Iodine is a vital supplement for the human body, as it is responsible for helping the thyroid produce important hormones. These hormones are, in part, responsible for the body’s metabolic rate and, as such, are vitally important for wellness, as they have an effect on all of the body’s processes.
To take care of your wellbeing, you should ensure that your diet includes a small amount of iodine every day. This can be found in soil, rocks and in seawater – and, with regards to the final item on that list, this means that sea food tends to be a good source of iodine. Make sure that the fish you are eating, however, is sea fish, rather than freshwater fish, as the latter does not contain a source of iodine.
Iodine also occurs to varying degrees in other food sources, such as grains and cereals, but the levels can be widely different depending on the iodine levels of the soil where the crop has been grown. In the United Kingdom, cows’ milk is also a source of iodine, although, again, the levels depend very much upon what the cow has been fed.
Adults should have a daily iodine intake of around 0.14mg, and generally most adults with a healthy, balanced diet have no trouble taking in this amount every day without making any changes to their lifestyle.
Some people, however, such as some pregnant women and those with certain types of thyroid disorder, may benefit from taking an iodine supplement too, or increasing the iodine in their diet through food types, or through using iodised salt.
This should always be done with caution, however, as high levels of iodine can cause unwanted side-effects, such as excessive weight gain.
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