Iodine Daily Intake

Think about your daily iodine intake for a minute. Are you meeting your daily needs? The World Health Organization (WHO) says getting enough of this essential trace element can protect against thyroid diseases such as goitre. The table below shows the recommended daily amounts for adults and children. You might be surprised to learn the minimum Iodine daily intake the World Health

Organization recommends for a healthy body weight. Everyone’s different and your minium Iodine daily intake might be different from mine. Regardless, this article will tell you what you need to know about the health benefits of iodine in our diets and food sources. Iodine is an essential mineral that our body needs to function properly. It helps regulate how our bodies use energy from

food, which is why the most of it can be found in our thyroid glands. iodine dietary intake is important for the body to be able to regulate hormone secretion and produce key hormones. You probably already know that iodine is an essential trace element required for proper functioning of the human body.  You can find tips here on how much iodine per day . A new survey shows that many are not getting enough iodine.

Iodine Daily Intake

Whether you’re new to iodine, or just curious about Iodine Daily Intake, this article is for you. When was the last time you took a look at your iodine intake for the day? If it’s been a while (and let’s face it, it probably has), I’m sure you’ll be happy to learn that iodide (the less tasty but far more common spelling of iodine) is an essential mineral that we can’t live without. Let’s see what the experts say about how much iodine we should be consuming in a day.

Iodine is a trace element that is naturally present in some foods, is added to some types of salt, and is available as a dietary supplement. Iodine is an essential component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Thyroid hormones regulate many important biochemical reactions, including protein synthesis and enzymatic activity, and are critical determinants of metabolic activity [1,2]. They are also required for proper skeletal and central nervous system development in fetuses and infants.

Thyroid function is primarily regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), also known as thyrotropin. It is secreted by the pituitary gland to control thyroid hormone production and secretion, thereby protecting the body from hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. TSH secretion increases thyroidal uptake of iodine and stimulates the synthesis and release of T3 and T4. In the absence of sufficient iodine, TSH levels remain elevated, leading to goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland that reflects the body’s attempt to trap more iodine from the circulation and produce thyroid hormones. Iodine may have other physiological functions in the body as well. For example, it appears to play a role in immune response and might have a beneficial effect on mammary dysplasia and fibrocystic breast disease.

The earth’s soils contain varying amounts of iodine, which in turn affects the iodine content of crops. In some regions of the world, iodine-deficient soils are common, increasing the risk of iodine deficiency among people who consume foods primarily from those areas. Salt iodization programs, which many countries have implemented, have dramatically reduced the prevalence of iodine deficiency worldwide [2,3].

Iodine in food and iodized salt is present in several chemical forms including sodium and potassium salts, inorganic iodine (I2), iodate, and iodide, the reduced form of iodine [4]. Iodine rarely occurs as the element, but rather as a salt; for this reason, it is referred to as iodide and not iodine. Iodide is quickly and almost completely absorbed in the stomach and duodenum. Iodate is reduced in the gastrointestinal tract and absorbed as iodide [2,5]. When iodide enters the circulation, the thyroid gland concentrates it in appropriate amounts for thyroid hormone synthesis and most of the remaining amount is excreted in the urine . The iodine-replete healthy adult has about 15–20 mg of iodine, 70%–80% of which is contained in the thyroid .

Median urinary iodine concentrations of 100–199 mcg/L in children and adults, 150–249 mcg/L in pregnant women and >100 mcg/L in lactating women indicate iodine intakes are adequate . Values lower than 100 mcg/L in children and non-pregnant adults indicate insufficient iodine intake, although iodine deficiency is not classified as severe until urinary iodine levels are lower than 20 mcg/L.

Recommended Intakes

Intake recommendations for iodine and other nutrients are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (formerly National Academy of Sciences) [2]. DRI is the general term for a set of reference values used for planning and assessing nutrient intakes of healthy people. These values, which vary by age and gender [2], include:

• Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): Average daily level of intake sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%–98%) healthy individuals; often used to plan nutritionally adequate diets for individuals.
• Adequate Intake (AI): Intake at this level is assumed to ensure nutritional adequacy; established when evidence is insufficient to develop an RDA.
• Estimated Average Requirement (EAR): Average daily level of intake estimated to meet the requirements of 50% of healthy individuals; usually used to assess the nutrient intakes of groups of people and to plan nutritionally adequate diets for them; can also be used to assess the nutrient intakes of individuals.
• Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): Maximum daily intake unlikely to cause adverse health effects.

Table 1 lists the current RDAs for iodine [2]. For infants from birth to 12 months, the FNB established an AI for iodine that is equivalent to the mean intake of iodine in healthy, breastfed infants in the United States.

Table 1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Iodine [2]

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
Birth to 6 months	110 mcg*	110 mcg*
7–12 months	130 mcg*	130 mcg*
1–3 years	90 mcg	90 mcg
4–8 years	90 mcg	90 mcg
9–13 years	120 mcg	120 mcg
14–18 years	150 mcg	150 mcg	220 mcg	290 mcg
19+ years	150 mcg	150 mcg	220 mcg	290 mcg

* Adequate Intake (AI)

The World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD) recommend a slightly higher iodine intake for pregnant women of 250 mcg per day [3,7].

Sources of Iodine

Food
Seaweed (such as kelp, nori, kombu, and wakame) is one of the best food sources of iodine [5]. Other good sources include fish and other seafood, as well as eggs (see Table 2). Iodine is also present in human breast milk [2,5] and infant formulas [8].

Dairy products contain iodine. However, the amount of iodine in dairy products varies by whether the cows received iodine feed supplements and whether iodophor sanitizing agents were used to clean the cows and milk-processing equipment [9]. For example, an analysis of 44 samples of nonfat milk found a range of 38 to 159 mcg per cup (with an average of 85 mcg/cup used for Table 2) [8]. Plant-based beverages used as milk substitutes, such as soy and almond beverages, contain relatively small amounts of iodine.

Most commercially prepared bread contains very little iodine unless the manufacturer has used potassium iodate or calcium iodate as a dough conditioner [10,11]. Manufacturers list dough conditioners as an ingredient on product labels but are not required to include iodine on the Nutrition Facts label [12], even though these conditioners provide a substantial amount of iodine. According to 2019 data from the USDA Branded Food Products Database, approximately 20% of ingredient labels for white bread, whole-wheat bread, hamburger buns, and hot dog buns listed iodate [13]. Pasta is not a source of iodine unless it is prepared in water containing iodized salt because it absorbs some of the iodine [11].

Most fruits and vegetables are poor sources of iodine, and the amounts they contain are affected by the iodine content of the soil, fertilizer use, and irrigation practices [2,10]. This variability affects the iodine content of meat and animal products because of its impact on the iodine content of foods that the animals consume [14]. The iodine amounts in different seaweed species also vary greatly. For example, commercially available seaweeds in whole or sheet form have iodine concentrations ranging from 16 mcg/g to 2,984 mcg/g [15]. For these reasons, the values for the foods listed in Table 2 are approximate but can be used as a guide for estimating iodine intakes.

How much iodine should you take in a day?

The US recommended daily intake for iodine is 150 mcg/day for adults, and the FDA’s limit is set at 1 mg/day. Among functional medicine practitioners, there is no consensus on the actual human requirement for daily iodine.

How much iodine is in iodine plus 2?

Iodine Plus2– It contains 12.5 mgs of Iodine / Iodide along with 15 mcg of Selenium as well as 15 mgs B2 (Riboflavin). The iodine protocol includes 200 – 400 mcg of Selenium and in some cases requires ATP CoFactors which are a combination of 100 mgs of B2 (Riboflavinu) and 500 mgs B3 (Niacin). One bottle contains 60 tablets and is $25.

Which is the best iodine supplement for You?

Lugol’s liquid– Iodine / Potassium Iodide – 2% and 5% solutions. 2% solution is 2.5 mgs / drop. 5% solution is 6.25 mgs / drop. ii. Iodoral– Lugol’s formula in pill form – Iodine / Potassium Iodide – 12.5 mgs & 50 mgs iii. Biotics Research Iodizyme– 12.5 mgs per tablet of Iodine / Iodide iv.

How much iodine do Japanese women need a day?

To put these doses in perspective the average Japanese adult consumes 5,280 to 13,800mcg of iodine a day with no negative effects and a plethora of benefits. ( 2) Japanese women who consume a traditional high-seaweed diet also have a low incidence of benign and malignant breast disease.

Can you take too much iodine supplement?

You’re probably more likely to consume too much iodine, so never take an iodine supplement without speaking to your doctor first. Too much iodine can interfere with your thyroid and leave you with a host of unwanted symptoms.

What is the best iodine to take?

Among the liquid-based iodine solution, J. Crow’s is the best. It has a high concentration of iodine, and is used by many people with thyroid issues to address iodine deficiencies rapidly and effectively.

What are the benefits of taking iodine daily?

The health benefits of iodine include the formation of healthy and shiny skin, teeth, and hair. It is an important element for hair care, as lack of this mineral can result in hair loss. Moreover, it also speeds up hair growth and increases follicle strength.

How much iodine is too much?

“how much iodine per day” – is the best way to find out what you need and learn how to use iodine. The iodine per day will also help you ward off breast cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, ovarian cancer and get your thyroid in shape. Our body needs iodine to function properly. Iodine is an integral part of the thyroid gland that produces hormones to help regulate the body’s metabolism, growth and development, and overall well-being.

The recommended daily limit for iodine intake is 150 micrograms for men and non-pregnant women. The recommended daily intake is 220 to 250 micrograms for pregnant women and 250 to 290 micrograms for women who are breast-feeding.

How Much Iodine Per Day

So you want to know how much iodine you should take per day? If so, this article is for you. We all know that iodine is a nutrient that is important for healthy metabolism. But did you know that the body only needs 1,100 micrograms of the nutrient each day? That is about what you would get from eating bread. If you wanted to get the recommended 150 micrograms of iodine each day, you would have to eat everything from your fiber cereal to fish in your diet.

Health Benefits Of Iodine

The health benefits of iodine may come as a surprise to many people. It’s one of those vitamins we don’t tend to think about in terms of health and wellbeing. But, it’s likely that you are deficient without even knowing it. Using iodine for hair growth can also be a good idea, especially since it is so easily absorbed through the scalp. It is quite amazing how iodine was able to go from a drug used to kill bacteria and germs, to one of the healthiest superfoods on the planet.

Iodine might not be the first thing you think of when you list off critical nutrients for health and wellbeing. But this trace mineral is critical to thyroid function, immune health, nervous system regulation, breast health, and more. It’s also crucial for healthy pregnancy and fetal development. It has remarkable antiseptic properties and is still used to disinfect wounds and prepare skin before surgery.

In this article we’ll review the many uses of iodine, benefits, symptoms of deficiency, sources of iodine, and more. 

What is Iodine?

Iodine (I) is one of the nine trace minerals our bodies need to facilitate enzymatic reactions, produce hormones, enable cellular communication, and accomplish dozens of other functions. While we don’t need as much iodine as we need other major minerals like magnesium and calcium, iodine is still essential to our health, particularly thyroid health. 

Unlike some nutrients, our bodies can not synthesize iodine on its own. We have to ingest iodine through our diet and supplementation, if needed, to get enough. However, iodine is also a nutrient that has a very narrow range of safety, meaning that it can be quite easy to get too much, especially when supplementing. 

Iodide vs Iodine

Iodide is a reduced salt form of iodine that is taken up by the body and used in various biological processes, like hormone synthesis. Iodide is absorbed through the stomach and the first part of the small intestine, the duodenum . Once in circulation, there is a transport protein called the sodium-iodide symporter that is present in several tissues—for example, the thyroid, cervix, breast tissue, and salivary glands—that allows iodine to be used in the cell

When you buy iodized salt, what you often get is salt combined with potassium iodide. Many countries—including the United States, Canada—and dozens of others, have had salt iodization programs since the 1920s to prevent widespread deficiency in the general population. However, this is still optional for salt manufacturers. Many processed food manufacturers, where most Americans get their salt intake, do not add iodide to their salt. If you use sea salt, kosher salt, Himalayan salt, etc., these salts are not iodized either, though they do contain some trace minerals. 

Iodine Benefits

The main benefits of iodine are maintaining thyroid health, immune function, and brain and nervous system support. Let’s take a closer look at each of these benefits. 

1. Iodine for Thyroid Health

One of iodine’s biggest roles in the body is to support the thyroid in producing thyroid hormones, TSH and its active metabolites T3 and T4. 

However, maintaining optimal iodine requirements can be a very delicate balance to achieve. The thyroid also requires selenium to use iodine for thyroid hormone synthesis, so selenium and iodine levels should always be considered together when evaluating supplementation for thyroid health.

Excess iodine intake may even initiate or aggravate hypothyroid symptoms, so supplementing iodine should not be taken lightly if you already have or are predisposed to hypothyroidism

2. Iodine for Fetal Development

One time where iodine needs are more pronounced is during pregnancy. Iodine is essential for fetal development, particularly for fetal thyroid gland development. Also, during early pregnancy, the fetus depends entirely on the mother’s thyroid hormone production. Production of T4 increases by 50% during pregnancy, requiring an increase in iodine as well. The RDA of iodine for pregnant women increases from 150 to 220 mcg/day, (and the RDA represents the absolute minimum requirement for function, so your individual needs may be higher.)

Severe deficiency can also contribute to diminished cognitive and neural development in infants and children

3. Iodine for Immune Function

Iodine is also critical for proper immune function. Besides being inherently antiseptic, killing all single-celled organisms, iodine and thyroid hormone together appear to provide constant surveillance against abnormal cell development. It also protects against abnormal bacterial growth in the stomach such as H. Pylori overgrowth. Iodine can also coat and neutralize both biological and chemical toxins.

As for the immune system itself, iodine seems to increase immune cell function. This effect is due to iodine itself, rather than an increased production in thyroid hormones . However, additional research shows that, once again, too much iodine can easily cause immune system dysfunction

4. Iodine for Fibrocystic Breasts

Iodine deficiency is indicated in women who have fibroids, non-cancerous lumps, in their breast tissue. These abnormal growths usually appear and disappear based on the menstrual cycle, or they may build up over time. Since iodine protects against abnormal cell development and proliferation, adequate iodine levels may prevent these fibroids from occurring

5. Iodine for Nervous System and Brain Health

Many parts of the brain appear to be affected by a lack of iodine, including the hippocampus, neurotransmitters, the protective myelin that surrounds our nerves, and the process of cognition itself. Further research needs to be done on iodine’s role in brain health, but we can surmise that maintaining good iodine status is supportive of nervous system and brain health

Iodine Deficiency

Iodine deficiency is actually very common, especially among women since it is present in the female body in the mammary tissue and cervix in addition to the thyroid and salivary glands. 

You may be more susceptible to iodine deficiency if you

• Don’t consume iodized salt
• Are pregnant
• Are vegan or do not consume many animal products
• Live in a region with iodine-deficient soils
• Consume goitrogen-containing foods (foods that interfere with iodine uptake in the thyroid).

Symptoms of iodine deficiency may look similar to many hypothyroid symptoms, since low iodine can exacerbate hypothyroidism. Possible iodine deficiency symptoms include

• Fatigue
• Sensitivity to cold
• Low thyroid hormone production/conversion
• Weakness
• Constipation
• Weight gain
• Dry skin
• Goiter (an enlarged thyroid)
• Pregnancy-related issues, including impaired fetal brain and thyroid development.