The Big Iodine Mistake 50% Of People Are Making
In a Nutshell
Iodine deficiency is far more common than excess and causes identical hypothyroid symptoms, yet 38–39% of Americans fall below the required threshold; the richest dietary sources are seaweed, seafood, dairy, eggs, and iodized salt, while sea salt supplies virtually none. Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone synthesis, estrogen regulation, breast/ovarian health, and fetal brain development, but adequate selenium (100–200 µg) is required to neutralize the hydrogen-peroxide byproduct and prevent autoimmune thyroid damage. Adults need 150–300 µg iodine daily (220 µg in pregnancy, 290 µg while breastfeeding), never exceeding 1,100 µg; kelp supplements can meet this need if selenium is co-ingested, and high-dose iodine without selenium or in Hashimoto’s patients risks permanent thyroid harm.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Too little iodine can cause hypothyroidism just as much as too much iodine can cause hypothyroidism. This creates the same symptoms: fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, loss of the outer part of the eyebrow, cold hands, cold feet, dry skin, and brain fog. Iodine is the most confusing mineral in nutrition and the most dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
There are way more people who are deficient in iodine than people taking too much. To get enough iodine, you need to consume it from your diet. The foods with the most iodine are seaweed, cod fish, shrimp, oysters, dairy, eggs, and iodized salt. Many people are not consuming any of these foods and don't realize they're deficient. Approximately 38 to 39% of Americans test below the iodine threshold. People on plant-based diets are running at very low levels.
Consuming sea salt, especially Himalayan sea salt, provides close to zero iodine. The amount is so tiny it's not going to add up to anything meaningful.
In the 1920s, people were developing goiters (enlarged thyroid glands) and cretinism (stunted physical and mental growth), which was epidemic. In 1948, iodine tablets were being passed around to students in school. People doing intermittent fasting and prolonged fasting need to make sure they're getting iodine.
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