Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production. You may think you’re covered by consuming iodine-rich foods like cod, tuna, eggs, yogurt, cranberries, strawberries, baked potatoes, and the occasional seaweed when you go for sushi. Plus, you take a multivitamin with iodine every day—so you should be fine, right?

Not so fast. It’s more complicated than that.

The Hidden Threat to Your Thyroid

Take a look at the periodic table. You’ll notice that fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), and bromine (Br) fall in the same column as iodine (I). That’s a problem. These elements compete with iodine in your body, potentially disrupting thyroid function.

To simplify, here’s how I’d explain it to a child:

A School Bus Analogy

Imagine a school called “Thyroid”, located in the northern part of town. It has good students—they excel academically, participate in sports, and contribute to school activities. Think of these students as iodine molecules, and their activities represent your metabolism.

Now, there are also bullies at this school. These kids don’t contribute—they loiter outside, cause trouble, and disrupt the system. These bullies represent fluorine, chlorine, and bromine.

Every morning, a school bus picks up students for class. But there’s only so much room on the bus. If too many bullies get on, fewer good students make it to school—meaning less activity and lower productivity.

The same thing happens in your body: you can consume iodine, but if fluorine, chlorine, and bromine take its place, your thyroid function suffers.

Where Are These “Bullies” Coming From?

Here are common sources of these iodine disruptors:

• Fluorine & Compounds – Found in plastics, light bulbs, air conditioning units, drinking water, and toothpaste.
• Chlorine – Used in tap water, swimming pools, paper products, dyes, textiles, petroleum, medicines, antiseptics, insecticides, food processing, solvents, paints, and plastics.
• Bromine – Found in fumigants, flameproofing agents, water purification compounds, dyes, medications, sanitizers, photography chemicals, and even non-organic food (cereals, vegetables, milk, beef, and lamb).

How to Stop the Bullying

To protect your thyroid and optimize function, avoid:

✔ Tap water – Use a high-quality water filter.
✔ Chlorinated pools – Limit exposure.
✔ Fluoride toothpaste – Switch to a fluoride-free alternative.
✔ Bleached products – Avoid bleached coffee filters, tea bags, and paper products.
✔ Plastics – Use glass or stainless steel for food storage.
✔ Non-organic foods – Choose organic milk, vegetables, and meat whenever possible.

By reducing your exposure to these elements, you’ll give iodine a better chance to do its job—supporting a healthy, high-functioning thyroid.