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Iodine

Iodine is an essential mineral first discovered in 1812 in kelp, a sea vegetable. Iodine, which means ‘violet’ in Greek, was given its name because of its color.

Iodine is a vital component of thyroid hormones which regulate metabolism. Sources include seafood, sea vegetables and table salt. Iodine deficiency is a significant cause of hypothyroidism (also known as underactive thyroid) and weight gain. Symptoms of hypothyroidism, or deficiency of thyroid hormones, include fatigue, dry skin, intolerance to cold, weight gain, dry, scaly, or yellowish skin, depression, prolonged and heavy periods in women, and enlargement of the thyroid.

Iodine may be added to your diet by taking supplements in pill form. However, excessive thyroid functioning, resulting from an overload of iodine, can be just as detrimental to the human body as hypothyroidism. Sea vegetables, such as nori, dulse, and kelp, are a safer alternative. They provide iodine with less sodium than table salt. Sea vegetables are also rich in over sixty other minerals and trace elements. Recent research indicates that iodine from seaweed is absorbed much more easily from sea vegetables than from either table salt or sea salt.

Purchase seaweeds, such as kelp, dulse, and nori in condiment containers from health food and natural product stores. Sea vegetables can also be bought in strips and added to soups, stews, chilies, and many other dishes. If seaweed does not appeal to your tastes, sea salt is still a better choice than table salt. To ensure quality, make sure any purchased sea salt is moist to touch, and light grey, pink, or black in color.

If you suspect your levels of iodine are inadequate, speak to your medical practitioner. 150 micrograms of iodine per day is the recommended level in your diet.