Iodine is an essential nutrient required by the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormone in the body, which helps regulate metabolism. Iodine is present in some foods and supplements. However, only certain types of multivitamin supplements and prenatal vitamins contain iodine. The Recommended Dietary Allowance, or RDA, for iodine is 150 mcg for adults, 220 mcg for pregnant women and 290 mcg for breastfeeding women according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Iodine deficiencies may result in conditions such a goiter or hypothyroidism. Fetal abnormalities such as cretinism can occur from iodine deficiency during pregnancy.
Salt
Not all salt is fortified with iodine; however iodized salt is fairly common and widely available in most developed countries such as the United States. According to MedlinePlus, all salt in Canada is required to have iodine added to help prevent iodine deficiencies. One-quarter teaspoon of iodized table salt provides about 95 mcg of iodine.
Fish and Seafood
Ocean fish such as cod, haddock, perch and tuna are good sources of dietary iodine. The Office of Dietary Supplements estimates that 3 oz. of cod contains about 99 mcg of iodine and 3 oz. of canned tuna provides about 17 mcg of dietary iodine. Seafood is another good source of dietary iodine. Although iodine content of foods is highly variable and not listed on food labels, the Office of Dietary Supplements estimates that 3 oz. of shrimp provides about 35 mcg of iodine.
Seaweed
Since much of the world's iodine is found in the ocean, seaweed is an excellent source of dietary iodine but is also highly variable in iodine content. Kelp, dulce and nori are common types of seaweed available for consumption. Seaweed is used to prepare many different types of sushi rolls. The Office of Dietary Supplements estimates that the iodine content found in 1 g of seaweed is between 16 and 2,984 mcg.
Dairy Products
Milk and yogurt are good sources of dietary iodine; so are other milk products such as cheese and ice cream. The Office of Dietary Supplements notes that iodine present in dairy foods is partly due to iodine-fortified animal feed supplements and iodine-containing sanitizing agents used in the dairy industry.
Eggs
Eggs are a common source of dietary iodine. The Office of Dietary Supplements estimates that one large egg contains about 24 mcg of iodine.
Member Comments