Characteristics of Iodine

Iodine is an essential element for your thyroid gland to function properly and to regulate metabolism, but you usually get an adequate amount from eating iodine-rich foods. Supplementation is not usually needed unless you become deficient. Choosing food sources that are naturally high in or fortified with iodine can help you get enough to maintain normal bodily functions. Iodine can also be used in a time off need to prevent DNA damage when there is harmful radiation in the atmosphere.

The Function of Iodine

Your body needs iodine for the metabolism of cells, which is the process of producing energy from the foods you eat. Iodine is also required for the thyroid to function normally, which regulates your growth, development and functioning of the brain and body. Iodine is also involved in your body's various metabolic processes, such as regulating fertility and maintaining body temperature.

Too Much or Too Little Iodine

Iodine deficiency is rare in the U.S. as a result of the distribution of iodized salt, but in areas where there is iodine-poor soil, usually away from the coast or where salt is not iodized, a deficiency in iodine can cause hypothyroidism. The American Thyroid Association reports that approximately 40 percent of the world is still at risk of developing iodine deficiencies, but people may develop hyperthyroidism when they relocate from an iodine-deficient region to a region with adequate iodine. These people are usually from the inland areas of Europe or Asia where their thyroids have become efficient at using the sparse amount of iodine they can get.

Symptoms of Iodine Deficiency and Hypothyroidism

Common symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, depression, weight gain, cold intolerance, excessive sleepiness, dry or coarse hair, constipation, dry skin, muscle cramps, increased cholesterol levels, decreased concentration, vague aches and pains, and the swelling of the legs. Symptoms become more obvious as the disease worsens and your thyroid gland in your neck can swell and present a goiter. Consult a doctor and ask for a thyroid function blood test to confirm a diagnosis if these signs bother you. If hypothyroidism is not treated and becomes severe, puffiness around the eyes, a slowing of the heart rate, a drop in body temperature and heart failure can occur and eventually lead to a coma.

Food Sources of Iodine

Your body does not make iodine, so you must get it from your diet. Iodine is in the soil and seawater, so the availability of iodine in foods varies in different regions around the world. The Recommended Dietary Allowance for iodine in adults is 150 mcg each day. Iodized table salt is the main source of iodine in North America. Naturally good sources of iodine lie in seafood such as cod, sea bass, haddock and perch, as well as seaweed and kelp. Iodine supplements are not always recommended and you should discuss it with your doctor.

Iodine to Prevent DNA Damage

Your body cannot tell the difference between stable or radioactive iodine and your thyroid gland will use both to produce thyroid hormones for bodily functions. Around 230,000 units of iodine were given to people near radiation exposure in Fukushima, Japan after the earthquake in March 2011 when nuclear reactors suffered unexpected damage. Stable iodine was distributed to people near the damaged nuclear plants to prevent the absorption of radioactive iodine, which can cause DNA damage and cancer.