Iodine and the book Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life - Gerald H. Pollack

Post very slightly too long for email.

The book Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life - A New, Unifying Approach to Cell Function by Gerald H. Pollack, (2001), Ebner and Sons Publishers, has a satisfying textbook layout with white space left on each age for the occasional Figure or Table. More academics and health professionals likely need to read it before it will unify enough of them to impact the industry of ‘health’. It is written for a ‘layreader’ to be able to understand and since many of the concepts are new that is a good approach for the academic or health professionals too. They will have an easier time with familiarity to cell structures and functions that are discussed but may have a harder time sitting still and reading it with an open mind. Old school concepts are being questioned and disproven/discarded throughout the book.

For my needs as a patient or fan of biochemical research, histamine, page 138, is used as an example signaling chemical that can very quickly cause water loving cytoplasm proteins to condense into a tighter structure that has little water - condensed gel, closer to a dry packet of gelatin powder rather than a hydrated gel that is more like a jiggly watery dessert of Jello, TM.

Jello was like a magic dessert to me - solid water! I always found it fascinating that sometimes my nose made very similar gelatin like blobs. I was a very congested child as my mother made me drink milk and eat dairy products that made me very congested. My gene differences leave me with similar issues as the very congested people with Cystic Fibrosis. My case is not as severe as theirs. They can’t make the lipid end of endocannabinoids and I can’t make the phospholipid part - especially in higher heat situations. I don’t like a hot day at the beach as much as a cool walk in a shady forest.

Jello, TM, brand dessert is kind of like our cell cytoplasm and the biofilm layer surrounding cells or lining the intestinal wall. “Colorful Jello cups.” Photo by Girl with red hat on Unsplash

Example of ‘layreader’ issues:

“Histamine brings heparin’s anionic sites into coalescence and condenses the network. It holds the network in its condensed state until some agent triggers expansion.” (Pollack, 2001, p 138)

Did that sentence make any sense?

Heparin and histamine are released during mast cell degranulation and heperin adds to the inflammatory reaction: “The authors show that heparin initiates the production of a hormone -- bradykinin -- that contributes to swelling, anaphylactic and inflammatory symptoms, which are commonly known to be associated with aberrant mast cell activity.” (sciencedaily)

For the Pollack sentence to make sense to a reader they would need to interpret ‘condensed gel network’ as ‘congestion’ or nasal congestion occurring in some areas, which would also cause a shift of the missing cell fluid likely to extracellular puffy edema and puffy pain of inflammation in other areas of the body. When the water is ‘condensed’ out of one protein network (proteins frequently attract a cloud of water or electrically active ions around them as the much larger proteins often have sections with some positive or negative charge (more often a negative charge, tipping the average charge of a cell’s cytoplasm to be negative (Pollack, 2001, chapter 7 maybe).

Heparin is associated with blood coagulation or preventing it rather than with nasal congestion but the idea is similar - a ‘condensed’ protein is chemically non-hydrated rather than being fully hydrated. Adding too much acidic liquid to a gelatin dessert will ruin it, letting it get too hot will ruin it, adding fruit with active enzymes like raw pineapple will also ruin it by causing the stabilizing proteins to be partially digested by the pineapple enzyme, bromelain.

What will act as an agent that can ‘un-condense’ a gel forming protein? — “until some agent triggers expansion”? Capsaicin from hot pepper and other TRP channel activators, hesperidin and other bitter tasting bioflavonoids in citrus peel, or niacin, the GP109 activator, can all cause mucus to thin - to uncondense and become more like fluid Jello and less like a sticky booger in need of a tissue.

The text has two illustrations showing condensed proteins as a loose tangle or a tight tangle in an overview pic, upper left page, and the zipper effect along linear proteins like acting in the lower right corner. Water is shown as a two colored dipole in an oval shape rather than showing a ‘v’ shape. A condensing agent causes the water layers between two proteins to leave as calcium or something else electrically holds them together in a closed zipper shape. See pic below:

~ Opening or closing the “zipper”. “Figure 9.5. Mechanism of expansion. As breakage of divalent bridges allows strands to separate, water clings increasingly to anionic surfaces. This pushes surfaces further apart, thereby breaking more bridges and further expanding the matrix.” (Pollack 2001, p 139)

Heparin isn’t mucus but the concept of a ‘hydrated’ protein versus a ‘condensed’ one is getting into function. Water and ionic minerals help stabilize proteins in shapes that are functional for doing some enzyme or other work.

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Aside - search results reveal that the heparin being used as a commercial treatment may include enough histamine as a contaminant from animal tissue sources to cause some histamine symptoms in patients receiving the ‘heparin’. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01997328

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Cells, Gels… and Iodine!

Fast-forwarding to page 150 is very revealing as to why iodine is needed for every gland of the body and why fluoride and bromide are particularly disruptive to health. They not only may interfere by replacing iodine atoms in thyroid hormone - leaving a dysfunctional chemical that a standard lab test would still show as the patient having ‘normal levels of T3 or T4’ - yes but it is dysfunctional T3 or T4 that still cause symptoms of hypothyroid though.

Hofmeister series - chemical way to sort negatively charged ions dating to 1888. (Lyklema, 2009)

In Chapter 10 - Action Potentials (p144-161), we learn that a number of ions or other small molecules can affect the action potential that is possible from a cell and its cytoskeleton of cellular matrix proteins, cloud of water molecules and other positive or negatively charged mineral or protein ions (p 150)":

“Examination of a large number of anions showed that restoration efficacy followed the classical Hofmeister series (von Hippel and Wong, 1964). Thus, F > HPO4 > glutamate > SO4 > acetate > Cl > NO3 > B > I > SCN. The anions towards the left had the highest tendency to restore action potential amplitude, and the most stabilizing. Those toward the right most strongly hastened the action-potential decline and have the highest tendency to solubilize gels” (Pollack, 2001, p 150)

F = fluoride, Cl = chloride, I = Iodine

B = boron, not bromide though.

That list and statement suggests to me that iodine is going to help us stay properly hydrated - with solubilized gels and functional protein compared to fluoride which may have a stronger action potential amplitude - but do we really want to be ‘over-excited’? Glutamate can also be over-excitatory. HPO4, hydrogen phosphate, is an anion with a -2 charge. HPO4 is a strong base and has an important role within cell fluid as an alkaline buffer within a system called the phosphate buffer system. (euroformhealthcare.biz)

Sulfate (SO4) and the Hofmeister series are discussed in (Ramon and Baldwin, 2002) regarding sulfate stabilizing the enzyme ribonuclease A. [Hofmeister series, dates to 1888 - (Lyklema, 2009)]

“Taken together, the results for Na₂SO₄ and NaCl show that native ribonuclease A is stabilized at low pH in the same manner as molten globule forms of cytochrome c and apomyoglobin, which are stabilized at low pH by low concentrations of sulfate but only by high concentrations of chloride.” (Ramon and Baldwin, 2002)

Is there a point I am making? The Pollack book gives an overview of chemical experiments that could support the theory that gel dynamics have more control over cell functions than current medical research suggests. Some of the innate functions of gels are being used to perform ‘work’ at microscopic scales for industrial applications or within the biotech industry. If the function works as theorized in an industrial application than it would follow that a similar action may be occurring in a healthy cell. In the case of iodine versus fluoride or chloride or bromide, the other halides may be able to substitute as they have similar electrical activity but they are not exactly the same as suggested by the Hofmeister series. Iodine would allow for more standard solubilized - hydrated intracellular proteins - rather than promoting a more electrically active cell with condensed proteins.

What does iodine have to do with fluid balance in the body? A lot.

It is needed by every gland of the body as it seems very involved in allowing secretions of watery fluid when needed - mammary glands make milk and salivary glands make saliva. And the prostate and the Skene’s glands make a fluid that seems involved in urinary and sexual health for lubrication or infection fighting purposes. (Skene’s gland, Flamini, et al., 2002) But we aren’t supposed to talk about that…. female or sexual taboos. Anecdotal - restoring iodine adequacy for a female can lead to surprising functional benefits - a topic to save for grade-school sex education class. The thyroid gland makes thyroid hormone, the pineal and adrenal gland make and secrete other hormones.

Does iodine play a role in ‘secretion’? I think yes, but more research is needed…

“…non hormonal iodine is found in a variety of body tissues including mammary glands, eye, gastric mucosa, cervix and salivary glands (7). With the exception of mammary tissue the function of iodine in these tissues is still not clear (8).” (Ahad and Ganie, 2010)

“While major portion of iodine is concentrated in the thyroid gland, the non hormonal iodine is found in a variety of body tissues including mammary glands, eye, gastric mucosa, cervix and salivary glands (7). With the exception of mammary tissue the function of iodine in these tissues is still not clear (8). Accumulation of iodine in the breast plays an important role during breast feeding in fetal and neonatal development; however such iodine has also proven to have antioxidant function. In the presence of hydrogen peroxide and peroxidase, iodide acts as an electron donor, thereby decreasing damage by free oxygen radicals (9,10). On the contrary, breasts with inadequate iodine stores are prone to get damaged by accumulating high levels of malondialdehyde, a product of lipid peroxidation (11). Much alike ascorbic acid, iodine concentrations as low as 15 micromole, can have significant antioxidant effects (12). This antioxidant effect of iodine could explain the therapeutic effects of seaweed baths or iodine rich solutions that were historically used to treat many diseases (12).

Animal studies have proven that iodine normalizes elevated adrenal corticosteroid hormone secretion related to stress and reverses the effects of hypothyroidism on the ovaries, testicles and thymus in thyroidectmized rats (13,14). Iodine may also have a role in immune function; when placed in a medium containing 10^-6 M iodide, human leukocytes synthesize thyroxine (15).” (Ahad and Ganie, 2010)

Human leukocytes make their own thyroxine in the presence of enough iodine. (Ahad and Ganie, 2010) Iodine had been actively used as a therapeutic treatment up to around the 1940’s when use of radioactive iodine in X-rays became popular and radioactive iodine was used as a toxic ‘treatment’ for thyroid cancer. The tone of research shifted to discussing iodine as a health negative. Part of the issue was overuse of orangey-yellow betadine as a topical antiseptic did lead to excess iodine levels from the skin absorption for some surgical or longterm patients.

Abstract: “Most investigations of iodine metabolism in humans and animals have focused on its role in thyroid function. However, considerable evidence indicates that iodine could also be implicated in the physiopathology of other organs. We review the literature that shows that molecular iodine (I₂) exerts multiple and complex actions on the organs that capture it, not including its effects as part of thyroid hormones. This chemical form of iodine is internalized by a facilitated diffusion system that is evolutionary conserved, and its effects appear to be mediated by a variety of mechanisms and pathways. As an oxidized component, it directly neutralizes free radicals, induces the expression of type II antioxidant enzymes, or inactivates proinflammatory pathways. In neoplastic cells, I₂ generates iodolipids with nuclear actions that include the activation of apoptotic pathways and the inhibition of markers related to stem cell maintenance, chemoresistance, and survival. Recently, I2 has been postulated as an immune modulator that depending on the cellular context, can function as an inhibitor or activator of immune responses. We propose that the intake of molecular iodine is increased in adults to at least 1 mg/day in specific pathologies to obtain the potential extrathyroid benefits described in this review.” (Aceves, et al., 2021)

Aceves, et al., 2021 are recommending use of 1 milligram (mg) of iodine daily for some illness conditions. The current US recommendation is 150-250 micrograms (mcg) per day depending on childbearing or lactation status - 1 mg equals 1000 mcg which is a lot more than 150 mcg that would be in a standard one-a-day vitamin/mineral supplement. The average traditional seaweed rich Japanese diet contains approximately 13 milligrams of iodine per day - and breast or prostate cancer had not been problems there with the traditional diet. Overweight and other health issues of the ‘Western’ world do occur when Asians switch to the Western style of diet - health can be helped by genetics but it is not a guarantee that a bad diet won’t cause ill health.

The tone of current medical research is that iodine is dangerous and a health risk - excess may occur easily -even at the minimal 50 mcg amount recommended for pregnancy or lactation - example article about ‘excess iodine supplementation’ affect on salivary glands of a animal model study, which used a lot, 1 mg NaI per mL water: “During assay, mice were allocated into groups: control and treatment groups (received distilled water with NaI 1 mg/mL). Water intake, glandular weight, and histology were analyzed. Treatment groups showed an increase in glandular weight and a significantly (p < 0.05) higher water intake than control groups.” (Ross, et al., 2017) The experimental animals wanted more of the iodine enriched water compared to the control group, and there were increased lymphocyte presence in the salivary glands which was deemed a ‘negative’ response to ‘excess iodine’ - however our saliva is supposed to have immune cells that are front-line defense against oral pathogens.

Luekocytes/lymphocytes are commonly found in saliva of children and adults but the amount may be greater by as much as 50% when gingivitis is a condition. (Theda, et al., 2018) Maybe those mice in the study by (Ross, et al., 2017) needed more iodine and had oral pathogens to defend against.

Iodine toxicity is something I have experienced when I stayed on high dose Iodoral (12.5 mg iodine/iodide) without taking selenium also. Selenium is needed for the enzyme that breaks down excess thyroid hormone. Point - symptoms of iodine excess include very clearly, “watery nasal discharge”, a symptom I found in an older research article about iodine use in farm animals. Having experienced it - yes, odd, it was like occasional tear drops would drip from my nose - thinner and more random than the excess drippy thin mucus of a head cold with congestion.

Too much iodine seems to cause too much ‘solubility of gels’ leading to mucus so thin it is like a raindrop or teardrop instead of like nasal mucus during seasonal allergies - thin, whitish, gooey. Bronchitis and a bacterial lung infection can lead to really thickened sticky greenish yellow mucus that is difficult to cough up and has a bad odor - infectious. Bitter taste receptors react to citrus peel bioflavonoids in a way that thins mucus, opens bronchiole airways and increases motion of cilia moving the now thinner mucus up and out of the lungs. Hot pepper also causes a noticeable watery effect on nasal discharge and increase in saliva output. Iodine seems to also due to the effect on cellular matrix proteins described by Gerald Pollack in his book Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life.

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Eat more seaweed!

I need to finish reading the book by Gerald H. Pollack and continue eating seaweed regularly. I seem to tolerate it okay now even though I had a history of excess iodine and hyperthyroidism in 2012/2013. I restricted iodine for many years as my thyroid would swell up with more use of iodized salt or iodine rich foods like seaweed or rhubarb but now my thyroid seems okay with some use of seaweed and I take selenium supplements or eat Brazil nuts (two per day ~ 200 mcg selenium).

The index in ‘Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life’ does not include iodine, I think it deserves a Book Two focused on Iodine, Cells and Gels.

• Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life - A New, Unifying Approach to Cell Function, by Gerald H. Pollack, (2001), Ebner and Sons Publishers.

…and fiber and protein for a healthy Glycocalyx - Our Jelly Lining

One of my earliest posts focuses on the jelly like aspect of our glycocalyx/biofilm layer which forms along the inner lining of our intestine and adds protection and a thickened area for our white blood cells (leukocytes/lymphocytes) to patrol for pathogens or toxic debris to engulf for later excretion via lymph nodes, blood and kidneys. A fiber and protein rich diet helps us make our cellular matrix glycoproteins and magnesium, iodine, potassium and calcium rich foods are also important for stabilization of the protein/fluid matrix according to supporting evidence in Gerald Pollack’s book.

• See: The Glycocalyx - Our Jelly Lining, Feb 8, 2011, (Substack).

Disclaimer: This information is being provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use and is not intended to provide individual health care guidance.

Sushi rolls with Nori seaweed in the rice spiral and a brighter green seaweed like wakame as garnish on top. Photo by Önder Örtel on Unsplash