Iodine

Benefits of Iodine

Did you know that iodine deficiency is extremely common in European and Third World countries affecting 72% of the world’s population? In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers that iodine deficiency is the most prevalent and preventable cause of impaired cognitive development in children. However, cognitive development isn't the only benefit of iodine, numerous other conditions have also been associated with this deficiency.

The prevalence of iodine-deficient soils has been well-established for decades. In fact, to prevent deficiency, Canada made the addition of iodine to table salt mandatory in 1949. Unfortunately, iodized salt contains inorganic iodine which is hard to absorb. Couple that with the fact that more and more people are cutting down on their salt intake, and many more are switching to sea salt which is virtually iodine-free, it's easy to see that many people may be getting very little iodine via diet.

So what is iodine exactly? Iodine is an essential trace mineral that is crucial for healthy thyroid function, as well as for regulating the body’s metabolic processes. Iodine is found throughout the body but is most heavily concentrated in the thyroid gland, where it’s needed for the production of thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones control your body’s basal metabolic rate (how fast, or unfortunately, how slow your metabolism is). Iodine is also directly implicated in energy production, and benefits normal growth and cognitive development in children. Lack of iodine during pregnancy has been associated with lower IQ in children.

In addition, because iodine down-regulates estrogen receptor cells, and promotes healthy estrogen metabolism; supplementation can benefit by stabilizing estrogen-sensitive tissues including the breasts, uterus, ovaries, and brain. As such, iodine supplementation is surprisingly effective to help soothe breast pain associated with cyclical mastalgia and fibrocystic breast disease, as well as PMS symptoms.

Benefits of Iodine

• Enhances Metabolism (Metabolic Rate) & Stimulates Weight Loss
• Helps Maintain Optimal Energy Levels
• Supports Optimal Thyroid Gland Health & Function

Who Needs Iodine?

Iodine is most often recommended to help support healthy thyroid function and metabolism, as well as help support weight loss. Iodine can also be of benefit to address subclinical hypothyroidism, undiagnosed low thyroid function with thyroid values within the “normal" range resulting in symptoms such as; fatigue, weight gain, constipation, lack of motivation, tiredness, sensitivity to cold, coarse, dry, brittle hair, hair loss, brain fog, and menstrual problems.

Iodine Potency Forms & Formats

Iodine Potency

To reap the most benefit from your iodine supplement, the recommended daily dose of iodine is 150mcg for men and women, 220 to 250mcg for pregnant women and 250 to 290mcg during breastfeeding.

Iodine Forms

Iodine supplements are commonly found as potassium iodide, a highly stable and readily absorbable form of iodine derived from seaweed (mostly kelp).

Nascent iodine (commonly referred to as atomic" iodine) is another form of liquid iodine, that is reportedly easier to assimilate than other forms.

A B Complex may be beneficial when taking an iodine supplement to further support healthy thyroid function.

Iodine Format Benefits

Iodine is available in a variety of forms including, capsules, tablets, and liquid.

Choosing An Iodine Supplement To Benefit Your Needs

Standardized iodine supplements supply more iodine and a consistent dose in each tablet or drop – usually about 150mcg. This is ideal for those with low thyroid. kelp tablets, which are not standardized (so do not supply a consistent amount of iodine per tablet/drop) are suitable for those looking to up their iodine intake but do not have an underlying condition.

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