The world health organization has announced that Iodine deficiency is one of the easiest preventable deficiencies to help with impaired cognitive development.
Impaired cognitive development means that there is a measurable change in memory and thinking skills.
This can lead to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia at a later age.
In other words, they think it is easy to make changes in your life to make sure you get enough Iodine in your system and improve not only your overall health but improve your thinking and memory.
There has been research from the American Thyroid Organization that claims that almost half of the population of the US has complaints that are related to iodine deficiency.
What Is Iodine And Why Do We Need It?
Iodine is an element that our thyroid needs to make hormones. The problem is that our body does not make any Iodine so we have to get it from our food or supplements.
Without it or with not enough of these hormones the process of growth of most organs and our brain, in particular, will be disrupted.
Iodine deficiency in a child can lead to many problems and stunt their growth physically and mentally.
Iodine History
To find what has been one of the iodine deficiency causes we have to go back to the early 1900s. I found this explanation:
Originally, iodization was adopted to reduce the incidence of goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. But research since then has found that iodine also plays a crucial role in brain development, especially during gestation.
That was the reason to add it to our table salt. But even after adding it to our table salt we still do not get enough iodine in our daily food.
Historically we ate food that was high in iodine and we did not have to worry about this.
Lately, however, the picture changed completely. We depleted the soil where our vegetables grow and another problem is the number of toxins in our food.
These two things decreased the number of many trace minerals including iodine in our daily diet.
By making it a law that it had to be added to table salt it worked partially in the early 1900s but as you can read above other things made it worse again.
Eating more salt is also no solution since it is in most cases not made from natural sources anymore but contains a lot of toxins.
Himalaya salt is the best to use since this also contains some other trace minerals and no toxins if you buy them from the right company.
What Happens If You Are Deficient In Iodine?
What happens when you are low on iodine can affect many things in your body. Things like:
- Digestive problems
- Dry mouth
- Problem concentrating
- Memory problems
- Thyroid problems
More problems are caused by Iodine deficiency according to Dr. Axe.
Can You Test For Iodine Deficiency?
Although you can do an iodine deficiency test at home and you can buy them online or in your local pharmacy, the best test is done by your family doctor. I have some recommendations later in this article.
In most cases, this will be done by using a urine test, blood test, patch test, or an iodine loading test.
Can You Have Too Much Iodine?
Although this is possible it is not likely to happen. It is possible that you should take too many iodine supplements.
The health risk and the symptoms are almost the same as for a deficiency, but can also include high blood pressure and affect your thyroid.
What Foods Contain Iodine?
There are foods that contain more iodine than others and what I noticed is that they are mostly foods we should be eating for many other health reasons.
Eating these foods can be part of an iodine deficiency treatment.
Here is a short list.
- Seaweed
- Baked cod
- Cranberries
- Plain yogurt
- Baked potato
- Raw milk
- Shrimp
- Eggs
There are more and they are easy to find if you look for them online.
What About Iodine Supplements?
Since we do not get enough iodine in our daily diet even when we eat all the good foods mentioned above, it is a good idea to think about taking an iodine supplement.
We all like to use organic iodine supplements and I have done a lot of reading to find these. Not realizing that my favorite supplement company sells them.
What I found is that a nascent iodine supplement is what you might call the best iodine supplement.
The one I recommend is 100% vegan, USDA-certified organic, and wrapped in a glycerin coating for easy digestion.
The reason that glycerin is used instead of the most commonly used vegetable oil, is the fact that most of these are a form of hydrogenated trans-fat that we should avoid.
If you like to see some more options in organic iodine you can find them here.
How much Iodine Do You Need?
The daily recommended amount of iodine varies for age groups from 100 mcg to 290 mcg.
An mcg is a microgram and this is one thousand of a milligram.
Here are some recommended amounts per age group.
- 0 – 6 months 100 mcg
- 7 -12 months 130 mcg
- 1 – 8 years 90 mcg
- 9 – 13 years 120 mcg
- 14 years and older 150 mcg
- Pregnant woman 220 mcg
- During breastfeeding 290 mcg
More Iodine supplements
I have found more organic iodine supplements on Amazon for very affordable prices.
Many of them come with high customer ratings.
Feel free to share your experience with Iodine deficiency in the comments below.
Do you need more information? Go to my supplements for seniors page to read more.
Eddie Vandam
Eddie Vandam, the voice behind the Senior Citizen Website, is a retired internet marketer and proud senior. With a passion for helping fellow seniors navigate the complexities of aging, Eddie shares his insights on health, independence, products, and enriching hobbies. He’s committed to making senior years both fulfilling and enjoyable. Read more about Eddie Vandam.
sources:
draxe.com/iodine-deficiency/
organixx.com/iodine-supplement/
thetruthaboutcancer.com/detox-with-iodine/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074887/
/www.thyroid.org/iodine-deficiency/
blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2013/07/23/how-adding-iodine-to-salt-boosted-americans-iq/#.Wqk4_nwh270