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Are you experiencing slow metabolism, difficulty losing weight, thinning hair, brain fog, or breast tenderness that is not related to menstrual cycles or menopause? If you answer yes to any of these, you just might have low iodine levels. In today’s article we are going to learn about how the body utilizes iodine, how much we need at various stages of life and how to make sure you get enough of this important mineral. Are you ready? Let’s dive in.

Iodine is an important mineral used by the body. It is found primarily in seafood including fish, kelp, shrimp and shellfish. It can also be found in dairy products like milk, yogurt and cheese, in eggs and in some vegetables. Iodine is the primary mineral used by the thyroid to regulate metabolism. It supports the development of healthy bones and healthy brain function.

The thyroid uses iodine to help it produce and release hormones. These hormones regulate a variety of bodily functions including body temperature, metabolism and body’s the ability to maintain a healthy weight. They regulate blood pressure and heart rate and they support the brain to help us to think more clearly. Iodine is especially important for bone and brain development for babies at all stages even during pregnancy.

Getting the right amount of iodine important at every stage of life but it is particularly important for babies and for women who are either pregnant or breast feeding. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the amount of iodine needed each day, varies depending on the stage of life. The chart below shows the recommended micrograms at each of these stages.

Life Stage                                                     Recommended Amount

Birth to 6 months                                          110 mcg

Infants 7–12 months                                    130 mcg

Children 1–8 years                                      90 mcg

Children 9–13 years                                    120 mcg

Teens 14–18 years                                     150 mcg

Adults                                                             150 mcg

Pregnant teens and women                       220 mcg

Breastfeeding teens and women              290 mcg

 

Is Salt a Good Source of Iodine? 

Yes, salt can also contain and be a good source of iodine. But not all salts are created equal. Some salts like Kosher salt is wonderful for seasoning meats and vegetables. The shape and taste of the crystals makes for an intense flavor and requires less salt than you might need if you were using sea salt for example. But Kosher salt does not typically contain iodine.

Sea salt is probably one of the healthiest salts because it also contains many other minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium. Most sea salts contain trace amounts of iodine but not as much as iodized salt.

Iodized salt is a table salt that has been fortified with iodine. The salt crystals are spread out and sprayed with potassium iodate. Iodized salt contains more iodine than sea salt. One half to three fourths teaspoon contains approximately 150 micrograms of iodine, the daily recommended amount for teens and adults. The down side to iodized salt is the other chemical compounds that have been added as anti-caking agents. Do you remember the old Morton salt commercials “When it rains it pours?” This was an advertising campaign created by the marketing team of Morton Salt food company. Still today this slogan is used along with the logo of a little girl with an umbrella walking in the rain. Salt typically will clump up if moisture is present. As a little girl I remember my grandma always keeping a saltine cracker in the salt shaker to absorb the excess moisture in the air and keep the salt from clumping so it would pour from the salt shaker. Once the Morton Salt company came up with a solution to stop the salt from clumping the slogan was born and no more crackers in the salt shaker!

The downside to this modern-day salt is that the agents used to prevent the salt from pouring can be toxic and detrimental to our health. Anti-caking agents used to keep salt from clumping include aluminum and potassium ferrocyanide a chemical compound that contains cyanide. The human body is able to tolerate small quantities of aluminum but it can build up in the body and become toxic. Not only is aluminum found in table salt but also in deodorants, baking soda/powder, antacids, self-rising flours, foil and of course aluminum cans. Minimizing the use of these products helps keep aluminum levels low in our bodies. Potassium ferrocyanide is a chemical compound that is considered to be non-toxic although many people express concern since it is a derivative of cyanide which is poisonous to humans.

In my opinion, a small amount of iodized salt is safe to consume for most people but I still think the best salt options for daily use are kosher salt that is made solely of sodium chloride and a high-quality sea salt that is harvested from the sea or salt beds and is rich in beneficial minerals. Since these salts may not give you the amount of iodine your body needs, it might be a good idea to get your daily amount of iodine from whole food sources, a kelp powder supplement or from ground kelp powder used to season food with. Ground kelp powder is my go-to when it comes to getting enough iodine. I purchase dry kelp, usually kombu, either on line or from a local health food store and then blend it up in a high-speed blender or my Vitamix to form a powder. When cooking I use a pinch of kelp powder on everything from eggs to hamburgers along with salt and pepper. The flavor is subtle so if you have picky eaters at home they won’t even know your sneaking a little bit of this healthy sea vegetable into their meal! For more on how to prepare and use kelp powder go the link here ->Kelp Powder: A Natural Source of Iodine and Umami

Are You Getting Enough?

Most people in the U.S. do get enough iodine from foods they eat, especially since salt companies began fortifying table salt. However, there are certain groups of people who are more at risk of being iodine deficient.

  • People who do not used iodized salt and who do not include iodine containing foods or supplements in their diet.
  • Pregnant woman and women who are breastfeeding need nearly twice the amount of iodine than women who are not pregnant or lactating.
  • People who follow a vegan diet and eat little or no dairy products, eggs or seafood and who are not getting ample amounts from sea vegetables.
  • People living in areas with iodine deficient soils since the vegetables, meats from grazing animals and eggs from pastured chickens will likely have low levels iodine if any at all.
  • People who get iodine primarily from cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and cabbage. These vegetables contain iodine but also contain goitrogens, a compound found in cruciferous vegetables and soy that interferes with the body’s ability to utilize iodine. For most people eating a reasonable amount of these vegetables is not a concern but if they are your primary source of iodine, you might consider supplementation as well.

Iodine Deficiency

So, what can happen if you are iodine deficient? People who have low levels of iodine are typically unable to make sufficient thyroid hormones. An imbalance or low levels of thyroid hormones disrupts our metabolism making it very difficult lose and maintain a healthy weight. It can lead to a dysregulation of blood pressure and heart rate. It affects body temperature, bone development and brain development particularly in developing fetus’, enfants and small children. It can lead to developmental delays in children and can decrease an adult’s ability to think clearly. Iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. An external sign may be the formation bulge at the base of the neck just below the Adam’s apple indicating the development of an iodine deficient goiter, an enlarged thyroid gland. However, goiters can develop for other reasons such as an accumulation of excess estrogen. If you suspect you have a goiter it’s very important to have it confirmed and treated by your physician.

Can You Get Too Much Iodine?

The answer to this question is yes. Iodine therapy can make certain conditions of the thyroid worse if not managed by a physician. Therapy treatments such as liquid iodine supplements have been used successfully to shrink iodine deficient goiters however, this should be done under a doctor’s supervision and only after medical testing for deficiency and other thyroid conditions that could be made worse with iodine therapy.

As with most vitamins and minerals, getting your daily dose of iodine from iodine rich whole foods is safe for most people and unlikely to cause an overdose.

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