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Performing Iodine Skin Test; At Brief

By Olive Pate


Iodine is among the components used by the thyroid to produce necessary hormones to ensure the metabolic processes function normally. If it is not sufficient, a couple of problems can be witnessed including hypothyroidism. The iodine skin test is one of the popular methods of testing for iodin deficiency.

This test determines how quickly iodin is absorbed inside the body through skin. It is not one hundred percent reliable due to the fact that it does not give a broad view of the levels of iodin as a test conducted by the doctor could. It just provides information on how fast it gets absorbed. This should not be taken as an auxiliary to the clinically done tests to measure its levels. There is no available data to support its reliability in measuring the levels of iodin.

It is done using a solution of iodine of tincture. The normal color of the solution is yellow. A three by three inch patch of skin is painted with the solution. The preferred sites are the abdomen, inner forearm or the inner thigh. It should be allowed to dry completely before you touch anything as staining can happen. The spot is observed for the following 24 hours for changes in the color.

What one should be keen about is the time taken for the spot to fade in color. If it is still present 24 hours after the painting, then the results are within the normal ranges but if disappearance takes place before 24 hours are over, then some deficiency is present. In addition, if significant lightening occurs within 18 hours, this is an indication of sever to moderate deficiency. Supplementation may have to be considered.

Several factors interact together to cause the color disappearance. Iodide is the component which results when iodin is reduced by the human skin. It is white and that is why the original color disappears. Evaporation is affected by the room temperatures and also the atmospheric pressure. Loading test is a better choice when reliability and validity of the results is desired.

Thyroid conditions may result to low iodin levels. The importance of the element is that is helps the gland to regulate heartbeats, maintain weight, stabilize cholesterol, balance hormones, enhance the growth of the muscles, keep regular menstrual cycles, provide energy and maintain positive perceptual attitude.

About two thirds of the iodin found in the human body is kept in thyroid gland. Taking seaweed vegetables is a sure way of boosting the iodine content in the body. One spoon a day of this is enough to regain the normal levels. Seafood of even fish can also help out. Other food types containing iodin are eggs and also dairy products. Goitrogens are foods which hinder utilization of iodin in the body. They are food like cabbage, kale, soy flour, peanuts, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, turnips and kohlrabi.

Copper, zinc, iodine, selenium and tyrosine are the minerals needed to reactivate thyroid gland. Make sure to include foods rich in these nutrients in your nutrition. For those suffering from Hashimotos Thyroiditis, iodine supplementation should be avoided unless advised otherwise by your doctor.




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