If you are 0-6 months: you need 110 micrograms per day (mcg/day) of iodine. If you are 7-12 months: 130 mcg/day. If you are 1-3 years old: 90 mcg/day. If you are 4-8 years old: 90 mcg/day. If you are 9-13 years old: 120 mcg/day. If you are male and 14 and older: 150 mcg/day. If you are female and 14 and older: 150 mcg/day. Women who are pregnant or breast feeding need higher amounts of iodine. Speak to your doctor about exactly how much iodine you should be getting every day based on your age, gender, and other factors, such as pregnancy.
You can add iodized salt when you cook and bake. For example, if a recipe calls for salt, use iodized table salt. Iodized table salt does not taste any different from normal table salt. You can also replace your salt shaker with iodized table salt. That way, when you reach for salt during a meal, you are also adding iodine to your dish.
Start your morning with a bowl of yogurt. A single cup of plain, low-fat yogurt can provide up to 50% of your daily recommended iodine intake. Add fresh fruit, granola, and honey for flavor and more essential nutrients. Drink reduced fat milk. A single cup of skim or 1% milk can provide almost 40% of your daily recommended intake of iodine. Have eggs for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A single large egg can provide about 16% of your daily iodine intake; serve it on toast, in a breakfast burrito, poached with asparagus, or in a quiche. Add goat’s cheese to your salad or to your pizza. Cheese is high in iodine and also contains essential B vitamins, calcium, and protein. One ounce of raw cheddar cheese contains around 10-15 mcg of iodine. Goat’s milk is usually easier for most people’s digestive system and contains high levels of calcium and protein.
Go for white fish like cod, sea bass, and haddock. Bake the white fish or steam it to get the most nutritional benefits, and ⅔ of your daily recommended intake of iodine. Have a tuna sandwich for lunch or shrimp cocktail as an appetizer or a snack. A can of tuna, about 3 ounces, can provide about ¼ of your daily iodine intake. 3 ounces of shrimp proves nearly ¼ of your daily iodine intake. Be wary of overeating seafood as certain seafood can contain high levels of mercury, which can be toxic if they are over consumed. Seafood such as haddock, whitefish, trout, shrimp, and scallops are known to have the least amount of mercury. Avoid eating seafood such as ahi tuna, canned albacore tuna, sea bass, bluefish, and swordfish, as these are known to have higher levels of mercury.
Look for enriched bread at your grocery store. Many brands will state if they are enriched on the label. Make whole wheat enriched pasta with cod or other seafood to have a meal rich with iodine.
Excessive amounts of iodine can lead to serious health issues including goiter and hyperthyroidism. [8] X Research source
You should always talk to your doctor before taking supplements, especially if you have thyroid disease, are taking other medications, or if you have experienced iodine deficiency over a long period of time.
Do not take seaweed or kelp supplements as sources of iodine. The amount of iodine in these supplements can vary and in some cases, provide excessive quantities of iodine.
If you consume high quantities of iodine-rich foods while pregnant, you may not need to take an iodine supplement. Check with your doctor about your iodine levels before you take any supplements.
Goiter: This is when your thyroid enlarges, or develops a goiter, as it tries to keep up with the demand for thyroid hormone production in your body. Iodine deficiency is the most common cause of goiter. If you have goiter, you may experience symptoms like choking, especially when lying down, and difficulty swallowing and breathing. Hypothyroidism: This is when you have an underactive thyroid gland, as your thyroid can’t make enough thyroid hormone to keep your body running normally. If you have hypothyroidism, your body’s processes will start to slow down. You may feel colder, tire more easily, your skin may get drier, and you may become forgetful or depressed. The symptoms for hypothyroidism are variable so the only way to confirm you have this disorder is to get a blood test. Patients with thyroid disorders should not automatically start an iodine supplement because there are certain types of thyroid disease that are contraindications for iodine supplements. Pregnancy related issues: Severe iodine deficiency (which is extremely rare and even unheard of in the United States) in mothers has been associated with miscarriages, stillbirth, preterm delivery, and congenital abnormalities. The children of mothers with severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy can have mental issues and problems with growth, hearing, and speech. In fact, even mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy may be associated with low intelligence in children. [13] X Research source
Some people who move from an iodine-deficient region, such as parts of Europe, to a region with higher levels of iodine, such as the United States, may also develop thyroid problems since their thyroids have gotten used to taking in small amounts of iodine. This may then put them at risk of developing hyperthyroidism. [17] X Research source
