Iodine deficiency happens when your body lacks necessary iodine, which is a very important
trace mineral. You see, your Cells need iodine to convert food into energy. Which is why low iodine
can lead to lower energy. But not just that, Iodine supports the thyroid gland in your neck,
since Your thyroid uses iodine to make thyroid hormones to control the rate of heartbeats,
digestion and other many other important functions. In This video we’ll be going over 5
of the most common signs of iodine deficiency and what to watch for, so you dont want to miss this,
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Now without further ado, lets get straight into it.
The United States, Canada, and dozens of other countries have salt-iodization programs.
Particularly in the US, salt manufacturers have been adding iodine to table salt since
the 1920s,but heres the thing, most salt intake in the United States comes from processed foods,
and food manufacturers almost always use non-iodized salt. Even Specialty salts,
such as sea salt, kosher salt, Himalayan salt, are not iodized, so you arent getting
the iodine. And when you look at dairy products, they should contain iodine, but,
the amount of iodine in dairy products varies by whether the cows received iodine feed supplements.
Further than this, commercially prepared bread contains very little iodine as well, its up to the
manufacturer to use potassium iodate or calcium iodate as a dough conditioner, if they dont, then
you really arent sure how much iodine you are even getting. Which becomes a problem. Because Iodine
is an essential component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine or (T3).
Thyroid hormones regulate so many important systems in the body. And if youre not getting
enough iodine, the first symptom pops up, which is they first symptom on our list, which is
swelling of the neck, or whats called a goiter. And occurs when the thyroid gland grows too
big. You see, The thyroid gland is that small, butterfly-shaped gland in the front of your neck.
It makes T4 and T3, which are your thyroid hormones when it receivs a signal from the
thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) coming from the pituitary gland. And when TSH is up,
the thyroid uses iodine to make thyroid hormones as normal, but when iodine is low,
thyroid hormones cant be made, so the thyroid works harder to try and make them,
which causes the cells in that area to grow larger, leading to a goiter. Good news is
most of the time this can be reversed with adding in more iodine. But the problem is, there are a
lot of people at risk for developing a goiter. For example, people who dont use iodized salt,
pregnant women, vegans, even people who live in areas where their soil has no iodine,
like in the alps or any mountainous areas and river valleys that are prone to flooding,
the soil really has no iodine. So the fruits and vegetables end up being really poor sources of
iodine, especially for vegans that heavily rely on fruits and vegetables. The second symptom is
unexpected weight gain. You see, thyroid hormones help control the speed of your metabolism,
if you have iodine deficiency, your body burns fewer calories at rest,
which means more calories from food you eat are stored as fat instead of used for energy,
which leads to weight gain. The third symptom is: feeling tired and weak. In fact, some studies
have found that nearly 80% of people with low thyroid hormone levels, due to iodine deficiency,
feel tired, sluggish and weak. The fourth symptom is hair loss, This is because your thyroid
hormones help control the growth of your hair follicles. If youre currently experiencing hair
loss, which could be from a multitude of other factors, see if getting enough of iodine may help
correct your thyroid hormone levels and stop hair loss. And lastly, the fifth symptom could be dry
and flaky skin. Also keep in mind that a number of other factors could lead to dry and flaky skin,
but the reason why I mentioned this is because thyroid hormones help the body regulate sweat. And
People with lower thyroid hormones, sweat less than people with normal thyroid hormone levels
with normal iodine levels. Because remember, sweating helps keep your skin moist and hydrated.
So whats the solution and how much iodine do we actually need. The recommended daily
intake of iodine for adult women is 150–300 µg to maintain a normal thyroid function;
for men, it is somewhat less at 150 µg. And mild cases of iodine deficiency for the most part
can be treated with using iodized salt in daily food consumption or eating more saltwater fish for
example. But if youre vegan or vegetarian, some of the best food sources of iodine actually come from
seaweed, kelp and nori which is found in sushi, have good sources of iodine.
Overall though, it appears that the general U.S. population has adequate iodine intake
but the risk is real for some, especially during pregnancy. And its only when a person’s iodine
intake falls below approximately 10–20 mcg/day, that hypothyroidism occurs, which is important
to get your iodine levels checked as well as a thyroid panel if you suspect you may be deficient.
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