French chemist Barnard Courtois discovered iodine the early in 1800s. It is considered a trace mineral because your body requires only a small amount. Every cell in your body contains and uses iodine, so it is essential for life. It is critical to growth, tissue repair, hormone production, metabolism and proper nerve function.
Fetal Development
Iodine is crucial to a developing baby. If your iodine levels are low when pregnant, this can cause fetal iodine deficiency since your baby gets its nutrients from you. Iodine deficiency can have devastating effects on growing fetuses. Fetal iodine deficiency can cause irreversible mental retardation and deafness. It can also result in miscarriage and still birth.
Thyroid Function
Your thyroid -- a butterfly-shaped gland at your neck's base -- uses iodine to produce two primary hormones known as T3 and T4. Thyroid hormones help regulate metabolism, reproductive function and development. Your pituitary gland, a pea-sized gland at the base of your brain, regulates thyroid function. Low iodine can cause hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function. Hypothyroid symptoms include fatigue, depression, heavy menstrual period, weight gain and joint or muscle pain.
Fibrocystic Breasts
Fibrocystic breasts is a non-cancerous breast condition that causes discomfort, pain, tenderness and lumpiness in one or both your breasts. Pain and lumpiness can increase when you are ovulating and just before your period. Iodine deficiency is associated with this condition and iodine treatment improves symptoms.
Sources
The recommended daily intake of iodine is 150 micrograms if you are an adult age 19 or older. Your require about 220 micrograms if you are pregnant or nursing. Iodine is added to table salt because of the crucial need for this element. A gram of salt contains 77 micrograms of iodine. Shrimp, canned tuna, eggs, milk, turkey and seaweed are iodine-rich. Iodine supplements are also available; however, do not take them without first consulting your doctor.
Excess Iodine
Excess dietary iodine is rare. A typical diet consisting of natural foods generally provides less than 1,000 micrograms daily and it is rare for diets to contain more than 2,000 micrograms daily, states the Linus Pauling Institute. The symptoms of iodine toxicity include nausea, fever, diarrhea, vomiting and possible coma.
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