Importance of Iodine

Iodine is one of the most important minerals that is required by the body, yet, nobody seems to be talking about it. Not that many multi-vitamins have it and a majority of the so called ‘trainers’ have no idea what it does, why it’s so important and it gets worse, barely any of us get enough of it! Lets find the Importance of Iodine.

Iodine is a mineral that is absolutely essential for the production of thyroid hormones. The job of the thyroid is to maintain a healthy metabolism, help the body use energy efficiently, regulate body heat and help in the proper development of the body’s organs and bones. If you find that you are unable to lose (or gain) weight, you might have some deficiencies in your thyroid and it is wise to get your thyroid levels tested.

Since the body does not produce its own Iodine, it is critical that we get it through our diet and through supplementation. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is 150mcg (micrograms) per day, however, a lot of studies have suggested that that might be too low an amount for today’s standards and recommend a higher dose. 400-500mcg would be ideal.

Some of the symptoms of Iodine deficiency can include, dry skin, inability to produce saliva (dry mouth), ‘brain fog’, fibrosis, hypothyroidism (where the body cannot produce enough thyroid hormones), weakened metabolism, goiter (enlarged thyroid glands) as well as some pregnancy related issues.

Sources of Iodine

The best way to get any nutrients and minerals is, of course, always the natural way, through whole foods.

Foods that are rich in Iodine include: Eggs, sea salt, salt-water fish, shellfish, Spirulina and probably the best source, seaweed, such as kelp. A lot of sea related things as you can see.

It is not always convenient to eat such a high amount of these foods, specially fish, considering the amount of mercury found in seafood these days, therefore it is wise to consider an Iodine supplement.

Some multi-vitamins do have the right RDA amount of Iodine in them but I recommend taking in some extra as well for optimal health. Just make sure that the supplement uses Kelp, Spirulina or other sea-weed as their main source of Iodine as other chemical sources have been found to cause slight toxicity in some studies.

I hope that this article sheds some light on the Importance of Iodine.