Fact Check: Does the ‘iodine patch test’ provide accurate results?
Here is all you need to know.
By Sunanda Naik Published on 23 Oct 2023 7:14 AM GMT
A video of Barbara O'Neill, an unregistered and permanently banned Naturopath from providing health services by the Australian medical authorities, has gone viral.
(Source: Facebook Reel)
According to Neill, if you apply iodine solution over your skin and it fades, it is an indication that your body is iodine deficient. You have to keep repeating the same until the color stays darker for a long period. This will indicate that the iodine level has come down to normal.
Fact Check
NewsMeter found the claim to be false.
What is Iodine deficiency?
In simple words, iodine deficiency is a shortage of iodine in the body. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of thyroid disease; if serious, it can cause permanent brain damage and intellectual disabilities in babies. The thyroid hormone influences metabolism and the development and functional abilities of the brain nerves and bones.
Certain symptoms of iodine deficiency are the development of a goitre, constant tiredness, muscle weakness, unexpected weight gain, difficulty learning and remembering, constipation, dry skin and hair loss.
How is iodine deficiency diagnosed?
If you are suffering any of the symptoms above, it is recommended that you visit your nearby health care provider and get your physical examination, urine test, or a thyroid stimulating hormone blood test (TSH) done to find any abnormalities or deficiencies. If there is any abnormality in the reports, you may further go for an ultrasound to look at the thyroid gland for any abnormalities.
Does the Iodine patch test work?
According to an article on Healthline, the iodine past test is where doctors paint a patch of iodine on your skin and check how it looks 24 hours later. This test is inexpensive and relatively quick but may not be as accurate as others.
Another article featuring Dr. Omayra Quijano-Vega, an endocrinologist, explained” “Measuring iodine in the body is hard because it is mainly inside the thyroid gland. Testing through the skin leaves room for errors and inaccuracies. From my research and as an endocrinologist, I do not feel the skin test should be seen or interpreted as a reliable test. There are simple mistakes that can be made, such as putting too much or too little iodine. I always recommend going the diagnostic route.”
An article on cultivating wellness suggests that there are multiple other reasons and factors for how the color of iodine solution on your skin might fade away. The article says that it could be due to the evaporation rate affected by both the environment and skin temperature. About 88% of iodine on your skin will evaporate as a consequence of the external factors. Now iodine gets reduced to iodide, which does not have color. With these factors, there is a huge possibility of error in accounting for the iodine status in one’s body.
We further reached out to Dr. S. Vijay Mohan, M.D, Sr. Consultant Physician, Care Hospitals & Professor & HoD, Dept. of Internal Medicine, to debunk the claim.
He said: “It is a crude and unscientific method. Iodine deficiency is rare. It is seen in people living in high altitudes commonly. Generally, the food we eat is enough to supply our daily requirements except for people with some thyroid problems. Generally, we don’t give iodine supplements.
Regarding the iodine paint test, it sounds ridiculous. Nuts are generally good sources of magnesium and iodine. Daily a handful of nuts advisable for good health.”
