Iodine is an essential trace mineral that your body requires for normal thyroid function to support normal growth and physical development, as well as certain aspects of brain development. Iodine deficiencies are rare because today most people consume enough in their diets. Consult your doctor before taking an iodine supplement or increasing the amount of iodine that you get from your diet.
Sources
Iodine is found in ocean waters, and you can get iodine in your diet from seaweed, like kelp, and seafood, according to the University of Michigan Health System. In developed countries, people get iodine also from iodized salt and processed food items containing iodized salt. You can also get iodine from certain vegetables grown in iodine-rich soils, such as soybeans, garlic, lima beans and summer squash, as well as from certain breads and baked goods that use iodine as a stabilizing agent, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center website. The recommended daily requirement of iodine for adults is 150 micrograms of iodine; for infants it is 110 to 130 mcg; for children it is 90 to 120 mcg; for teenagers it is 120 to 150 mcg; and for pregnant or breastfeeding women it is 220 to 290 mcg, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Significance
Iodine is essential to your thyroid gland's production of hormones that support cell metabolism in your body, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center website. Although iodine deficiencies are rare in most parts of the world, due to the iodization of table salt, a severe lack of iodine in your diet can cause thyroid problems. An iodine deficiency can also cause goiter, cretinism and hypothyroidism, according to information on the University of Michigan Health System website. A deficiency of iodine during pregnancy can cause mental function problems or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in your child. Additionally, vegans and strict vegetarians who also have a low-salt diet and don't consume kelp or other seaweeds might be at risk of iodine deficiency. Taking iodine internally could help reduce the symptoms of fibrocystic breast disease and the negative effects of radiation exposure and iodine oral rinses may ease mucositis due to radiation or chemotherapy. Iodine douches might decrease vaginitis symptoms, and iodine ointments can help disinfect wounds and burns, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center website. Don't use iodine topically or orally before first talking with a healthcare professional.
Complications
Although iodine deficiencies can cause hypothyroidism and goiter, taking too much iodine can also produce similar problems. Taking extra iodine when you don't have a thyroid problem could cause a wide variety of thyroid conditions, including hypothyroidism, Grave's disease and even thyroid cancers, warns University of Maryland Medical Center experts. Even topical iodine can have harmful effects on thyroid function, particularly in babies. Therefore, you shouldn't take iodine supplements unless your doctor advises you to do so because of an iodine deficiency or other specific health problem. Keep in mind that the average person's diet in developed countries provides four times the necessary requirement of iodine, notes the University of Michigan Health System.
Scientific Evidence
Iodine supplementation or consuming adequate amounts of iodine in your diet is a well-established treatment for goiter, hypothyroidism and related medical conditions due to iodine deficiencies, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Iodine's proposed uses in treating other health problems have been studied in various clinical trials and scientific research. For example, a 1993 double-blind clinical trial in the Canadian Journal of Surgery found that iodine could help to reduce symptoms and number of cysts in women with cyclic mastalgia or fibrocystic breast disease, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. A study in Italy in 1990 found that an iodine-based douche effectively treated vaginitis symptoms. Another medical study determined that topical iodine reduced infections and promoted healing of wounds, according to a 2006 issue of the journal Dermatology.
Warning
Avoid taking iodine supplements or consuming large amounts of iodine-rich foods in your diet if you're taking medications like lithium, Coumadin and anti-thyroid medications like propylthiouracil (PTU), cautions the University of Maryland Medical Center. Don't exceed a 2,000 mcg daily intake of iodine if you have tuberculosis or kidney disease. Using iodine can cause side effects including acne-like rashes, gastrointestinal complaints, skin lesions and itchiness, notes the University of Michigan Health System website.
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