An acute iodine deficiency is a condition in which your body does not get the required amount of iodine from the foods you eat. This can occur in populations that do not eat the types of foods that are good sources of iodine or in places with iodine-depleted soil. According to PubMed Health, women are more likely to have an iodine deficiency, but iodine deficiency is rare in the United States.
Health Problems
If you do not consume enough iodine for an extended period of time, your body develops a goiter. A goiter is an enlargement of your thyroid gland. This occurs because the deficiency causes hypothyroidism, which is a lack of production of thyroid hormones. As a result, your thyroid cells enlarge in an attempt to provide your body with adequate hormones. Thyroid enlargement is one of the earliest and most visible signs of iodine deficiency, according to Oregon State University. Long-term iodine deficiency can affect your brain and nervous system, resulting in poor development and brain damage.
RDA of Iodine
The recommended dietary allowance for iodine is 150 mcg per day for adult males and females over the age of 19. The amount varies based on your age. If you are a female and you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you need to increase your intake to 220 mcg and 290 mcg respectively. In order to get the RDA, you need to understand which foods are good sources of iodine and include them in your diet.
Food Sources
Iodine is found in seafood such as tuna, shrimp, cod, sea bass, haddock and perch. Kelp is an excellent source of iodine. Other food sources include dairy products, turkey breast, navy beans, potatoes and iodized table salt. If you consume a balanced diet each day that contains a variety of foods, you should get your daily amount of iodine. If you do not, you can take an iodine supplement.
Considerations
According to Oregon State University, most Americans get enough iodine from their diets, and therefore a supplement is unnecessary. However, if you are concerned that you may have an acute iodine deficiency, talk with your doctor about getting your iodine levels checked. If they are low, then a supplement is an easy way to ensure that you get enough each day. You can get iodine in multivitamins or in stand-alone supplements.
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