Iodine And Thyroid Health
Reminders that Make A Difference

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Iodine is part of the essential trace minerals that we need in our life for a normal body functioning. Most people in the US do get sufficient levels of iodine through their diets. For pregnant women, it is important to check with the doctors, as sometimes they may develop low levels of iodine, which can be harmful for the developing babies.

Iodine is a key component of the hormones made in the thyroid gland. These hormones are absolutely critical to human health, helping to control energy production and utilization in nearly every cell of the body.

The balance of iodine in the thyroid gland is tricky, and both too much and too little iodine can slow down the production of hormones. This is not a situation where more is always better. For most people, falling far below the recommended level or greatly exceeding it would potentially increase the risk of imbalanced thyroid hormone production.

In 2001, the National Academy of Sciences established a set of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for iodine. This set of recommendations included Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for all individuals over 1 year of age, and Adequate Intakes (AIs) for infants under 1 year. These DRI recommendations are as follows.

0-6 months: 110 mcg
6-12 months: 130 mcg
1-8 years: 90 mcg
9-13 years: 120 mcg
14+ years: 150 mcg
Pregnant women: 220 mcg
Lactating women: 290 mcg

To protect public from low levels of iodine, it is required that salt is fortified with iodine. Also many baby formulas are fortified with this mineral as well. Himalayan salt is one of the best natural sources of iodine. The 1/2 gram provides 150% of the needed amount of iodine in a day! Buy that awesomely delicious pink salt and grind it over your salads, sandwiches, put it in soups.

Those who require supplementation under doctor’s supervision, need to follow directions on the supplement. Overdose can cause:

Upset stomach
Stomach pain
Headache
Runny nose
Diarrhea
Metallic taste in the mouth

Co-factors – the ones that affect its use in the body – for iodine intake are selenium and iron.

Selenium is a necessary co-factor for a family of enzymes called iodothyronine deiodinase. These enzymes are responsible for activation and deactivation of thyroid hormones. As such, deficiency of selenium may either exacerbate iodine deficiency, or even mimic some of the symptoms.

Deficiency of iron makes the thyroid dysfunction seen in iodine deficiency worse. At this point in time, doctors don’t have a clear explanation why. Iodine deficiency is a big public health problem worldwide, especially in the developing world.

Seafood is especially rich in iodine. Seaweed is especially rich in this mineral! If you love Japanese cuisine, it uses a wide variety of seaweed in their cooking. I love their dry condiments that have ample amount of iodine and are bursting with flavor. I put them on my raw salads. They do not taste like fish. More like seasoned dry veggies.

Tuna
Sardines
Salmon
Lobster
Shrimp

However, there vegetarian and vegan sources of iodine as well. Keep in mind cranberries! Amazing antioxidant, these berries offer about 400 mcg of iodine per 4 oz. Thanksgiving should not be the only time when you reach out and indulge in these amazing foods! Also, do buy ORGANIC. These veggies and

Cranberries
Strawberries
Dried prunes
Navy beans – fiber adds so many benefits to the body besides iodine!
Potatoes – eat them with skins!
Grains
Eggs – we’ve discussed the benefits of organic eggs here
Dairy products – organic yogurts are some of the best combination of probiotics and iodine, too!

For the meat-eaters, there are lots of foods rich in iodine, too.

Baked turkey breast – again, one of the Thanksgiving treats

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