How to Ensure the Right Balance of Iodine in Your Diet- Understanding the Importance of Iodine in the Human Body

Iodine is an essential micronutrient that is required by our thyroid glands to produce hormones, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4). These hormones are responsible for improving human metabolism and body growth while keeping the body temperature and heart rate in check. An adult human requires 150 mcg of Iodine while, in comparison, the requirement is even higher for a pregnant woman to aid an unhindered growth of the new life.

Pixels | Your meals might not be as balanced as you think they are

Foods rich in Iodine

The intake of an Iodine-rich diet is crucial in all stages of life- be it old age, the tender age of teens, or even while a baby is still in the mother’s womb. Here is a list of readily available iodine sources which can cater to your body’s needs and are easy to incorporate in your daily meals:

– Dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt)

– Seaweeds (kelp, nori, kombu)

– Iodized salt

– Shrimps and Oysters

– Tuna and Cod

– Prunes

– Eggs

– Lima beans 

Iodine-rich foods sources are very few; therefore, most humans are at high risk of Iodine deficiency due to the lack of choice and variety. Physicians, accordingly, suggest iodine supplements to bridge the difference between consumption and actual requirement.

Pixels | Iodine supplements can combat deficiency in the body

Is skipping Iodine a healthy way to eat?

Recently, people have diverted their attention to various forms of diet patterns to stay fit, concentrating on a few essential minerals while cutting off the rest entirely, or partially, from their diet.

However, It is necessary to consume all macro and micronutrients provided by nature in the right amount to ensure a healthy lifestyle. Excess of any specific nutrients can trigger weight gain and other complications in the human body, while less than the essential requirement results in the deficiency of many things, leading to a shortened lifespan.

A low Iodine diet can result in severe hormonal disorders such as stunt growth, brain abnormalities, infertility, stillbirths, and miscarriages. Not only this, but the non-sufficiency of Iodine may cause hearing impairment, loss of sight, and various skin diseases.

On the other hand, excess intake of Iodine may lead to hyperthyroidism, which is the expansion of thyroid glands, resulting in an irregular heartbeat. Or hypothyroidism, which is a decrease in the activity of the thyroid gland, causing retardation of physical and mental growth.

Pixels | Iodine is essential at every age

It can be concluded that different parts and organs of the body requires specific sources of nourishment, and depriving yourself of any one of them is definitely not a wiser step towards your wellbeing.