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Why Iodine is Vital for Thyroid Function (And How the HypoHero Thyroid Protocol May Help)

Feeling cold, tired, or foggy, even with “normal” thyroid labs?
It might be time to look at one of the most overlooked (yet essential) nutrients for your thyroid: iodine.

The Unsung Hero of Thyroid Health: Iodine

Your thyroid relies on iodine to do its most important job producing thyroid hormones. Without enough iodine, your thyroid can’t make T4 and T3, which are the hormones that regulate your energy, body temperature, metabolism, focus, and so much more.

In fact, every cell in your body depends on these hormones. So when iodine is missing, your entire body and metabolism can slow down.

Here’s the truth:
While iodine deficiency is often dismissed as a thing of the past, it’s making a quiet comeback—thanks to modern diets, processed foods, bromide exposure, and a widespread fear of iodine that’s left many people unknowingly depleted.

Signs Your Body May Be Lacking Enough Iodine

You might be low in iodine if you’ve experienced any of the following symptoms:

Cold hands and feet (even in summer)
Chronic fatigue, especially in the afternoon
Feeling tired even after eight hours of sleep
Brain fog or trouble focusing
Thinning hair or hair loss
Low body temperature (below 98.6°F)
Weight gain that doesn’t respond to diet or exercise
Mood swings, depression, or feeling “off” emotionally

And if you’ve been on thyroid medication for years but never felt truly better, this may be part of the missing link.

Why Thyroid Lab Tests Miss the Bigger Picture

The standard lab tests (like TSH or even T4/T3) don’t show iodine levels or whether your thyroid is actually functioning well. You can have “normal” thyroid labs and still feel miserable if your body is struggling to make and convert thyroid hormone or if it’s depleted of the nutrients it needs to function.

That’s why we focus on temperature and symptom tracking in the HypoHero Thyroid Protocol, because your body tells the truth, even when your labs don’t.

The Problem with Modern Iodine Intake

These days, many people avoid iodine because they’ve heard it’s dangerous or unnecessary, especially if they have Hashimoto’s or thyroid nodules. But that’s incorrect information. Here’s the truth that most people, and many doctors, don’t realize:

Your thyroid requires iodine, even in autoimmune conditions
The type and amount of iodine matter too much of the wrong form may cause issues
Modern life is full of halogens (like fluoride, bromide, and chlorine) that block iodine and compete for your receptors which affects thyroid hormones
Salt is not a reliable source of iodine, contrary to common beliefs

That means even if you’re getting a little iodine in your diet, your body may not be absorbing or using it properly.

How the HypoHero Thyroid Protocol Supports Healthy Iodine Levels

The HypoHero Thyroid Protocol is designed to fill in the missing pieces, not just with supplements, but with a proven strategy.

Here’s how it helps:

1. Track What Your Labs Miss

We start with temperature and symptom tracking so you can see real changes in energy, focus, mood, and metabolism. This shows you how your thyroid is actually functioning day to day, not just once a year on a lab test.

2. Fuel Your Thyroid With Minerals

The protocol includes Thiodine, our premium iodine supplement with both molecular iodine and potassium iodide. These are the two forms your thyroid, breast tissue, and entire body require. This blend supports hormone production and gently displaces halogens like bromide that block iodine uptake.

We also include Halodetox, a trace mineral salt drink that helps your body utilize iodine, flush out halogens, and support adrenal function, and Thyroconvert, a powerful blend that supports T4 to T3 conversion, antioxidant protection, and reduces inflammation.

3. Optimize As You Go

As your thyroid starts to regain function, we teach you how to adjust your approach so you don’t accidentally overstimulate your system. This is especially important for people who are still on thyroid medication, because as your body improves, your dose may need to shift.

You’re Not Alone, And You’re Not Stuck

If you’ve tried diet and exercise but struggle with slow metabolism…
If you feel tired after eight hours of sleep…
If you’ve been told your thyroid labs are fine but your body tells you otherwise…
If you’ve tried thyroid medication but don’t feel better…
If you’re scared to try iodine because of something you read online…

We get it. We’ve been there.

That’s why the HypoHero Thyroid Protocol exists.
To help you get answers, take control, and finally support your thyroid the way it was meant to be supported with the right minerals, at the right time, in the right way.

Ready to find out if iodine is your missing piece?
Take the HypoHero Thyroid Quiz and get started today.

Lab Tests for Hypothyroidism

Miss Lizzy

If you’ve been told your thyroid is “normal” but still feel tired, cold, foggy, or stuck, there’s a good chance you haven’t had the full picture. It’s not just about TSH. And it’s not just about labs.

When you’re trying to get to the root of fatigue, weight gain, low body temperature, or other thyroid-related symptoms, having the right tests can help but they only work if you know what to look for and how to connect the dots. That’s exactly what we do inside the HypoHero™ Thyroid Protocol.

Why Standard Lab Testing Isn’t Always Enough

Most doctors run a TSH test and stop there. But TSH is a pituitary hormone, it’s not a direct measure of thyroid function. It doesn’t tell you how well your body is converting thyroid hormone, how much active hormone is available to your cells, or how your adrenals are influencing your energy levels.

That’s why many people get told “everything looks fine” while still living with hypothyroid symptoms. I was one of them.

Here’s a better set of labs to request if you’re still trying to get answers.

Basic Thyroid Labs

Free T3

This measures the active form of thyroid hormone your body actually uses. If Free T3 is low, even with “normal” TSH, you can still have hypothyroidism symptoms. It’s one of the most important thyroid markers to monitor over time.

Free T4

Free T4 is the storage form of thyroid hormone. Your body converts T4 into T3. Low Free T4 can signal underactive thyroid, but it must be interpreted alongside Free T3.

Reverse T3 (RT3)

Reverse T3 is a blocker. When it’s too high, it can slow your metabolism and compete with active T3 at the cellular level. The best way to evaluate this is by looking at the Free T3 to RT3 ratio—we explain how to do this inside the protocol.

TSH

This test can be helpful as a reference range over time, not as the single diagnostic test.

Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPO)

This test can help identify autoimmune thyroid issues like Hashimoto’s. If TPO antibodies are elevated, your body may be attacking its own thyroid.

Adrenal Health Labs

24-Hour Saliva Cortisol Test

This test maps your cortisol rhythm throughout the day. It’s helpful if you feel wired at night, can’t wake up in the morning, or crash in the afternoon. Cortisol patterns matter more than a single cortisol value.

Note: If you’re planning to take this test, stop any adrenal supplements at least two weeks beforehand for best accuracy.

Nutrient Labs That Impact Thyroid Function

These labs aren’t always run, but they may provide additional insights:

Ferritin (Iron Storage)

Low ferritin can mimic hypothyroid symptoms. For thyroid function, most women feel best with ferritin between 70–90.

Vitamin B12

Low B12 can lead to fatigue, brain fog, and mood issues. Some people with thyroid issues don’t absorb B12 well and may need sublingual or injection support.

Vitamin D

Aim for a level between 50–70 ng/mL. Low vitamin D is common in people with autoimmune conditions and can affect immune and thyroid function.

Serum Iron / TIBC

These tests help determine if your body is absorbing and transporting iron effectively. Iron is required for thyroid hormone conversion.

Zinc

Zinc is needed for hormone production and immune health. Blood zinc may look normal even when you’re functionally low, so symptoms and temperature tracking are important.

Secondary Labs (Optional but Useful)

These may be helpful in certain situations:

DHEA-S
Aldosterone / Renin
ACTH Stimulation Test
RBC Magnesium
Folate (Vitamin B9)

We go into more detail about when and why to consider these in the Optimize phase of the HypoHero Thyroid Protocol.

Why Lab Tests Alone Aren’t Enough

Even with all the right labs, it’s still possible to miss what’s going on. That’s why, in the HypoHero Thyroid Protocol, we focus on daily temperature tracking and symptom patterns.

Your body temperature can give you clues about thyroid and adrenal function in real-time (something no blood tests can’t do). When temperature is consistently low (especially under 97.8°F in the morning), it’s often a sign of low thyroid function, even if labs are in range.

Inside the HypoHero™ Thyroid Protocol, we show you how to:

Track temperature and symptoms daily
Identify patterns that point to thyroid, adrenal, or conversion issues
Use labs alongside your data, not in place of it
Support your body with targeted minerals
Adjust your approach based on progress, not guesswork

Ready to Understand What’s Really Going On?

If you’ve been running in circles trying to get lab answers that make sense, the HypoHero™ Thyroid Protocol gives you a different approach—one that puts you back in control.

Take the first step now and start your thyroid transformation:
👉 Click here to learn more and take the quiz

Iodine and Thyroid Health

Miss Lizzy

Iodine is necessary for the thyroid gland’s proper performance. The human thyroid gland is located in the front of the lower part of the neck. All the blood in the body passes through the thyroid gland every 17 minutes. Because the cells making up this gland have an affinity for iodine, during this 17-minute passage the gland’s secretion of iodine kills weak germs that may have gained entry into the blood through an injury to the skin, the lining of nose or throat, or through absorption of food from the digestive tract. Strong, virulent germs are rendered weaker during their passage through the thyroid gland. With each 17 minutes that rolls around they are made still weaker until finally they are killed if the gland has its normal supply of iodine. If it does not, it cannot kill harmful germs circulating in the blood as Nature intended it should.

Two drops of Lugol’s solution of iodine works equally well in an adult. When the stress and strain of daily living create a load that is difficult to carry, producing a state of anxiety, and when the day’s problems make it difficult to relax and sleep well at night, then one appreciates the aid that iodine gives. -D.C. Jarvis, MD from “Folk Medicine”

Folk Medicine in Vermont is interested in three R’s-Resistance, Repair, and Recovery. First the individual asks himself whether his resistance to disease is as it should be. Next, is he able to repair tissue injury due to accident should it occur? Finally, if sickness should come, is his body able to bring about recovery? Somehow during the passing years he has learned that iodine is related to the ability to resist disease.

We learn in Vermont folk medicine, however, that this gland performs other functions besides killing harmful germs in the blood. The first is the rebuilding of energy with which to do the day’s work. There is a definite relationship be-tween the amount of energy you have and your iodine intake.

Buy Thiodine Lugols 5% Solution of Iodine

The first question in the presence of a condition of depleted energy is, Is the soil of the state in which one lives iodine-poor? Second, is the deficiency being made up by supple-mentary means?All soils containing granite are iodine-poor and Vermont is one of them. This fact is very important to people living in Vermont and well may be important to those living elsewhere. When energy and endurance run low in relation to doing the day’s work, then the taking of iodine needs to be considered.

A second function of iodine is to calm the body and relieve nervous tension. When nervous tension runs high there is irritability and difficulty in sleeping well at night, and the body is continually on a combat basis, organized for fight and flight. All these points stress a body’s need for iodine to lessen nervous tension, relax the body and enable it to or-ganize for peace and quiet, by the building and storing of body reserves against time of need. I have learned through Vermont folk medicine that it is possible to repeatedly change an irritable, impatient, and restless child under ten years of age into a calm, patient individual within two hours’ time by giving one drop of Lugol’s solution of iodine by mouth in a vegetable or fruit juice or in a glass of water made acid in reaction by adding a teaspoonful of apple cider vinegar. I have repeatedly prescribed this in order to make it possible for a mother of a racehorse-type little boy or girl to be able to live comfortably with the child. I have never seen it fail to calm down a nervous child.

In an adult two teaspoonfuls of apple cider vinegar and two of honey are added to a glass of water. The honey is there because it is a sedative. Then add two drops of Lugol’s solution of iodine to the glass containing the vinegar and- honey mixture, stir it, and sip it during the meal as you would coffee or tea. Taken apart from the meal it can be sipped like a cocktail. Soon your motor will have slipped into low gear. Your problems and their solution will seem less difficult, and the day’s load of responsibility easier to carry. In this age of anxiety the combination of iodine with vinegar and water will give the harassed individual increased energy and the endurance necessary to carry the daily load. You will find that the wear and tear of daily living is considerably reduced. – D.C. Jarvis, MD, from “Folk Medicine”

A third function of iodine in the human body relates to clear thinking. The mind simply works better when the body is supplied the iodine it needs. Then there is the matter of the storing of unwanted fat. Iodine is one of the best oxidizing catalysts we have. A catalyst is the match which touches off in the body the fire that burns up the food we take in each day. If this food is not properly burned off, it may be stored as unwanted fat.

As you study yourself you will soon learn to tell when you need iodine. When a night’s sleep does not bring you to the beginning of the new day with the energy you are accustomed to have, you will begin to think of iodine. If you learn how to use it, it will restore the capacity to bounce back and sustain your well-being. D.C. Jarvis, MD, from “Folk Medicine”

B u y Thiodine Lugols 5% Solution of Iodine

Here is a collection of articles about Iodine, Hypothyroidism, Women’s Health:

Thyroid Disease ‘Raises Birth Risk’ Dr. Mercola

Iodine May Improve Mental Performance Dr. Mercola

Australia is adding Iodine to their bread Stop the Thyroid Madness

A toxin which could explain why SO many of us have Thyroid Disease Stop the Thyroid Madness

Causes of Hypothyroidism (including Iodine Insufficiency)

Thyroid Supplements on Stop the Thyroid Madness

Relationship between Iodine and Thyroid Health

Breast & Womb – What I’ve Learned about Iodine Supplementation