You have probably heard of Iodine in salt, but did you know that it is one of the body’s vital nutrients? Many adults don’t consume enough Iodine and therefor suffer from a disorder called Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD). Read on to learn about why Iodine is so important for your health and easy ways to increase your Iodine intake in a tasty way!

This week’s Nutrients by the Alphabet: Iodine

That’s right, in this new series – Nutrients by the Alphabet – you will learn all about important nutrients (vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants), their health benefits, and easy and delicious ways to get more of the good stuff with a fun recipe to try each week (courtesy of my awesome student-intern from Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School – Shelby Persechino)!

So, what are the health benefits of Iodine?

Iodine supports thyroid health by making sure the thyroid has high enough levels of Iodine present in order to make key hormones. Thyroid hormones are very important since they regulate vital biochemical reactions (such as metabolism, breathing, heartrate, and body temperature control) every day. Iodine improves immunity and protects against cancer by helping in the self-destruction of dangerous, cancerous cells. Iodine prevents impaired growth and development in children by making sure the child has healthy growth and brain development during pregnancy and infancy. Iodine maintains healthy brain function by playing a role in optimal brain development and ongoing cognitive abilities. How crazy!? Iodine also preserves skin health by regulating perspiration and body temperature. Did you know that Iodine deficiency is believed to be one of the most common preventable causes of mental disorders in the world? Iodine is a pretty amazing nutrient, if I had to say so myself!

So, how much Iodine do you need and where can you find it?

Iodine is a very important nutrient for our body. It is present in almost every organ and tissue to keep us alive and energized, so Iodine deficiency has many risks such as skin problems, trouble producing saliva, and impaired metabolism and body temperature control (to name a few). So, to make sure you are not deficient you should have 150 micrograms of Iodine per day. As always, you should get Iodine from nutritious, wholesome foods - such as seaweed or dried kelp, cod, yogurt, raw milk, eggs, tuna, lima beans, prunes, cheese, green peas, and bananas - instead of synthetic supplements.

Looking for a wholesome, tasty recipe to increase your intake of Iodine? Here is a savory baked fish recipe by “Dr. Axe”.