Is there a real difference between "iodine" (like Lugol's or Iodoral) and SSKI?

Forgive if this has been asked and answered before. I just can't find it.

Is there a material difference between iodine preparations such as Lugol's or Iodoral and SSKI, or is the difference merely one of proportions?

My bottle of TriQuench (labeled as SSKI) says "1 drop = 19mg iodine from 25mg potassium iodide"

My bottle of Iodoral says "potassium iodide 7.5mg, iodine 5mg"

My bottle of Lugol's 5% just lists percentages: "10% potassium iodide, 5% iodine"

So, as far as I can tell, there doesn't seem to be any difference between what we call SSKI and what we call "iodine" (such as Lugol's), other than proportion and possibly preparation (pills v. liquid).

If there is a difference, can someone school me? This has kind of been bothering me for a while now. I feel dumb because I haven't figured it out yet. LOL

Lugol's and Iodoral contains both Iodine and Iodide (SSKI).

Easiest way to take Iodine/Iodide IMO/IME is through SSKI and buy something like detoxified iodine or nascent Iodine. Those two sources of iodine are less harsh than Lugol's and more easily absorbed and thus more effective at a lower dose so to speak.

If you take Iodine you have to take selenium to balance the thyroid. One without the other makes thyroid issues worse.

Also, don't forget the salt to detox the bromine.

Also, you may also want Vitamin C to help detox and you would take the Vitamin C about an hour after Iodine/Iodide dose.


I should also mention that some prefer Kelp or seaweed or whatever but most is contaminated.

hope this helps

Thanks for the tips, jdp. Incidentally, salt loading already helped get rid of most of my reaction to taking iodine/iodide. I do it for my adrenals but it helped other things, as well.

I'm really quite pleased with the Triquench. Seems pretty potent.

But I'm a little confused about "nascent iodine". I have some (it's kind of old, like a couple years or maybe more), and haven't used it much because there wasn't much info on dosage (only that it takes "much less" of the nascent than something like Lugol's). Does "nascent" mean it's not derived from iodide? Or does the fact that it's "purified" mean it's been rendered so that only the iodine fraction remains?

Iodine and iodide are two seperate things.

With that said, your body will convert Iodine to Iodide shortly after consuming. If taken with food the salt or vitamin c or similar will also cause it to be converted and thus you'd want to take iodine on an empty stomach. Also, if the body is not copper toxic, then the body will also convert the iodide stored in the body to iodine as well... probably when needed I assume.

Regarding nascent or detoxified iodine you have to keep in mind that minerals can be biounavailable or less absorbable or whatever. Nascent or detoxified iodine helps here so that one doesn't have to take such a large dose of iodine. Not to mention if one is heavy metal toxic, all that iodine in Lugol's can be pretty harsh. Not only that but can also positively charge minerals in the body as well if I'm not mistaken. When many minerals are positively charged they are biounavailable and can be toxic and can be excreted or pushed out of the body through the skin/hair if I'm not mistaken.

Basically, while large doses of Lugol's or Iodoral is what the Iodine docs use, there is a better method and I agree with the method that's talked about at the Iodine supplementation forum at curezone and that is to take the Iodide/SSKI and then take nascent or detoxified iodine for the iodine.



more info on nascent iodine = http://puremagoil.com/magnascentiodine.htm


By the way, if you'd rather use Lugol's instead you can use put two magnets on the outside of the Lugol's bottle. It will help to make it more bioavailable and also less harsh on your body and therefore can get away with smaller amounts.

whodathunkit wrote:Forgive if this has been asked and answered before. I just can't find it.

Is there a material difference between iodine preparations such as Lugol's or Iodoral and SSKI, or is the difference merely one of proportions?

Iodide, is iodine bound to another element, in the case of SSKI it is potassium. Regular iodine is I2 or a bond of iodine with iodine.

My bottle of TriQuench (labeled as SSKI) says "1 drop = 19mg iodine from 25mg potassium iodide"

My guess is that 25mg KI contain 19mg iodine and 6mg potassium. It still is only iodide because it's all bound.

My bottle of Iodoral says "potassium iodide 7.5mg, iodine 5mg"

My bottle of Lugol's 5% just lists percentages: "10% potassium iodide, 5% iodine"

Iodoral is lugols in solid form, they should have the same formula

So, as far as I can tell, there doesn't seem to be any difference between what we call SSKI and what we call "iodine" (such as Lugol's), other than proportion and possibly preparation (pills v. liquid).

Not only the molecules are different, the effect is too. Some bodyparts like iodine, other like iodide. The thyroid stores iodide but has a mechanism to make iodine from it. Many other differences but what I think is important to mention is that iodine and mercury can form a bond that is more harmful than without the iodine, while iodide doesn't bond with mercury. IMO a big reason to take SSKI until your mercury free.

How much selenium should one take when supplementing with iodine? Is it in direct proportion with he amount of iodine being consumed?

theseeker86 wrote:How much selenium should one take when supplementing with iodine? Is it in direct proportion with he amount of iodine being consumed?

No, it should be in proportion of mercury toxicity. Once mercury free you need only small amounts, 200mcg per day would be more than enough. DMSA per cutler protocol plus 200-400mcg Selenomethionine is what I do.

Good info, thanks jdp and pancacke!