<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

I had previously posted, in response to a DH patient asking how to avoid
Iodine, to make sure they didn't also have thyroid problems, since Iodine is
essential for the thyroid, and thyroid problems are quite common amongst
people who tend to get CD and DH.

I understand better now, that DH patients typically have stronger reasons to
avoid iodine than the need for the thyroid to have a good source.

You should be aware, that the thyroid controls a great number of
functions in your body right down to the rate of cellular reproduction.
Of a particular concern to people on this list, would be "They affect
the use of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, electrolytes, and
water, and regulate the immune response in the intestine. They can also
alter the actions of other hormones and drugs" (taken from the general
description on the WebMD site). So thyroid problems will have an impact
on how you recover from or deal with CD and DH. I am taking a long time
to recover from my CD.

I would challenge the belief that everyone gets enough iodine in their diet,
aside from salt. There is a reason why the effort is made to iodize table
salt. Here's another quote from WebMD "About 200 million people around the
world have goiters because of insufficient iodine in their diets, although
the condition is almost unheard of in developed nations, where iodine has
been added to salt. ".  Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you
that I am able to stay on a lower dose of thyroxin enhancement, by taking
the Kelp pills to boost my iodine, and I eat a very adequate and balanced
diet.

You may be aware of people with thyroid problems who cope quite adequately
on their meds (like my grandmother who was on them for 75 years), but that
is when on medication and balanced, just like with CD once on the GF diet.
The consequences of untreated thyroidism can be as bad and worse than CD and
DH.

Just be careful, and make sure you discuss with your physician the relative
effects of lowering your iodine intake. If you don't have any thyroid
trouble, you may be OK to do this, but don't overdue it. There is no
question that if you eliminate iodine altogether, even if you have a
perfectly healthy thyroid, you are going to suffer. There are all kinds of
symptoms for hyper and hypo-thyroidism, but if you are experimenting with
lowering your iodine, hypo-thyroid is most likely, and the most noticable
symptom (I experienced) was over-sensitivity to cold. If you start feeling
cold all the time, then maybe you have gone too far.

Be Happy and Healthy.

Tim.