Eating foods that contain iodine is vital for all people, from newborns to the elderly. Iodine is an essential mineral that helps thyroid hormones regulate body functions, such as metabolic and enzymatic activity and protein synthesis. Iodine aids in skeletal, brain and nervous system development in fetuses and babies. Using iodized salt is one way to fulfill some of your daily iodine requirement.
Meat and Poultry
The amount of iodine in meat and poultry varies, depending on iodine content in animal feed and in the soil where animal's natural plant foods grow. Meat and poultry have less iodine than fish, but you do not need a lot of iodine. The body does not store iodine, so you need to eat food with iodine every day. The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies sets the recommended daily allowance of iodine for pregnant and nursing mothers at 220 to 290 mcg, for adults and teenagers, it is 150 micrograms, and infants and children need 120 mcg to 90 mcg, depending on age.
Seafood
Salt water fish contain the highest amount of iodine of any food. On average, 4 to 6 oz of seafood provides about 50 percent of an individual's iodine needs. For example, 3 oz of baked cod contains 99 mcg or 66 percent of your daily iodine requirement. Fish sticks contain 36 percent, shrimp 23 percent and canned salmon and tuna 11 percent, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Sea bass, haddock and perch are also good iodine sources. The amount of iodine in fish does not necessarily correlate with the iodine content of the water where fish live or with any individual fish's diet.
Dairy
Iodine is natural to some foods and added to others. The amount of iodine in dairy products depends in part on what animals are fed. Dairy products, such as cow's milk and plain low-fat yogurt are excellent sources of iodine, providing half your daily requirement of this essential mineral. Ice cream, eggs and cheese are also good foods to eat to maintain healthy iron levels.
Vegetables, Legumes and Fruit
The oceans' naturally occurring iodine gives sea plants high levels of this mineral. Sea vegetables and seaweed, such as kelp and nori, are excellent sources of iodine.
The earth's soils contain various amounts of iodine, depending on location and soil type. Because of these variations, the iodine found in local soils, irrigation water and fertilizers affects the iodine content in fruits and vegetables. The strawberry is one fruit that is high in iodine. Prunes, bananas and lima beans also contain iodine, but in smaller amounts.
Grains
The amount of iodine in grains is dependent on the soil in which they are grown. Processing also makes a difference in how much iodine is in grain products. Some breads and pastas are enriched with iodine and, in an attempt to increase shelf life, some breads are made with dough conditioners that contain an iodine product called "iodate."
References
- Healthaliciousness: Foods High in Iodine
- Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University: Iodine
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Fact Sheet: Iodine
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Iodine in diet - All Information
- Spoon Foundation Adoption Nutrition: Iodine Deficiency
- Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center National Institutes of Health: Preparing to Receive I-131: The Low-Iodine Diet
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