by Dr. Mariana Boneva

Lately my office was visited by a few clients with the skin condition called cherry angioma, or Campbell de Morgan spots. Basically, capillaries or blood vessels break and small red spots appear; they can be smooth, or they can feel like tiny bumps on the skin. Apparently there’s no known cause for cherry angiomas, although it is known that people tend to get more of them as they get older. Therefore the standard treatment is cosmetic only: doctors simply burn the spots off (with a laser, for example) but do not cure the root source of the problem.

It’s my firm belief that anything that appears on the skin is the final manifestation of an inharmonious body state. One thing I tell my clients is that all the cosmetic products currently on the market labeled as anti-acne, anti-aging and so forth don’t treat anything long term. You have to dig deeper to make a lasting change. So faithful to my professional understanding of skin problems, I did my research.

That’s how I approach any mysterious case—by doing detective work. In fact, a few weeks ago, a client of mine, Nancy Calo, wrote to thank me for digging into her worrisome dermatological problem, and for giving her hope that we could resolve it together. While cherry angiomas are a minor problem, they are annoying—and a challenge I was eager to take on.

Here is the conclusion I reached based on the most sensible information I’ve come across: cherry angiomas are caused by bromine toxicity and iodine deficiency. While no proper research has been done linking bromine with cherry angiomas, the concept completely resonates with me.

Let’s look at the list of foods and nonfoods that contain bromine:

• brominated flour and all the baked foods made with it
• some soda drinks
• brominated vegetables and vegetable oils
• strawberries
• cosmetics
• toothpaste and mouthwash
• hair colors
• prescription drugs like antidepressants and asthma inhalers
• electronics (e.g., TVs, phones, computers)
• liquid household cleaners
• car interiors
• new furniture
• pest control chemicals

Bromine suppresses sex drive and can cause cancer, and what’s worse, it’s similar in structure to iodine, so the body can easily confuse the two and start storing bromine instead, preventing proper iodine absorption. Some symptoms of bromine poisoning are constipation or diarrhea, twitching eyelids, tingling hands or feet, dry mouth, a metallic taste in the mouth, body odor, urine smell, lethargy, mental fog, aching legs or hips, sinus problems, headaches, kidney pain, bad vision, irritability and anxiety.

Bromine is also known as endocrine disrupter and neurotoxin—it causes hearing problems, impairs memory and learning, and alters the mood and behavior.

There’s only one reliable way to flush out bromine, and that’s by consuming iodine-rich foods or taking iodine directly. Iodine was known as universal medicine a long time ago but has been almost forgotten in the United States. The Japanese consume 12,500 micrograms of iodine a day. It helps generate new cells and reduce blood cholesterol, and it’s essential for maintaining a healthy thyroid.

To flush out harmful toxins and heavy metals, take 50 milligrams of iodine a day for 50 days, and then reduce the amount to 12.5 milligrams a day. It is also effective to consume natural sources of iodine such as kelp, cod, bass or seaweed in combination with vitamin C and magnesium oxide.

The result will be the decrease and disappearance of cherry angiomas—and a big improvement in overall health.

Dr. Mariana Boneva has offices at 353 Lexington Ave. For more information, visit BeautyPlusAesthetics.com or call 212-371-6097.

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