Why supplement with iodine

World Health Organization. Assessment of iodine deficiency disorders and monitoring their elimination. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, Patrick L. Iodine: deficiency and therapeutic considerations.

Altern Med Rev. Iodine deficiency. Endocr Rev. Iodine-deficiency disorders. Prevention and control of iodine deficiency in pregnant and lactating women and in children less than 2-years-old: conclusions and recommendations of the Technical Consultation.

Public Health Nutr. Pennington JA, Young B. Iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium, and iodine in foods from the United States Total Diet Study. J Food Compost Anal. Development of databases on iodine in foods and dietary supplements. Nutrients ;10; Iodine database PDF. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville MD. July Food and Drug Administration. Roseland J. Personal Communication. August 13, Composition of Core Foods of the U. Food Supply, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, and Iodine.

J Food Comp Anal. Variability of iodine content in common commercially available edible seaweeds. Fortification Legislation. Iodized salt data. Iodine nutrition: iodine content of iodized salt in the United States. Environ Sci Technol. Revised April 1, National Institutes of Health. Dietary Supplement Label Database. Bioavailability of seaweed iodine in human beings. Cell Mol Biol Noisy-le-grand. Iodine content of the best-selling United States adult and prenatal multivitamin preparations.

Thyroid ; J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol. Update on dietary intake of perchlorate and iodine from U. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol ; Nutritional elements in U. J Am Diet Assoc. Total diet study nutritional elements, Hyattsville, MD: U. Methods of assessment of iodine status in humans: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. Methods to assess iron and iodine status.

Br J Nutr. Ten repeat collections for urinary iodine from spot samples or hour samples are needed to reliably estimate individual iodine status in women.

J Nutr ; Iodine status of the U. Iodine nutrition in the United States. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Total diet study: estimated dietary intakes of nutritional elements, Int J Vitam Nutr Res. Case study: erythrosine. Food Addit Contam. Iodine Status of the U. Iodine status of pregnant women and women of reproductive age in the United States. Some subgroups of reproductive age women in the United States may be at risk for iodine deficiency.

J Nutr. Suboptimal iodine status of Australian pregnant women reflects poor knowledge and practices related to iodine nutrition. Hypertension, dietary salt restriction, and iodine deficiency among adults. Am J Hypertens. Intelligence quotient and iodine intake: a cross-sectional study in children.

Association of maternal iodine status with child IQ: A meta-analysis of individual participant data. J Clin Endocrinol Metab ; Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders in the offspring of mothers exposed to mild-moderate iodine deficiency: a possible novel iodine deficiency disorder in developed countries.

Iodine intake as a risk factor for thyroid cancer: A comprehensive review of animal and human studies. Thyroid Res ; Nutrition in Health and Disease, 9th ed. Lippincott Co, Philadelphia. Taking high doses of iodine for long periods of time could change the way your thyroid gland works. Page last reviewed: 03 August Next review due: 03 August Good sources of iodine Good food sources of iodine include: sea fish shellfish Iodine can also be found in plant foods, such as cereals and grains, but the levels vary depending on the amount of iodine in the soil where the plants are grown.

How much iodine do I need? The American Academy of Pediatrics has similar guidance. However, only about half the prenatal multivitamins sold in the United States contain iodine. Severe iodine deficiency during childhood has harmful effects on the development of the brain and nervous system. The effects of mild iodine deficiency during childhood are more difficult to measure, but mild iodine deficiency might cause subtle problems with neurological development.

Giving iodine supplements to children with mild iodine deficiency improves their reasoning abilities and overall cognitive function. In children living in iodine-deficient areas, iodine supplements seem to improve both physical and mental development. More study is needed to fully understand the effects of mild iodine deficiency and of iodine supplements on cognitive function. Although not harmful, fibrocystic breast disease causes lumpy, painful breasts.

It mainly affects women of reproductive age but can also occur during menopause. Very high doses of iodine supplements might reduce the pain and other symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease, but more study is necessary to confirm this. Check with your healthcare provider before taking iodine for this condition, especially because iodine can be unsafe at high doses.

Nuclear accidents can release radioactive iodine into the environment, increasing the risk of thyroid cancer in people who are exposed to the radioactive iodine, especially children. People with iodine deficiency who are exposed to radioactive iodine are especially at risk of developing thyroid cancer. The U. Food and Drug Administration has approved potassium iodide as a thyroid-blocking agent to reduce the risk of thyroid cancer in radiation emergencies.

Yes, if you get too much. Getting high levels of iodine can cause some of the same symptoms as iodine deficiency, including goiter an enlarged thyroid gland. High iodine intakes can also cause thyroid gland inflammation and thyroid cancer. Getting a very large dose of iodine several grams, for example can cause burning of the mouth, throat, and stomach; fever; stomach pain; nausea; vomiting; diarrhea ; weak pulse; and coma.

The daily upper limits for iodine include intakes from all sources—food, beverages, and supplements—and are listed below. Inadequate iodine prevents your body from making enough thyroid hormones. This can cause a variety of symptoms, including weight gain, diminished energy, sleepiness, trouble concentrating, depression, constipation, feeling cold all the time, menstrual irregularities, and problems with blood sugar.

Children who are deficient in iodine may experience the same effects as adults, as well as experience additional symptoms. The effects can be subtle and gradual including slow physical growth, mood problems, trouble concentrating, and learning difficulties. When an iodine deficiency results in low thyroid hormone levels, your pituitary gland makes excess thyroid stimulating hormone TSH to compensate for the low thyroid hormone levels.

TSH normally stimulates the thyroid gland to produce and release T4 and T3. Excess TSH overstimulates the thyroid gland. In response to this, the thyroid gland becomes enlarged, yet still cannot function adequately in the absence of sufficient iodine. This change is described as goiter. The condition may cause babies to experience trouble eating, weak muscle tone, or heart problems—sometimes, it may not cause any symptoms at all.

While there are other causes, newborn babies born to mothers who had low iodine intake during pregnancy can develop congenital hypothyroidism. If they don't, they are at risk for developing learning deficits and limits in physical growth as a result of inadequate thyroid function. It has been suggested that iodine deficiency may also be associated with breast disease, stomach problems, and bone problems, but these concerns have not been verified.

In some situations, your iodine might not function the way it should if goitrogens interfere with iodine absorption in the thyroid gland. Goitrogens are foods and other substances that compete with iodine uptake in your thyroid gland, ultimately preventing proper production of thyroid hormones. Some goitrogens include broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and strawberries. In general, moderate iodine consumption through the intake of iodized salt or through the food in your diet should not be problematic because extra iodine is easily eliminated through the urine.

However, you can consume more iodine than your body can handle by using supplements that contain high doses of iodine. Chronic iodine overdose has been associated with goiter, hyperthyroidism, thyroiditis, and thyroid cancer. In rare instances, iodine toxicity can occur as a result of consuming heavy doses of iodine supplements. Children who eat a whole bottle of vitamin pills or adults with kidney failure who use supplements may not be able to properly eliminate excess iodine.

Symptoms can include stomach upset, vomiting, and diarrhea. Allergies and sensitivities to iodine have been reported. There are three types of iodine reactions: skin sensitivity, an allergy to ingested iodine, and an allergy to injected iodine.

Iodine is added to table salt, which is labeled as "iodized salt. Pregnant women need higher amounts to support the developing baby. The United States Institute of Medicine produced a recommendation for the amount of iodine a person should ingest on a daily basis. Iodine levels are not measured in the blood, but they can be measured in the urine.

Urine measures of iodine are considered a reflection of iodine intake. Normal urinary iodine concentrations range between and micrograms per liter. Values lower than 20 micrograms per liter are suggestive of inadequate iodine intake. Common sources of iodine include:. As a medical treatment, radioactive iodine is used for several purposes, including for treatment of thyroid cancer or goiter. Radioactive iodine is often used to destroy overactive thyroid tissue or thyroid cancer.

This treatment comes as a prescription pill and requires preparation with a special low iodine diet several weeks before starting treatment. Radioactive iodine can be harmful to others, and there are precautions that you would need to take to protect other people, including covering your neck for the duration of your treatment.