The Importance of Iodine for Our Bodies

Minerals are key building blocks essential to life. Think of them as the bricks that make up our bodies. Without a strong, sound foundation, a building can start to crumble and fall. In the same way, a mineral imbalance can lead to poor health.

In the ancient world, we got all our minerals from our diet. Farming was entirely natural and organic, the soil was very fertile, and there was no exposure to toxins and oxidants. Our body cannot make minerals. They are found in our soil and water, and they are absorbed by the plants or animals we eat. But quite a few variables determine how many minerals we get from natural food, so it depends a great deal on what and how much we eat, in what combinations, and where we live, since many places are known to have low or high mineral reserves.

Getting minerals from food depends first on those minerals being present in the soil. Second, you need to eat foods rich in the mineral you want more of.

For iodine, some of the best readily available natural sources are dark seaweeds. But if you are not getting enough iodine in your diet, a supplement may be the best option.

The “goiter belt” in the US is an area around the Great Lakes known for having quite low levels of iodine in the soil. If it isn't in the soil, it isn't in the locally grown food either. That is why residents of these places who do not supplement their diet with quality iodine often develop goiter, a disorder of thyroid function.

Another problem in getting iodine into your body is the role of the other symbiotic nutrients. Iodine and sodium are “friends” that help each other. Their circle of friends also includes magnesium, selenium, zinc, and vitamins A, B and C. Any imbalance in these nutrients affects the levels of the rest of their friends.

The next problem with iodine is the rivalry between it and its siblings, the other halogens. If we look for iodine on the periodic table, we find it in row 17 with the halogens. The other main halogens include fluorine, chlorine and bromine. These other halogens have a negative effect on iodine and have been found to have goitrogenic effects (causing goiter and harming the thyroid gland). These toxic halogens disrupt iodine metabolism throughout the body. They pull iodine out of the body and dump it into the urine to be excreted. Today this is a massive problem, because we are surrounded by these halogens. Fluoride is in the drinking water in many places, in toothpastes and dental clinics, and also in prescription drugs. Bromine is used as a flame retardant in many of our household items, and it is also found in many grain-based products such as industrial bread, packaged pasta and products from large bakeries. Chlorine is often used as a chemical in hot tubs and swimming pools.

Drinking distilled water, swimming in the sea or a lake, and avoiding the foods mentioned above is currently the only solution to this.

Other dietary goitrogens are worth mentioning, for example soy and raw foods from the cruciferous family such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, since these also disrupt iodine metabolism. Changing the way these foods are prepared reduces the effect they have on iodine. As for soy, fermentation deactivates its goitrogenic properties, and products like natto and miso are safe to eat. Cooking cruciferous vegetables or pickling them through natural fermentation also helps.

Minerals are like building blocks, and different minerals have different affinities for different parts of the body. For example, iron helps build blood, and calcium helps build bone. Iodine helps build your glandular tissue. If we don't have enough iodine, the body can't make hormones.

Beyond that, iodine is extremely important for brain function, for preventing infections, and for our immune system.

In our body, the thyroid gland is the largest consumer of iodine. Goiter, thyroid nodules and an underactive thyroid are signs of deficiency. Other signs are weight gain and disruption of metabolism, temperature regulation, energy production, cognitive performance, heart rate and mood.

The second-largest consumer of iodine is the breasts. For example, fibrocystic breast disease is linked to low levels of iodine.

The ovaries need iodine too, and without it their structure changes. Iodine-deficient women can develop ovarian cysts and are at risk of developing PCOS.

Did you know that the lining of the uterus is glandular tissue? Although uterine fibroids have many possible causes, they are one possible sign of iodine deficiency.

Regularly eating dark seaweeds such as kelp, Atlantic Dulse, hijiki and Wakame is very important for our bodies to function properly.

To your health,

Ran