Iodine is Essential for Healthy Thyroid Function, Which is Vital for Every Single Cell in the Body. Thyroid Hormones Regulate Metabolism and Protein Synthesis. The Human Body Needs Iodine to Optimize Health!
Iodine benefits the body in numerous ways. In a previous post, we shared how iodine deficiency makes one susceptible to heavy metal poisoning. Today, we will share how important iodine is for a healthy thyroid.
Iodine is an essential nutrient for the human organism. The body doesn’t make it; you have to consume iodine with your diet and it’s not readily available from the food supply anymore. [1]
Iodine is the 53rd element on the periodic table, with this configuration of electrons in its shells. Image source
The Thyroid
The thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly and is located at the base of the throat. It is a main player in the the endocrine system. It’s regulated by the pituitary gland, which is regulated by the hypothalamus. Most of the body’s iodine receptors are in the thyroid (women also have a concentration in the feminine tissues, because iodine is necessary for developing babies). [2, 3]
The thyroid produces hormones that regulate metabolism, protein production, and kidney, brain, liver, skin, and heart function. [4] Those are some important systems!
The thyroid creates thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) by absorbing iodine from the blood (which came from the diet) and combining it with the amino acid tyrosine. These thyroid hormones direct metabolism and growth. The thyroid needs 4 atoms of iodine to produce T4 and 3 atoms of iodine to produce T3. [5] If the body doesn’t have enough iodine, the system cannot produce appropriate amounts of these thyroid hormones, which is bad news down the line!
Every cell in the body uses thyroid hormones, therefore every cell in the body depends on appropriate levels of iodine in the body for optimal functioning. [3, 4] Yet 95% of Americans are deficient in iodine! [6] While serious disease may take years to manifest, iodine deficiency guarantees sup-optimal metabolism because iodine is foundational to proper thyroid function.
30 million Americans have thyroid disease--that’s almost 10 % of the population! [2] It affects more women than men, which may not be surprising when we consider that the mother greatly depletes her iodine reserves by incubating and nursing babies. Various thyroid disorders can have the same symptoms. A blood test can confirm a diagnosis.
Hypothyroidism is an underactive thyroid. [2]
In this disorder, the thyroid does not make enough thyroid hormone. It is caused by iodine deficiency. Symptoms can include: [2]
- Increased cholesterol
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Memory loss
- Dry skin and hair
- Constipation
- Weight gain
- Goiter
Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid. [7]
In this condition, the thyroid makes too much thyroid hormone. Paradoxically it can also be caused by iodine deficiency. [4, 8] Symptoms can include: [9]
- Weight loss
- Anxiety
- Irritability
- Brittle hair
- Sweating
- Rapid heart rate
- Fatigue
- Tremor
- Trouble sleeping
- Frequent bowel movements
- Bulging eyes
- Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the thyroid
- Goiter
Goiter is an enlargement of the thyroid. [10]
It can be mild to severe.
In the 1920s, doctors observed a prevalence of goiters around the Great Lakes. Iodized salt was introduced as a cost effective and easily distributed means of getting iodine into the food supply. [11] It is not actually iod-ine but manufactured iod-ide that is added to iodized salt, along with a slew of potentially toxic chemicals from anti-caking agents to aluminum derivatives. [12] Further, there is only about 30 mcg of iodine in the recommended daily allowance of iodized salt, and only 10% of the iodine from iodide is actually available for the body. Iodized salt is really not a reliable and healthy source of iodine. [10]
The recommended daily allowance for iodine given by the FDA is actually the bare minimum to prevent goiter rather than to optimize health. The RDA is 150 mcg for men and 220 mcg for pregnant women, and 290 mcg for nursing mothers, but these levels are extremely low given the rampant iodine deficiency in this population. [13, 14]
Untreated thyroid disorders can lead to heart disease, mental problems, infertility, diabetes, and cancer, so it is important to supply the body with enough iodine for optimal thyroid health. [9, 14, 15]
Iodine is a key for metabolism, yet thyroid health is just one of many responsibilities of iodine in the body!
Iodine is an essential nutrient for the body, and it is vital to the foundational functioning of the human organism. Please consider if you are getting enough of this nutrient! There are very few reliable and sufficient sources of iodine in the American food supply, so it is a great idea to contemplate your body’s source. While there are trace amounts of iodine in some seafoods, the only real food on earth with enough to meet the body's needs are sea vegetables. Unless you're eating uncooked, unprocessed sea vegetables on a daily basis or supplementing with a high quality iodine of the proper form, there is really no way your body is getting enough of this foundational element.
Sources:
1. http://advances.nutrition.org/content/4/2/262.full
2. http://www.thyroidawareness.com/about-your-thyroid
3. http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/thyroid/how-your-thyroid-works
4. http://jeffreydachmd.com/2014/04/graves-remission-iodine-case-report-jeffrey-dach-md/
5. http://fitsweb.uchc.edu/student/selectives/Luzietti/Thyroid_hormones.htm
7.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperthyroidism/basics/symptoms/con-20020986
8. http://www.uptodate.com/contents/iodine-in-the-treatment-of-hyperthyroidism
9.http://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/hyperthyroidism/hyperthyroidism-overview-overactive-thyroid
10.http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2011/10/the-silent-epidemic-of-iodine-deficiency/Page-01
11. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3509517/
12. http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/iodine-in-salt/
13.http://www.laurapower.com/page26.html
14. http://journal.diabetes.org/clinicaldiabetes/v18n12000/pg38.htm
Iodine is awesome! Taking enough of it is a simple way to drastically improve life!
That's true, and it's so important for much more than just thyroid health and metabolism. As we shared in a previous post, it also detoxes heavy metals. Chronic deficiency can manifest in serious disease, so it makes sense to just take it and feel better than ever!
Great article. People really are led to believe that iodized salt is the answer to iodine deficiency and hence, likely have thought about it little. Iodine is essential in many ways. Thank you for raising the awareness.
Yes, iodine is a foundational element for health and wellness! There's a lot of misinformation about iodine, and iodized salt is not a healthy source for it.
A very good point!
Great post! All true! I have been taking an iodine supplement for about 4 years. Extremely important nutrient, my doctor "argues" the most important!
Totally true!
Normally I don't like docs much but this guys seems to give atleast some primo advise!
He is an excellent doctor, though I dont rely on only his option. He is a world renowned holistic doctor. Also the 1st doctor to actually help me and guide me in the right direction. Now I have been researching health for 4 years and made dramatic changes, that positively changed my life forever, and now sharing for others interested. :)
Awesome!
Congratulations, What a great thing for you and also many others!
:)
Give thanks for the guides! How exciting to take responsibility for your health and educate and empower yourself. Health is a great gift, and we find that sharing the sustainable options for wellness we find is one of our duties and rights.
That it is, keep it up @gardenofeden! :)
Taking iodine is one of the easiest upgrades to health with one of the highest payoffs! So great to see others recognize the importance of iodine!
Very much agree!
Yup, I got me some iodine.
Awesome!
What kind?
Nascent iodine, the real deal.
Yes Nascent Iodine is without a doubt the best every day iodine. Great job!
What brand?
Awesome! Wise move! There are many forms of iodine, and they are not created equal. Are you taking it orally or topically?
It's good. Nascent iodine. Oral.
Iodine noticeably improves my focus, energy, and overall brain functioning. The research speaks for itself and so does my experience. I highly encourage anyone who has not tried it to do so to at least see for yourself... cheers!
Thank you for sharing your testimonial! It's such an important element, and it's great to see others enjoying the benefits of it!
Iodine Is A Necessary
Dietary Essential
I Like Morton Iodized Sea Salt
A Lot Of Sea Salt Though Does Not Have Iodine
And even iodized salt does not provide completely for the body's needs, not to mention the other compounds that are processed with it that do not benefit the body.
True
Is there any way to get enough iodine naturally from one's diet? I know iodized salt isn't even actual iodine (as you stated in your article), but is there a type of food that one can eat that will give a sufficient supply?
Unprocessed, uncooked sea vegetables are the only significant source of iodine from food, and most Americans aren't eating this regularly enough to meet their needs. There is some available from seafood (~25 mcg per 3 oz shrimp), but it can get expensive to consume enough for optimal health--again, the RDA of 150 mcg is well below what we actually need to thrive. Plus, the oceans are polluted so seafood comes along with mercury and other undesirable substances. There is some iodine available from dairy products as well, but this is because they use iodine to sterilize cow's teats before milking and to clean containers and equipment. It's a residue from processing rather than a naturally occurring element.
Baked potato 40% of your DV. Cranberries 60% DV in 1 oz. Strawberries 8.6% DV in one cup. https://draxe.com/top-10-iodine-rich-foods/
I'd rather let the turkey live, but 23% DV in their flesh.
Seems like if you avoid processed foods and eat your fruits and veggies, you're probably doing ok. Personally I would just consciously make sure I'm taking in enough before I would supplement, because then you're getting all the other benefits of those foods too, rather than just blow money on a supplement that does only that.
Working some seaweed into your diet seems smart. But other foods have it too.
Consuming whole foods is definitely advantageous for the reason you've mentioned, but the iodine available from fruits and vegetables these days varies greatly depending on the soil it was grown in. World wide, modern agriculture practices have severely depleted the soil, which yields iodine deficient food.
There is a map in this article that shows states with iodine depleted soils:
http://health101.org/art_iodine.htm
The states with the largest potato production (Idaho, Washington, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Colorado) do not have enough iodine in the soil, for example.
It would be interesting to know how nutritional data is calculated--when the tests are done, how many pieces are tested, where they are from, etc.
Also definitely worth noting that if you're going to try to eat strawberries, organic is superior! Strawberries (especially from northern California) are highly sprayed with a pesticide called methyl bromide, which competes for iodine receptors in the body.