Dorothy FarrarIodine
Iodine is one of the essential trace elements. It supports the formation of thyroid hormones and thus stimulates the metabolism. During growth, it also influences the formation of hearing and the brain. Iodine also affects height growth in children.
What is iodine?
Iodine is a non-metallic trace element that is essential to life. It is assigned to the group of halogens and is important for the formation of thyroid hormones . Iodine was first extracted from seaweed in 1812, but its occurrence in the thyroid gland was not reported until about a century later. Around the same time, iodine therapy was also developed, since iodine deficiency was very common in thyroid diseases .
Happen
During the last ice age, iodine was washed out of the soil with the melt water of the glaciers and then washed into the sea. The iodine content in plant and also animal foods depends primarily on the soil content in the cultivation and husbandry areas.
Like many other countries in the world, Germany is one of the so-called iodine deficiency areas, where the trace element is only found in very small amounts in drinking water. In Germany, iodine deficiency is the most common food-based deficiency condition.
iodine in food
Animal products such as meat, eggs and dairy products only contain significant amounts of iodine if the animals were also fed iodine-containing feed. There are no legal requirements for the amount and use of the added iodine in animal feed. Farmers are therefore also free to decide whether they use iodized feed at all.
In agricultural products, too, only small amounts of iodine can usually be found, which is why these products cannot adequately cover the iodine requirement. Saltwater fish (e.g. cod, haddock, pollock), seaweed (e.g. nori algae) or seafood are natural sources of iodine. However, the iodine content in algae in particular varies greatly depending on the type of algae and the way it is prepared. Iodized table salt is a very important source of iodine, especially in Germany. Small amounts of iodine are also found in vegetables such as broccoli and spinach, as well as in peanuts and pumpkin seeds.
Why does the body need iodine?
Iodine is a component of the thyroid hormones, which play a role in various metabolic processes in the body. They influence growth, bone formation, energy metabolism and brain development. About 70 to 80 percent of the iodine consumed is used by the body in the thyroid gland.
What is the daily iodine requirement?
The daily iodine requirement depends on age and gender. In women, the need is also increased during pregnancy and lactation. The German Society for Nutrition recommends an iodine quantity of 150 to 200 micrograms per day for adults; pregnant and breastfeeding women need around 230 micrograms per day. Even if this amount is quite small, a large part of the German population shows an iodine deficiency. The need for iodine can hardly be covered with food, but the deficiency can be significantly reduced with iodized table salt.
What is iodine deficiency?
If there is an iodine deficiency due to insufficient iodine intake, the concentration of thyroid hormones in the blood is too low. To compensate for this deficit, the thyroid gland grows – a goiter forms. This allows more thyroid hormones to be produced again. However, long-term hypofunction of the thyroid gland is usually accompanied by reduced hormone production, which results in reduced physical and mental performance and an increased susceptibility to infections. In addition, the formation of so-called “ hot knots“ possible, which work autonomously in the thyroid gland and cause an overactive thyroid gland with temporarily increased iodine intake, which can have dangerous effects on the metabolism. These “hot nodes” also increase the risk of thyroid cancer.
Iodine deficiency during pregnancy
Chronic iodine deficiency during pregnancy can result in miscarriage or stillbirth. An undersupply of iodine during pregnancy, while breastfeeding and also in infancy results in growth disorders. Irreparable developmental disorders of the skeleton, brain and other organs can also occur. Such iodine deficiency symptoms mostly occur in developing countries, in industrialized countries an insufficient iodine supply is more likely to show up as an impairment of motor and mental performance.
Symptoms and consequences of iodine deficiency
In addition to goiter formation and growth and development disorders in children, classic symptoms of iodine deficiency can also include tiredness, lack of concentration, listlessness, hair loss, dry, cool skin and swollen eyelids. However, since these symptoms can also occur with other diseases, a medical examination must always be carried out.
treatment and therapy
In the case of mild symptoms of an underactive thyroid gland, iodine tablets are usually prescribed in conventional medicine. In naturopathy, however, this approach is not recommended.
The problem: iodine is considered to be a rather critical trace element, so iodine should only be given if the thyroid gland is underactive due to a clear iodine deficiency. For this reason, it makes sense to check the iodine status first. Because an underactive thyroid gland does not always have to be the cause of an iodine deficiency.
Before administering iodine, other diseases (eg Hashimoto ‘s thyroiditis) should always be ruled out so that the causal illness is not accelerated by the administration of iodine.
An only slightly pronounced iodine deficiency does not usually lead to hypothyroidism. On the contrary: an excess of iodine can also promote hypofunction. Before taking iodine from food supplements, the iodine status should be tested using a urine sample.
Overdose and intolerance
Even slightly increased doses of iodine can irritate the skin and mucous membranes. This is an iodine intolerance, which is referred to as iodism or iodine allergy. Headaches , a runny nose (so-called iodine sniffles), conjunctivitis , an acute skin rash (e.g. caused by contrast media containing iodine), gastroenteritis or bronchitis can be typical symptoms of iodine intolerance. Older people in particular, who grew up with iodine deficiency, react sensitively to even the smallest overdose.
Another intolerance reaction is what is known as iodine acne, which causes skin changes whenever daily amounts of iodine in the milligram and gram range are consumed.
Germany is considered an iodine deficiency area – an overdose through daily nutrition is therefore considered very unlikely. Basically, no more than 1,000 micrograms of iodine should be ingested daily. However, if an overdose occurs due to the intake of iodine-containing medicines or frequent and excessive consumption of very iodine-rich seaweed, exceeding the maximum dose for a long time can lead to hypofunction of the thyroid gland, Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or an acute blockage of iodine uptake in the thyroid gland to lead. Since the administration of iodine not only compensates for an iodine deficiency, but can also cause illnesses, it should be carefully considered and clarified by a doctor.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.