Iodine is found in seawater, fish, kelp and shellfish. Iodine is required by the body for the thyroid hormone to be produced, making it a vital part of your diet. Although iodine is important, people with a history of thyroid complications, such as hyperthyroidism, are often placed on a low iodine diet by their physician. This diet helps prevent the body from producing too many of the thyroid hormones. If you find yourself on a low iodine diet, you will have several options. With certain restrictions, your diet can consist of grains, vegetables, poultry and meats.
Proteins
Proteins are an important part of a low iodine diet. Fresh meats with no additional additives and egg whites are highly encouraged. Whole cuts of meats are far less likely to contain additives than packaged ground meat, such as ground beef. If you are wanting to purchase ground beef, it is best to purchase a whole cut of meat and have the butcher grind it for you. According to the National Institutes of Health, the content of iodine that is found in livestock feed has risen over the years, but the amount of iodine that makes it into the meat is far lower than the content that transfers to the milk. Natural, fresh nut butters and whole nuts of the unsalted variety are low iodine options as well.
Carbohydrates
Unsalted popcorn, pasta, matzo and rice are all good choices for a low iodine diet. Homemade breads are fine as long as they contain only noniodized salt and absolutely no margarine or butter. According to the Entrust Medical Group, most of the salt that goes into commercially prepared foods is heavily iodized. Because of this, it is important to purchase only sodium-free and salt-free breads, crackers and cereals.
Fruits and Vegetables
When you are on a low iodine diet, nearly every variety of vegetable and fruit are safe to eat, according to OncoLink. You can eat any type of fresh vegetable with the exception of spinach, which has a high level of iodine content. Canned or frozen varieties of vegetables, tomato sauce, sauerkraut and pickles should be avoided. Any type of fresh fruit and fresh fruit juice is fine to consume, but stay away from dried fruits, canned or bottled fruit juices and powdered drink mixes.
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