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Home » Iodine: How to Make Sure You’re Getting Enough

Iodine: How to Make Sure You’re Getting Enough

June 9, 2022 by Bridget Leave a Comment

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You’ve probably heard of iodine because you see the word “iodized” on your salt container. But you may not have thought much past that. However, If you’re pregnant or thinking about it, it’s vital that you get enough of this key nutrient for brain development.

Iodized salt container. #Iodine is important for health.

Iodine deficiency in pregnancy is a worldwide problem and has become a global public health concern since it is identified as the leading cause of preventable brain damage in newborns and infants due to inadequate intake by mothers and infants.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; www.eatright.org

Why It’s Important

Iodine is necessary for the body to make thyroid hormones. Not getting enough can cause serious issues such as hypothyroidism, an enlarged thyroid gland, (also called goiter) and weight gain. Why is it so critical during pregnancy, infancy and childhood? Because it’s necessary for brain development.

What If You Don’t Get Enough Iodine?

  • Most importantly, iodine deficiency during pregnancy can cause irreversible brain damage in her infant.
  • Not enough iodine during infancy and early childhood can cause lower IQ, reduced intellectual and motor performance and even an increased risk of ADHD.
  • In adults, not getting enough iodine can cause impaired brain function. Also, iodine may have an impact on immune health and fibrocystic breast disease.
  • Chronic iodine deficiency may be associated with an increased risk of the follicular form of thyroid cancer.
#DidYouKnow? Iodine deficiency during #pregnancy can cause permanent brain damage. Get the facts on #iodine and where to get it here. Click To Tweet

Are You Getting Enough Iodine?

You’re more likely to not get enough iodine if you:

  • Eat a vegan or mostly plant-based diet.
  • Avoid dairy foods.
  • Avoid fish and seafood.
  • Don’t eat much added salt.
Salmon dinner with asparagus, which is a great source of iodine..

More people are turning toward plant-centered diets (which is a good thing). But it also means some nutrients could be missing, becauase the main source of dietary iodine comes from dairy products and seafood.

How Much Do You Need?

  • 1 to 8 years old: 90 micrograms
  • 9 to 13 years old: 120 micrograms
  • 14 years and older: 150 micrograms
  • Pregnant: 220 micrograms
  • Lactating: 290 micrograms

Where to Find It

FoodMicrograms (mcg)
per serving
Percent DV*
Bread, white, enriched, made with iodate dough conditioner, 2 slices**320213
Bread, whole-wheat, made with iodate dough conditioner, 2 slices**309206
Cod, baked, 3 ounces158106
Seaweed, nori, dried, 2 tablespoons, flaked (5 g)11677
Oysters, cooked, 3 ounces9362
Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat, ¾ cup8758
Milk, nonfat, 1 cup8557
Iodized table salt, ¼ teaspoon7651
Fish sticks, cooked, 3 ounces5839
Pasta, enriched, boiled in water with iodized salt, 1 cup3825
Ice cream, chocolate, ⅔ cup2819
Egg, hard boiled, 1 large2617
Cheese, cheddar, 1 ounce1510
Liver, beef, cooked, 3 ounces149
Shrimp, cooked, 3 ounces139
Tuna, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces75
Fruit cocktail in light syrup, canned, ½ cup64
Source: Iodine: Health Professional Fact Sheet, National Institutes of Health. *DV= Daily Value, which is 150 mcg.

What If you Don’t Eat Any Iodine-Rich Foods?

You can either try to start eating them on a regular basis, or look for a multivitamin that contains iodine. This might be difficult as one study found that 25% of multivitamins don’t contain iodine. It’s even worse for prenatal vitamins because 40% were found to not include iodine. Look carefully at the label. If a vitamin contains 100% of the Daily Value, it means it contains 150 mcg.

What About Salt?

You should always buy iodized salt. However that doesn’t mean you’ll be getting all the iodine you need. One gram of salt (about 1/4 tsp.) has about 75 mcg of iodine, 1/2 of the recommended daily intake for adults (and only 23% of pregnancy needs.) Though sea salt may contain extra minerals, it is likely to contain less iodine than iodized salt (and a pinch of plastic too!) We get a lot of our sodium from processed foods, but much of the salt used in industry is not iodized. So your best bet if you don’t eat a lot of salt or eat iodine rich foods is to choose your multivitamin or prenatal supplement very carefully.

References:

Iodine, A Critical Nutrient, Kathleeen Zelman MS, RDN, contributor, American Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. www.eatright.org

Iodine: Health Professional Fact Sheet. National Institutes of Health. Updated April 2022.

Iodine Content is Low or Absent in US multivitamins and Prenatal brands. Clinical Thyroidology for the Public. May 2019. Vol 12 Issue 5 p.3-4. American Thyroid Association.

Q & A: Sea Salt and Sufficient Iodine Intake. Mayo Clinic.

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Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Healthy Eating, Pregnancy, Uncategorized Tagged With: Bridget Swinney RD, dairy products, iodine, iodized salt, nutrition, pregnancy, prenatal nutrition, preventable brain damage, thyroid, thyroid deficiency, thyroid hormones

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