History | melissa-iodine-123

From Discovery to Essentiality

EARLY INVESTIGATIONS

Early Chinese medical writings around 3600 B.C. were the "first" to observe and record the decreases in goiter size after ingesting seaweed and sea sponge. Although iodine was yet to be discovered, these treatments remained effective and accepted, which was documented in writings by Hippocrates and Arnold of Villanova in centuries that followed.

The ancient Chinese identified goiters and observed the therapeutic effects of burnt sponge and seaweed in minimizing the size and appearance.

INCIDENTALLY DISCOVERY

gunpowder needed

The discovery of iodine was unexpectedly created during the early 19th century when Napoleon’s army needed more gunpowder. Willow ashes were needed to create sodium carbonate, which is a key component of saltpeter, one of gunpowder's main ingredients.

Without willow ashes, Bernard Courtois had to improvise, so he began burning seaweed to ashes. The legend claims that Courtois added too much sulfuric acid in the midst of destroying the byproducts used to isolate the sodium carbonate. That reaction was observed as a mysterious purple ball of vapor which hardened into violet, lustrous crystals. Bernard Courtois just discoverd something new.

SOURCES OF IODINE INTAKE

Kelp, a type of seaweed, is a popular source of iodine, since it absorbs the element from seawater.

As kelp grows, it takes iodine out of seawater. Over time, sea kelp has a much higher concentration of iodine than seawater. Sea kelp is harvested, dried, and burned to collect iodine. The process is not much different from the one used by Courtois in 1811.

IODINE IN SALT HISTORY

Iodine was added to salt around 1924 by the Morton Salt Company at the request of government initiatives, due to the growing need for regulation of iodine deficiency disorders. In the 1920′s era in the United States, the Great Lakes area experienced high incidences of goiter. Adding iodine to salt was done as a response to that regions soil levels being extremely low in iodine and people simply weren’t eating enough iodine rich foods.

FIRST USE OF

RADIOACTIVE IODINE

in a clinical setting

Saul Hertz (1905 - 1950) discovered radioactive iodine as a tracer/diagnostic tool, as a therapy for Graves disease, and thyroid cancer. Radioactive iodine (RAI) is the first targeted Cancer therapy. In 1941, Dr. Hertz was the first to administer radioactive iodine at the Massachusetts General Hospital. His use of radioactive iodine as a tracer in the diagnostic process, as a treatment for Graves' disease and in the treatment of cancer of the thyroid remain the preferred practices.

NAMING THIS ELEMENT

Research concludes Iodine was confirmed as an element by a British chemist named Humphry Davy and the more popular, French chemist Gay-Lussac. They respectively named iodine.

The name was chosen due to the purple color of iodine vapor and the Greek word "iodes", which means violet.

In addition, the only naturally occurring isotopes of iodine are 127I and 129I, which are stable and radioactive, respectively.

THE RISK OF IODINE DEFICIENCY:

the history and complications

FUNCTIONAL FOOD

and preservation

David Marine (1880-1976) a pathologist from Johns Hopkins and Murray Cowie (1872-1940) a Professor from the University of Michigan are known for introducing the first "functional food" by successfully iodizing salt to prevent goiters...they soon met with American salt manufactures.

However, the origins of salt-preserving food can be traced back to at least Ancient Egypt, where they used salt as part of the embalming process and in food preservations.