The truth about iodine

Many of our patients who have a thyroid condition are quite confused about iodine. They are not sure whether they should be taking it in supplement form or not, and are confused about what dose is best. I’ll try to clear up some of that confusion.

Iodine is a mineral that is critical for optimum health. Many people are iodine deficient; in fact that vast majority of the patients who come to our clinic are found to be iodine deficient after we give them a urinary spot iodine test. This is a handy test that your own doctor can order for you. Since October 2009, all bread in Australia (except organic bread) has to be fortified with iodine. This is an effort by the government to attempt to correct widespread iodine deficiency in this country. Many other parts of the world are also iodine deficient, including the USA and Europe.
Iodine is critical for healthy thyroid gland function because thyroid hormones are basically built from iodine molecules attached to the amino acid tyrosine. If you do not have enough iodine in your body, your thyroid gland will struggle to produce enough hormones. This places you at much greater risk of developing an enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) and thyroid nodules. Both of those conditions are frighteningly common.

Being iodine deficient can also make you feel very tired and sluggish. Losing weight is a lot more difficult if you don’t get enough iodine in your body. Iodine is critical for proper brain development in babies, therefore it is vital that pregnant and breast feeding women do not become deficient in this mineral. Some research has also shown that iodine deficiency increases the risk of hormonal disorders in women; specifically it can worsen estrogen dominance symptoms. Iodine deficiency increases the risk of breast cysts and painful breasts, as well as ovarian cysts.

It is difficult for most people to get enough iodine in their diet because not many foods provide significant quantities. Most iodine in the world is found in the oceans; therefore seafood is the richest source. Unfortunately most seafood available these days is farmed and therefore is a poor source of iodine. Seaweed is rich in iodine but not many people eat it regularly. Iodised salt is the other reliable source of iodine, but you’d have to consume quite large quantities of it regularly.

The fact is most women need to take an iodine supplement. Thyroid conditions are far more common in women than men, and breast and ovarian cysts are also increasingly common. Some doctors tell their thyroid patients to avoid iodine supplements. I strongly disagree. Iodine is important but it should be taken in the correct dose. Some of our patients take very high doses of iodine and this can suppress the thyroid gland and produce symptoms of hypothyroidism. We also see patients who take large doses of iodine and develop temporary hyperthyroidism. If you have been iodine deficient for some time (and most of you have), it is important to start with a small dose of iodine and gradually increase it if needed. Generally we recommend taking between 150 and 400 micrograms of iodine per day if a urine test has shown you to be deficient.

Iodine supplements are not the main solution for most thyroid problems. Most thyroid conditions are caused by autoimmune disease, and the underlying immune dysfunction must be addressed if you want to help your thyroid. People with an over active thyroid (hyperthyroidism) should not take iodine supplements while their thyroid is over active because it makes treatment of this condition more difficult.

Do you have any questions about iodine or the thyroid gland?