A Thought About “Iodine Allergies”

Many people have been told by their doctors that they are “allergic to iodine” when they got some reaction from eating shellfish or received a medical imaging procedure that had contrast dye in it.

It is virtually impossible to be “allergic” to iodine in reality. This is like being “allergic” to magnesium or copper or any other essential element. Every cell in your body processes iodine. If there was a true allergic reaction to iodine you would not survive one day.

It is my belief that allergies to shellfish are allergies to something in shellfish that is not iodine. How many thousands of different compounds are in a shellfish? How many other ingredients (none of them natural) are in radiological contrast dye?

You are not allergic to iodine. And never will be.


Andrew Jones, M.D