I Want Some Iodine

I don't use iodized salt. What's a good way to get the iodine I need? I simetimes use kelp granules on certain dishes. Will kelp and other sea vegetables be helpful in getting iodine? Are there certain foods that contain a fair amount of it?

Thanks,
Shel

I used to not use iodized salt. I ended up with a thyroid problem. :(

Are you suggesting that not using iodized salt caused your problem? What was/is your problem. Are you able to answer my question?

Thanks,

Shel

You get a bit of your daily requirement in a multivitamin, but it's worth looking at your diet to see if you're already consuming foods that have iron. Some of them include grains, leafy green veggies, baked potatoes (4 mg.), blackstrap molasses and PIZZA! (Who'd have thunk?)

Have a look here: Iron Rich Foods Can Fortify Your Blood - BloodBook, Blood Information for Life

I guess there are different types of iron, too. Maybe a visit to a nutritionist would be helpful.

Mezz, I'm not looking for iron. I'm interested in iodine ...

Shel

Shel,
Anything that has salt on its ingredient list will have iodine. You probably get more iodized salt in your diet than you think.

The best way to get iodine (if you need it for thyroid problems etc.), I have found is Norwegian Sea kelp capsules. I had lots of problems with dizzy spells etc. I started taking three a day and after a couple of months - I am now on two a day, I also take an iron capsule which is black strap molasses and - this is very important 'chealated' iron

There is very little that I buy that has an "ingredient list." This month it was four cans of beans (of which I've used half a can, drained and rinsed), 1 pkg of hot dogs, 1 pkg frozen vegetables, 1-pkg frozen blueberries, a jar of sauce, a small can of salmon (which I shared with my cat), and a pkg of veggie burgers. There is also a bottle of low sodium soy sauce in the cupboard along with a bottle of oyster sauce, both of which are used very sparingly. Everything else is fresh - fresh meat, poultry, and fish, fresh produce, very little dairy (maybe a quart of milk per month and about four - six ounces of cheese unless I'm making a dish that requires more, like mac & cheese)

Shel

Thanks! I've never heard of such a product. I'll look into it. A while back I purchased Sea Seasonings - Kelp Granules - maybe they're equivalent. I wasn't sure that the kelp would do the trick.

Shel

Well if you don't find pm me and I will send you some from here:D

Thanks for the offer. Loking atround, I found several sources. This Thyroid Digest March 2004 was of great interest. Have you seen this? I'm unsure of what to make of it.

Shel

vow that article is interesting although I am not sure if I have a hyper or under active thyroid. I was just getting dizzy spells etc. and I started taking the Norwegian sea kelp capsules and now I feel fine! I think what the kelp does is merely balances the iodine in my body. perhaps the dizzy spells were from all the wine I drink!:lol:

Shel,

Are you having problems? Something that indicates an iodine deficiency? Or is this just a general concern?

Unless you are experience some sort of health problem, there is no reason to presume that you aren't getting enough.

If you eat fish and shellfish more or less regularly you are likely getting all the iodine you need.

Yes ... I have a hypoactive thyroid and take meds for that. My interest is to see if it's possible to reduce or eliminate the meds through diet. Of course, I'd be working with a doctor as well.

I'm not presuming that I'm deficient in iodine, but my iodized salt intake is pretty low, so I'm looking at potentials and possibilities. There's no iodized salt here and I've not used it for years. I don't know how much iodine there is in the fish I eat - that's on the agenda to examine more closely. What I have been able to ascertain is that various fish and other foods that contain iodine, contain it in relatively low doses, and that for fish, a lot of the iodine is lost in cooking (certainly in certain fish and with certain cooking methods) Sea vegetables contain 100X to 1000X more of the mineral than do the fish I've researched thus far. It's quite possible that, in order to get enough iodine from fish, one may have to eat more than what's considered healthy, considering the various pollutants and contaminants found in certain species of fish.

One of the medical sites I visited says, "The RDA for iodine is 150mcg a day for adults. Supplemental iodine as found in kelp (seaweed) is often needed by pregnant women, people with low thyroid function and those on very low salt diets."

So, while I'm no expert, and am only floundering at this point in my investigations, it seems that fish may not be as good a source for iodine as kelp and other sea vegetables.

So, in short, my question was part of information gathering ...

Shel

This is an interesting thread. I've wondered about this topic for a while. I use Maldon Sea Salt in cooking. I don't know if that has iodine in it. I just don't like Morton's for some reason. But I do like the Maldon's. We eat out several times a week, too. So maybe I am okay in this department.

You probably want to have a bloodtest done and consult a doctor on what you should do.

I know that too much iodine can be bad also.

I probably have too much iodine because I use iodine tablets to purify water on camping trips.

DUH.... and I'm a retired reading specialist! :lol:

You can do the same search for iodine, though. :o

Did you read the thread? I did say that I'd be consulting with my doctor. Thanks for your concern.

After 15 years on a completely salt-free diet, I ended up with hypothyroidism. I have to take Synthroid. Hypothyroidism can be caused by a lack of iodine in the diet. Apparently, American fresh foods have something or another done to them that eliminates the iodine (pasteurization? irradiation? I don't remember, I'm afraid). This is why the govt gave incentives for iodine to be added to salt... to offset that problem. Sorry that I don't remember the details, but it's been a couple of years since I read up about it and also tried to get myself off the Synthroid through increases in iodine. I now take a lower dose than I did before.

Oh sorry, I overlooked that.

Hi Shel,

I am chiming in:
Couple of notes:
sea salt does not have significant amounts of iodine.
Neither does mined salt hence the reason Iodine is added to it.

Hypo thyroid problems can be attributed to not enough and too much iodine intake.

Here is a great reference on iodine (and micronutrients in general)
Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University
(search iodine in this site to obtain research info and other things also)

Luc H

Great! Thanks for the pointer.

Shel