis, which helps preserve lean muscle mass during training and exercise. By creating an anabolic balance in the muscles tissue, BCAA’s keep it from breaking down. Dr. Ettinger adds, “Our Whey Protein Gold Isolate Plus also has added free form amino acid L-Glutamine, for enhanced lean muscle preservation.”

California Academy of Health’s Whey Protein Gold Isolate Plus is for everyone. “My 19 month old daughter has taken it, in a shake, with goat’s milk and fruit since she stopped breast feeding; my wife is a personal trainer and has used it to help her clients lose weight and create ripped muscles and I use it for my training and to help keep me looking and feeling young.”

California Academy of Health’s Whey protein Gold Isolate Plus comes in a 21 serving, 2 pound container. It is naturally Vanilla flavored which mixes well with juices and smoothies.

This product mixed with our “Liquid Power Multi-V” and any of our juices is an outstanding daily nutrition regiment!

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Power Multi-V

FYI, We at CAOH evaluated and personally tested some of the industry’s most popular liquid multiples for taste, nutritional diversity, stability and quality and guess what? We knew we could do better. CAOH doesn’t just have one but two of the industry’s best liquid multiples: Liquid Power Multi-V and Liquid Ultra Complete. (As of 09/06 we no longer Make Liquid Ultra Complete).

Personally, I will only take or recommend supplements in tablet form when a capsule, powder or liquid is unavailable. Supplements in Liquid form are easily absorbed because they don’t depend on proper HCl levels in the stomach the way tablets do. Note: The average American because of diet, medications and stress has low stomach HCl levels. (See Super Power Enzymes).

By adding liquid multiples to juices such as Goji or Mangosteen and then combining them further with a whey protein isolate powder and liquid essential fatty acids (omega’s 3, 6 & 9), you’ll have yourself not only one of the most nutritious meals possible but a natural energy level that has to be experienced to be believed.

Again, yours in good health, Dr. E