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Iodine is one of those minerals we don’t think too much about, but we should. The body needs it to produce the thyroid hormone. A couple of good questions to ask is how MUCH iodine is enough and how much is TOO much? That would depend on a few variables such as the source of the iodine, the form of the iodine, and the additives in your diet.
Almost 1/3 of people on the planet are deficient in iodine. People that don’t use iodized table salt or those that follow a vegan or vegetarian diet are also typically deficient in iodine.
Holly Haze is here to shed the light on the benefits of iodine. “We really need it for so many functions and if you are deficient, there are somer telling signs…but here is the list of iodine’s job in our body.”
- thyroid function (and ultimately metabolism)
- keeps brain thinking sharply
- guards against toxins
- guards against radiation
- natural antiseptic
- powerful antioxidant (WE NEED AS MANY OF THOSE AS POSSIBLE)
- endures reproductive health
- helps with alopecia (hair thinning and loss)
- maintains strong bones and teeth
- helps with mood swings
If you are deficient in iodine, your body will present as hypothyroidism and possibly even a goiter in the neck. A goiter occurs when the thyroid gland starts to swell due to inefficient levels of thyroid hormone.
You may start to gain weight since the thyroid isn’t performing efficiently.
You may be easily fatigued and more tired than normal.
As a result of iodine deficiency, affected individuals may notice that they start to experience gradual hair loss. More than 30% of people with low thyroid hormone experience some form of hair loss, whether it’s male pattern baldness or a thinning of the hair in women.
Many people deficient in iodine will have very dry and flaky skin. Holly explain “The reason for this is the body produces less sweat due to the lack of iodine. By including iodized table salt with your meals (preferably a good Himalayan pink salt, you can reverse the effects of dry and flaky skin.”
These are just a few of the symptoms. What should you do? Holly advises, ” If you feel your iodine is too high, I highly recommend doing what’s called a thyroid reset diet (you can ask your doctor or find one on line). If you feel you may be low on iodine, your doctor can order a urinary iodine to creatinine ratio. You can also get one of these tests done at LabCorp or even order an at-home test.”
Take away: many times just adding good salt to your diet and talking to your doctor as it is really easy to add a supplement if you aren’t getting enough via daily food consumption.
