One essential trace element that not many people ever think about is iodine. Iodine is essential to many of the functions of your body, but many Australians are deficient in iodine. And not just Australians. In fact, it’s thought that up to 40% of the world population is getting insufficient iodine.
Iodine can be found throughout the organs of your body. Highest concentrations occur in the thyroid gland. It is also found in the ovaries, skin, saliva, breasts and gastric glands although it can be detected in every organ and tissue.
In the thyroid gland, iodine along with the minerals zinc and selenium is essential for the production of thyroid hormones, particularly thyroxin. These thyroid hormones directly control the body’s metabolic processes, which in turn have significant influence on many of the body’s organs and processes including heart rate and blood pressure.
When iodine levels are too low the thyroid cannot produce sufficient levels of hormones and you start to experience a range of symptoms such as lethargy, sleepiness, depression, intolerance to cold, dry skin, slow digestion, goiter, weight gain and slower mental faculties.
Health Benefits of Iodine
Iodine has many health benefits. It helps prevent the storage of excess calories as fat, assists in the removal of toxins and aids in the utilisation of other minerals. It strengthens the immune system and maintains healthy tissues throughout the body.
Iodine deficiency has been linked to goiter, hypothyroidism, obesity, cognitive impairment, heart disease, psychiatric disorders and cancer. It also causes impaired mental and physical development.
Addressing iodine deficiencies has been found to very effective in the treatment of goiter, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, fibrocystic breasts, hypertension, obesity and diabetes.
Food Sources Of Iodine
It became apparent that more and more people were suffering from an iodine deficiency. So, in an attempt to address the growing problem selected foods were fortified with iodine, including basics like bread and milk. Since 2009 iodine has been added to bread, and prepackaged bread is required to list iodised salt as an ingredient.
Although iodine it is a fairly rare mineral it is present in a number of foods. The best sources are marine plants such as spirulina, seaweed like kelp, nori, dulse or kombu and shellfish. Make sure that any produce from the sea is harvested from uncominated waters.
While iodine is found in abundance in the sea it is not as prevalent in soil, and due to modern farming practices most soils contain extremely low levels of iodine, along with many other minerals vital for good health. This transfers to low levels of iodine in crop foods. Unfortunately, the amount of iodine found in foods is dependent on the amount there is in the soil
Baked potatoes are a great source of iodine. Some other vegetarian sources are eggs, milk, garlic, lima beans, swiss chard, sesame seeds, soybeans, turnip greens and spinach.
Before the 1970’s milk was one food that supplied most iodine to the diet. However, since the 1990’s the iodine present in milk has dropped to about half due to dairy processing changes.
Iodised salt has long provided many with their daily iodine. But with increased awareness of the relationship between high salt intake and hypertension and growing awareness of the problems with salt in all highly processed foods, consumption of this iodine source has declined significantly.
Himalayan Salt in moderation is a healthier alternative to conventional salt. Half a gram contains 250 micrograms of iodine, 150% of what the body requires each day.
To combat iodine deficiency dried seaweed is the food to head for. Just seven grams supplies 4,500 micrograms of iodine, 3000% of your daily requirement. Rather than having this much at one meal eat smaller quantities more frequently to maintain a regular supply.
Iodine Content of Specific Foods
| Food (µg* per 100g) | Iodine content |
| Oysters | 160 |
| Cod | 99 |
| Sushi (containing seaweed) | 92 |
| Tinned salmon | 60 |
| Bread (made with iodised salt) | 46 |
| Steamed snapper | 40 |
| Prawn | 35 |
| Baked turkey breast | 34 |
| Navy beans (1/2 cup) | 32 |
| Plain yoghurt | 31 |
| Baked potato (1/2 medium) | 30 |
| Boiled eggs (2) | 24 |
| Cheddar cheese | 23 |
| Eggs | 22 |
| Ice cream | 21 |
| Chocolate milk | 20 |
| Tuna, canned | 18 |
| Canned corn | 17 |
| Flavoured yoghurt | 16 |
| Regular milk | 13 |
| Tinned tuna | 10 |
| Strawberries | 10 |
| Bread (no iodised salt) | 3 |
| Beef, pork, lamb | <1.5 |
| Tap water (level depends on site) | 0.5-20.0 |
| Apples, oranges, grapes, bananas | <0.5 |
* micrograms
Source: nutritionaustralia.org
Don’t forget that you may eat substantially less than 100grams of some of these foods. You need to consider just how much iodine there actually is in the food you are eating.
Effects of Low Iodine
Perhaps the most obvious, but least dangerous manifestation of iodine deficiency is goiter, a swelling of the thyroid gland which manifests as a swelling in the neck and around the larynx. Treating goiter with iodine during the first five years usually ensures that the thyroid doesn’t suffer permanent damage.
It’s well known that micronutrient deficiencies affect the development of intelligence and iodine deficiency can certainly do this. Inadequate iodine has a significant effect on cognitive function, affecting memory.
Although iodine is a major requirement for thyroid health, it also has other important functions including boosting the immune system, by increasing antioxidant activity.
Iodine is widely used to treat fibrocystic breast disease. In studies it’s been shown to shrink cancer cells when injected directly into the cells. It is essential in the prevention of thyroid cancer.
Iodine assists with flushing out chemical toxins including fluoride, lead and mercury.
Deficiency in children not only causes lower IQ but also creates issues with learning and concentration. It can be an ongoing issue when intake is too low.
Iodine for Reproductive Health
Iodine offers benefits to the reproductive organs. Fertility relies on sufficient levels initially as well as during pregnancy, to prevent miscarriage or stillbirth, and to prevent neurologic and cognitive conditions in the baby. Severe deficiency during pregnancy can lead to the following problems:
- Miscarriage during the first trimester, or stillbirth
- Gestational hytertension
- Birth deformities
- Neurological defects in the baby causing irreversible brain damage. These include cretinism, intellectual difficulties, hearing loss and speech difficulties, short stature, deaf mutism, dwarfism
Iodine passes into breast milk in large quantities and nursing mothers need to maintain their iodine intake to prevent iodine deficiency themselves.
Causes of Iodine Deficiency
There are a number of factors that can lead to iodine deficiency including:
- Low amounts of iodine in the diet
- Selenium deficiency
- Pregnancy
- Radiation exposure
- Smoking tobacco
- Alcohol
- Oral contraceptives
Signs of Iodine Deficiency
Here are signs that could provide clues you’re not getting enough iodine. If you suffer from these symptoms consult your health care practitioner:
- Dry mouth
- Dry skin, reduced sweating
- Hair loss
- Reduced alertness, poor perception, lowered IQ
- Fibromyalgia, pain, fibrosis
- Scar tissue, nodules
- Frustration
- Depression
- Abnormal weight gain
- Reduced fertility
- Constipation
- Fatigue
Iodine Risks
A word of caution for those living where fluoride is added to the water supply. There have been studies which question the validity of fluoridation of drinking water because there is a link between excess fluoride ingestion and thyroid disease. Thyroid disease increased where water was fluoridated as the fluoride inhibits the action of the iodine.
Iodine supplementation is one place where you can get too much of a good thing. There are potential risks to taking too much iodine. Doses over 2,000mg a day are dangerous especially if you have kidney ailments. Too much can easily lead to subclinical hypothyroidism, which is ironic when you consider that hypothyroidism is often linked to iodine deficiency. Sourcing iodine from foods may be preferable to taking supplements.
Iodine is one supplement where it’s essential to maintain a healthy balance between too little and too much.
Disclaimer
All information and opinions presented here are for information only and are not intended as a substitute for professional advice offered during a consultation. Please consult with your health care provider before following any of the treatments suggested on this site, particularly if you have an ongoing health issue.
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Happy Holistic Health 
We used to have to take goitre tablets at school in the 50’s. Must have been a Tasmanian thing. I have been cautious every since so the brainwashing about having a deathly tumour on our necks must have worked.
Good that it left you aware of the need for iodine Carole. 🙂 Interesting that they went to that extent though, because of course back in the 50’s most people were getting some iodine due to the cleaning process used by the dairy industry which left traces of iodine in the milk. And I suspect that back then many small boys absorbed iodine through the skin because it was applied routinely to their cuts and wounds.