Iodine – Is it just about salt?

Iodine is a trace mineral that is often only associated with whether your salt is iodised or not or is in the first aid kit as an antiseptic for minor cuts. But it is so much more than that…

Iodine deficiency has been making a comeback in Australia and in 2009 Australian and New Zealand Food standards now has the requirement that all commercially made bread (except for organic or unpackaged) is to include iodised salt. It is believed some of the reasons we are becoming more deficient in this very important mineral is that sanitation processes in the dairy industry were changed which has reduced iodine content. Deficiency can also be linked to low seafood diets and this mineral is not as strong in our soil as it was, therefore some vegetables that once were higher in iodine are no longer.

This mineral is such an important one

There are several processes iodine is important for. But the main ones include:

Production of thyroid hormones
Contributes to physical and mental development – very important in pregnancy
Regulates hormone secretion
Involved in cell division
Myelination – creating the myelin protective sheath around our nerves
Regulating immune responses by mast cells

Signs of possible iodine deficiency:

Decreased levels of T3 and T4 – thyroid hormones
Fatigue
Hypothyroidism – thyroid is not working as effectively as it should
High cholesterol
Insulin resistance/syndrome X
Oestrogen excess
Obesity
Polycystic ovarian syndrome

The main food sources containing iodine include:

Asparagus
Seafood but particularly cod and oysters
Seaweed
Garlic
Irish moss
Lima beans
Mushrooms
Sunflower seeds
Commercial bread in Australia/NZ and iodised salt

There are some foods, if eaten in excess which can impair the absorption of iodine and should be avoided if there is a thyroid goitre present. They include:

Cabbage
Brussel sprouts
Legumes
Tea
Cassava

You can test for iodine deficiency and the most reliable is a 24 hour urine test. If this is something you are interested in doing or want to chat about whether iodine deficiency could be causing some of the above symptoms for you, contact me to book in.

Have a look at my Youtube video of me going through my article – https://youtu.be/hskvQ8qrxfU