Harris Teeter picks up solution for premenstrual breast discomfort

MENLO PARK, Calif. - BioPharmX on Tuesday announced that its product to address premenstrual breast discomfort, Violet iodine, will soon be available through 235 Harris Teeter stores by September 2015. 

 

BioPharmX is expanding distribution methodically by rolling out to regional grocers to offer natural product to alleviate premenstrual breast discomfort.

 

"The Violet woman finds herself already shopping in grocery stores for personal hygiene and wellness products," stated Anja Krammer, president of BioPharmX. "Making Violet available in select grocers where she already purchases everyday essentials for her family just makes sense. This expansion is a natural next step in distribution for the company."

 

According to the company, iodine-deficient breast tissue is an underlying cause of fibrocystic breast condition. Multiple studies show that iodine supplementation reduces indications of this condition. And in the developed world, iodine deficiency has increased more than fourfold over the past 40 years, BioPharmX noted on its website. In the United States alone, iodine intakes dropped by 50% between 1971 and 2001. This is likely due to the fact that over the last several decades the amount of iodine found in food has decreased significantly while many substances that inhibit iodine uptake have become mainstream.

 

The US recommended dietary allowance for iodine is 150-290 micrograms for adults, while the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine has set the tolerable upper limit at 1,100 mcg. These guidelines may be inadequate to address certain health conditions because 60%-80% of a person’s iodine intake is absorbed by non-thyroidal tissues, such as breast tissue.

 

Clinical studies have shown that a daily regimen of molecular iodine can provide relief from cyclic breast discomfort. Molecular iodine has been used in clinical trials of 1476 women. A recent study showed that up to 74% of women experienced improvement in their breast discomfort, the company stated.