Iodine or iodide, a salt of iodine, is an element your body does not produce, yet needs to function properly. Without iodine or iodide in your diet, you can experience a number of adverse side effects ranging from developing a goiter to experiencing impaired brain function. Understanding how and why you need to consume enough iodine can help keep you healthy.
What are its Functions?
When you take iodine, your thyroid pulls iodine from your blood. Iodine is then used to produce two thyroid hormones, T3 and T4. These thyroid hormones then target the liver and brain. Your thyroid hormones also are responsible for a number of developmental processes, including growth, manufacture of brain cells and regulation of your body's metabolism.
What are its Effects?
Iodine deficiency can have severe consequences to your health. When your body does not have enough iodine, your thyroid might begin to enlarge, creating a visible bulge at the base of your throat known as a goiter. Iodine deficiency is especially dangerous for children and teens because iodine is needed to produce the myelin sheaths that coat your nerve cells. Without enough iodine, you might experience mental symptoms such as mental retardation. In a fetus, a lack of iodine can cause cretinism, which causes slowed physical and mental development. In adults, a lack of iodine can cause a condition known as hypothyroidism, which causes symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, intolerance to cold, constipation and impaired mental function.
What should be Daily Intake of Iodine?
Increased incidence of goiter and poor thyroid development led sodium manufacturers to incorporate iodine into standard table salt, known as "iodized salt." However, iodine deficiency remains a concern in underdeveloped countries. Recommended iodine levels differ based on age. Infants ages 0 to 6 months should consume 110 mcg per day, while infants 7 to 12 months old should have 130 mcg to support the growth of healthy brain cells. Children ages 1 to 8 years old should consume at least 90 mcg. Those ages 9 to 13 years old should take in 120 mcg, while those older than age 13 should have 150 mcg. If you are pregnant, the recommended daily intake is 220 mcg per day, while breastfeeding moms should take in 290 mcg.
World Whisltled
Iodine made headlines in 2011 when a deadly tsunami and earthquake affected Japan's nuclear power plants, releasing radioactive iodine into the air and land. Like iodine and iodine salts, the thyroid absorbs radioactive iodine. However, your thyroid can only utilize so much iron at a time. Iodine tablets were given to Japanese citizens and workers to protect against thyroid radiation.