Key Takeaways
- The patch test uses a small patch of iodine painted on the arm and checked after 18 to 24 hours.
- If the patch looks the same, you likely don't need iodine. If it fades or disappears, you may.
- Work with a practitioner on dosage, and talk to your doctor first if you have Hashimoto's.
In part three of her iodine series, Dr. Parsons demonstrates a simple test you can do at home to see whether you may be low in iodine: the skin patch test.
How the Patch Test Works
Dr. Parsons uses Thyroid Warrior for this test, not potassium-bound iodine. Paint a patch about three inches across on your arm, in an area where blood vessels are close to the surface, then check it the next day.
Reading Your Results
- If the patch looks the same as when you applied it, you likely don't need to supplement with iodine.
- If it has faded but you can still see it, you might need a little.
- If it's hard to see or gone within 18 to 24 hours, you likely need to supplement with iodine.
Before You Start
Dr. Parsons recommends working with your practitioner to find the right iodine dose for your body. If you're unsure, or if you have Hashimoto's, talk to your doctor before doing the test.
Missed the previous part? Watch Why Not All Iodine Supplements Are Created Equal. For help with iodine and thyroid health, learn more about our functional nutrition services.
Next in the series: 10 Uses for Thyroid Warrior Iodine Beyond Supplementing.
Read the full video transcript
Hey everyone, this is part three of "Are You Low in Iodine?" and we're going to talk about the skin patch test. For this, you need to get the BioWarrior Thyroid Warrior product and use that, not the potassium-bound iodine. That's an ew. What you're going to do is paint an approximately three-inch patch on your arm, near where the vessels are close to the surface. Now, I've preloaded my lovely dream team, so we've all received iodine for the patch test. Tomorrow, we're going to be taking pictures of what this looks like. If it looks like it does today, that means you don't need to supplement with iodine. That's a yay, one less thing to take. If it's faded a little bit, and you can still see it but it's definitely faded, that means you might need a little. If within 18 to 24 hours it's hard to see or it's gone, you definitely need to supplement with iodine. This is something where you do need to consult with your practitioner to get an accurate dosage for what your body needs. You'll be seeing pictures of the before and after, so you'll know what the iodine status is for our team members. If you are unsure, or if you have Hashimoto's, you do need to discuss this with your doctor first. But do the patch test, because a lot of you have a lot of symptoms of low iodine, and we want to fix that. This is an easy correction. So buy the product, buy the correct product, do the patch test, and hopefully you're good to go. But if you're not, we can fix it. Talk to you soon.
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB
Dr. Mikell Suzanne Parsons, DC, CCN, DACBN, DACNB is a Doctor of Chiropractic, certified clinical nutritionist, and brain wellness expert with 34+ years serving Fresno families at The Natural Path Health Center.
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