Iodine is a trace element found in oceans, the soil and even within your body. One major function of the iodine in your body is to convert the food you eat into energy for daily functions. Iodine is also crucial for normal thyroid function. Without it, you wouldn't be able to produce the right amount of thyroid hormones.
Significance
About 70 to 80 percent of the iodine in your body is within the thyroid gland in your neck, and the rest is spread throughout your body. You may develop low thyroid hormone levels, or hypothyroidism, if your body is too low in iodine. This could cause symptoms such as fatigue, weight gain, sluggishness, skin dryness and temperature sensitivity. However, infants and children with an iodine deficiency may also experience more serious health issues, such as stunted mental and physical development. If you're pregnant and have an iodine deficiency, your baby is at higher risk of severe mental impairment, speech and hearing defects, dying early and being stillborn.
Deficiency Risk Factors
Many foods in the United States are grown in areas that are sufficient in iodine, so iodine deficiency is rare in Americans. However, you may be at higher risk of a deficiency if you live at a high altitude with soil that is depleted of iodine or if you live in a country where your salt isn't fortified with iodine. You are also more likely to develop a deficiency if you are a woman or adolescent or if you are pregnant. You could also have an iodine deficiency if your diet excludes fish, seaweed and iodized salt.
Recommended Daily Intake
Most infants between 0 and 6 months should get about 110 micrograms, or mcg, of iodine each day, according to the Institute of Medicine. Children between 7 and 12 months should get a daily dose of about 130 mcg, between 1 and 8 years should get 90 mcg, and between 9 and 13 should get 120 mcg. Teens and adults should get about 150 mcg of iodine per day, though your doctor may recommend that you take more if you are pregnant or producing breast milk. Alternately, he could recommend that you take less if you are sensitive to adverse effects of too much iodine. Some conditions that could cause this sensitivity include cystic fibrosis in children and autoimmune thyroid disease.
Sources
The best way to ensure that you get the right amount of iodine and other important nutrients in your diet is to focus on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's daily recommendations for nutrition. About ¼ tsp. of iodized salt contains about 95 mcg of iodine, and a 6-oz. serving of ocean fish offers about 650 mcg, according to MedlinePlus. You will also get some iodine in your diet if you consume plants that were grown in iodine-rich soil.
Warning
Taking in about 2,000 mcg of iodine per day could be toxic, especially if you have tuberculosis or kidney disease. A high iodine dose may also block your body's ability to produce thyroid hormones and could cause hypothyroidism. You would also be at risk of other thyroid conditions, such as thyroid cancers and dangerously high levels of thyroid hormones in your bloodstream.
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