The deficiency of this mineral is associated with various symptoms, including decreased heart rate and fatigue. In addition, low iodine levels can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Deficiency can also lead to fatigue and dizziness. Therefore, it is essential to get enough iodine in the body.
What Is Iodine?
Iodine is a vital mineral necessary for the body's healthy functioning. It helps the thyroid gland produce important hormones for the body's metabolism. It's also essential for proper brain and bone development, and a deficiency of iodine can lead to hypothyroidism. This thyroid condition causes the body to produce fewer hormones than it needs. Iodine is also crucial for pregnant women because it aids the proper development of their baby's brain.
Iodine helps the thyroid gland produce thyroid hormones that keep the body's cells healthy and the metabolic rate running smoothly. It's also found in plant foods, although the level of iodine in different plants will vary. Adults need a daily allowance of 140 micrograms of iodine, which they can get through a varied diet.
Health Benefits of Iodine
One of the many health benefits of iodine is its role in proper thyroid function. Iodine helps your thyroid gland produce thyroid hormones, which are essential for the normal metabolism of all body cells. Iodine is necessary for pregnant women as it helps regulate the development of a baby's brain. Babies born to mothers deficient in iodine are at risk of lower IQs and developmental delays.
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor about iodine intake. Iodine passes through breast milk to nourish the baby. In addition to its role in fetal development, iodine also boosts immunity and helps treat infections around wounds.
Iodine is essential for thyroid health, but it also has a variety of other uses. For example, it helps treat goiters and high thyroid levels. It can also help with foot ulcers caused by diabetes, and it may protect against mouth irritation caused by chemotherapy. It may also help prevent breast cancer and help with fibrocystic breast change.
Insufficient amounts of iodine in the body can lead to several issues, including low energy and fatigue. Iodine helps regulate the thyroid, affecting the body's energy production. When iodine levels fall below 100 micrograms per day, the thyroid secretes stimulating thyroid hormone.
Side Effects
There are many benefits of iodine for the human body, but it can also cause side effects in some people. It is vital to take the right amount to avoid any side effects. You can find iodine in food and supplements, but it is best to check with your doctor before you begin taking supplements.
Although iodine supplements can be harmful if taken excessively, 0.5mg or less is unlikely to cause any adverse effects. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends eating a well-balanced diet to get the necessary amount of iodine.
Signs of Deficiency
People with iodine deficiency are at risk for goiter, a condition that affects the thyroid gland. This condition is typically more common in girls than in boys. It can also lead to learning disabilities and lower IQs. Several meta-analyses have been published that linked chronic iodine deficiency with reduced IQ scores in children. These studies were conducted using observational studies that included cross-sectional surveys of children and pregnant women.
Although there is no definitive data on the global prevalence of iodine deficiency, it is thought that pregnant women are especially vulnerable to it. The goal of the iodine mineral in the urine is 150 mg/L during pregnancy. Still, current data indicate that most pregnant women in the United States only have urinary iodine levels that are less than half that. Moreover, the lowest urinary iodine levels are seen in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Nutrition Source of Iodine
Iodine can be found in many foods, but the most important are fish and dairy products. Most Americans consume milk, but some alternatives are fortified with the mineral. Another good source of iodine is seaweed. A cup of plain yogurt contains approximately half the recommended amount of iodine, and one cup of cottage cheese has 50 per cent.
- Bread, white, enriched, made with iodate dough conditioner, two slices: 320mcg - 213% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Bread, whole-wheat, made with iodate dough conditioner, two slices: 309mcg - 206% of the DV
- Cod, baked, 3 ounces: 158mcg - 106% of the DV
- Seaweed, nori, dried, two tablespoons, flaked (5 g): 116mcg - 77% of the DV
- Oysters, cooked, 3 ounces: 93mcg - 62% of the DV
- Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat, ¾ cup: 87mcg - 58% of the DV
- Milk, nonfat, 1 cup: 85mcg - 57% of the DV
- Iodized table salt, ¼ teaspoon: 76mcg - 51% of the DV
- Fish sticks, cooked, 3 ounces: 58mcg - 39% of the DV
- Pasta, enriched, boiled in water with iodized salt, 1 cup: 38mcg - 25% of the DV
- Ice cream, chocolate, ⅔ cup: 28mcg - 19% of the DV
- Egg, hard-boiled, one large: 26mcg - 17% of the DV
- Cheese, cheddar, 1 ounce: 15mcg - 10% of the DV
- Liver, beef, cooked, 3 ounces: 14mcg - 9% of the DV
- Shrimp, cooked, 3 ounces: 13mcg - 9% of the DV
- Tuna, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces: 7mcg - 5% of the DV
- Fruit cocktail in light syrup, canned, ½ cup: 6mcg - 4% of the DV
- Fish sauce, one tablespoon: 4mcg - 3% of the DV
- Beef, chuck, roasted, 3 ounces: 3mcg - 2% of the DV
- Soy beverage, 1 cup: 2mcg - 1% of the DV
- Chicken breast, roasted, 3 ounces: 2mcg - 1% of the DV
- Apple juice, 1 cup: 1mcg - 1% of the DV
- Bread, whole-wheat, made without iodate dough conditioner, two slices: 1mcg - 1% of the DV
- Bread, white, enriched, made without iodate dough conditioner, two slices: 1mcg - 1% of the DV
- Rice, brown, cooked, ¾ cup: 1mcg - 1% of the DV
Takeaway
If you are taking medication, you may be getting iodine supplements. However, there is a risk of taking too much of this mineral, and taking it in excess may lead to health problems. To avoid an adverse reaction, you should take only 0.5 milligrams or less daily. The Department of Health and Social Care recommends getting enough iodine through a varied diet and a balanced supplement.
To get enough iodine in your diet, you should consume foods rich in iodine. You can check the iodine content of common foods by consulting the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the ODS-NIH Database. However, if you are unsure whether a particular food contains enough iodine, you should consult a doctor or a nutritionist before making any changes in your diet.
Pregnant women need higher amounts of iodine, as their breast milk will contain it. Breastfeeding mothers also need more elevated amounts of iodine than non-breastfeeding mothers. These women should take iodine supplements while pregnant and breastfeeding to ensure their babies get enough iodine.
