Does Iodine break you out? Fish Oil? Flax Oil?

I want to know if you break out from Iodine, fish oil, or flax oil. I have a theory that all three of these items affect over-active or overly-sensitive thyroids adversely in regards to increasing DHT production.


If any of these break you out in normal doses... Do you also...


a) Have a large appetite?

b) Experience heart palpitations?

c) Have Oily skin and hair, worsened by fish or flax oil supplements?

d) Experience body acne?

e) Have a hard time gaining any weight?


Thanks to all who fill out the survey

For low carbers

Have you noticed more sebum on your face since low carbing, and if so.. did it eventually go away?

Phytoandrogens/hormones

For the people trying the atkins diet or the 0 fat diet, I thought I should share that certain foods can cause acne regardless of your diet. Take peanut butter for instance. Its got a lot of phytoandrogens so it breaks me out. This food would fit into an atkins diet for acne.. but would still cause acne. Possibly the hormones in dairy/meat(red) cause hormonal disruptions as well and lead to acne for certain people on this board. My mom tells me she takes birth control to end her acne, but whenever she eats peanut butter she gets zits. I'm trying saw palmetto now for my prostate/ hormonal acne.

fish oil causing oilier skin?

Two questions:

1. How/why does the oil come out of my facial skin/hair so fast.

2. anyone else have this problem?

My theory on one type of acne.

First, let me tell you about myself. I'm a 19 year old male that is really skinny, no matter how much I eat. I suspect I might have a mild case of hyperthyroidism.

It all started when I wanted to get healthy. First I took a multi-vitamin that had the normal 150mcg's of iodine. Next day I was broken out, and since then I've limited my iodine and iodine containing foods. Acne = MUCH better. People with hyperthyroidism are told to limit iodine intake because it increases their symptoms. If acne is one of them, and my thyroid doesn't like too much iodine, this makes sense to me.

Now this is where it gets tricky. I wanted to start taking fish oil for all the health benefits that it offers. I was taking 3 capsules of Nordic Naturals EPA formula for about 3 months. I was virtually ALWAYS in a good mood. It was so awesome! However, the first time I took the capsules I began to break out in really painful zits on my hairline. I thought hmm.. maybe I'm detoxing and it will improve. I also had more bacne than usual. Well after a long time, the breakouts on my face began to normalize, but the bacne persisted. And, much to my dismay,
the crown of my hair started to thin out. I was so pissed because the omega 3's were making me feel so good, but I wanted my hair! Since I've stopped taking the omega 3's my hair loss
has subsided, but has not fully recovered.

After this, I began to do some research, and I found a testimony of someone saying that fish oil gives them symptoms of hyperthyroidism (palpitations, sweating), and another said that she got the same breakouts from fish oil capsules as her medication to increase their thyroid activity from the fish oil. So I'm thinking that fish oil increases T3 activity, which is associated with hyperthyroidism.

Oh and theres a long thread about fish/flax oil causing people hair loss with about 20-25 posts (most all of them say the only thing that changed in their diet was adding fish or flax oil).

can be found here

http://www.baldingblog.com/2006/04/14/flax...comment-1331307



So, I conclude that somehow, omega 3's increase DHT in the body. Its my belief that in people with borderline hyperthyroidism (skinny, always hungry, etc.) O3's effect the thyroid first, increasing T3 levels, which have been associated with increased acne, hair loss, etc.

hyPOthyroidism gives people much less T3, and therefore less hormones are circulating around, and less acne. Someone on these boards made a reference to heavier people not normally having acne, while skinnier people usually do. Another reason why I'm intrigued by this thyroid connection.



If it holds true, then I want to know a) why I developed a hyperthyroid (I know my mom's side of the family is prone to autoimmune disorders and have cases of hyPOthyroidism). But could it be nutritionally related?

A theory of mine is a omega6/3 improper ratio. My whole life has been enormous amounts of omega 6, practically zero omega 3. Maybe my thyroid is out of order due to this imbalance, and when I introduced O3's into the mix.

Oh, and for four years (10-14) my diet consisted of Ovaltine and baked potatoes... Its a wonder I'm still alive today. biggrin.gif then I went vegetarian at 18, vegan at 19, and back to meat/fish at 20.

Thoughts? eusa_doh.gif