Americans have rightly been told to avoid table salt for decades inorder to reduce their risk of hypertension and related healthconditions. When iodized table salt is reduced, people can unknowinglylower their iodine intake to suboptimal levels. Analyses from theNational Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) show thaturinary iodine levels have plummeted since the 1970s.

Iodine is a health-promoting trace element essential for life. Itsprimary biological role lies in the production of the thyroid hormonestriiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4).1T4 and T3 contain four and three atoms of iodine per molecule,respectively. The thyroid gland actively absorbs iodide from the bloodto make and release these hormones into the blood.

Iodine is found abundantly in sea vegetables and plants. In areaswhere no marine foods are eaten, people have lower iodine levels.2For this reason, US commercial salt manufacturers have added iodine totheir product since the 1920s, in order to deliver this key ingredientto your diet. However, we now know the dangers associated with eatingtoo much table salt, resurrecting the dilemma of where to get healthysources of iodine.

Ironically, health-conscious people are often most likely to develop low iodine levels.3One reason is that athletes and people engaged in heavy physical effortdeplete their natural stores of this trace mineral throughperspiration, increasing their need for it. Vegetarians also havesubstantially greater likelihood of low levels of iodine thancarnivorous people, since foods of plant origin are less rich in iodinethan animal-derived foods. One study demonstrated iodine deficiency in25% of vegetarians and 80% of vegans.4

The good news is that you can avoid iodized table salt withoutsacrificing the health benefits of iodine. For the first time, LifeExtension® introduces Sea-Iodine™, a low-cost proprietary formula thathealth conscious individuals can take each day to support optimaliodine levels. Using standardized extracts harvested from a blend ofmarine algae, Sea-Iodine™ brings you the health of the sea whileavoiding the well known dangers of excessive salt intake. The purifiedalgae extracts found in Sea-Iodine™ come from the pristine waters ofIceland, Nova Scotia, Italy and Norway, providing over 667% of theRecommended Daily Value of natural iodine.

For those members who would like the convenience and economy oftaking vitamin D and Sea-Iodine™ in just one capsule, Life Extension®offers Vitamin D3 with Sea-Iodine™. As a result of startling evidenceof a widespread vitamin D deficiency, prominent nutritional scientistsare calling on Americans to increase their vitamin D intake to 1000 IUper day and higher. Life Extension® recommends that healthy adultssupplement each day with at least 1000 IU of vitamin D. Elderly adultsmay benefit from higher doses such as 2000 IU daily, and even up to5000 IU daily.

Individuals consuming more than 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D (from dietand supplements) should periodically obtain a serum 25-hydroxy vitaminD measurement. Toxicity is very unlikely in healthy individuals at adose of less than 10,000 IU. Vitamin D supplementation iscontraindicated in individuals with hypercalcemia (high blood calciumlevels). People with kidney disease or thyroid, certain medicalconditions (such as hyperparathyroidism or sarcoidosis), and those whouse cardiac glycosides (digoxin), thiazide diuretics or antithyroidmedications should consult a physician before using this product.