Iodine Deficiency Symptoms

Welcome to our page on iodine deficiency symptoms where we discuss this rare but serious condition in detail as well as providing information on what iodine itself is. If you suffer from an iodine deficiency then it is important that you know what the sources of iodine are so that you can ensure that you consume these on a regular basis to help deal with the problem. We are going to discuss what sources of iodine are which will include the iodine supplements that are available today.

What is iodine?

First things first before we go on to talk about iodine deficiency symptoms, we are going to provide a brief explanation as to what iodine is. Iodine is a chemical element and one of the essential minerals that are needed by our body in order for it work properly and for us to stay healthy, strong and mentally alert. It is what is known as a 'trace mineral' because although we do need it, the amount we need is very small in comparison to the other minerals that our body requires. So that is what iodine is, but what does it actually do, why do we need it? Our bodies need iodine in order for the thyroid gland to function properly, it is specifically needed so that the two thyroid hormones 'triiodothyronine' and 'thyroxine' can be made. Thyroxine controls out metabolism which is how efficiently our body burns fuel for energy, with our metabolic rate being the key to weight control. Understandably this hormone is vital and a high metabolism is something that everybody wants in order to avoid weight gain. For more information on the metabolism please click here.

Lack of a sufficient amount of iodine is what is known as an iodine deficiency. There are many problems that an iodine deficiency can bring to the human body and these are covered on our iodine rich foods page as well as later on below in our iodine deficiency symptoms section.

Iodine is not just something that is required in the human body and it has a whole host of other uses to mankind.

We hope that our explanation of what iodine is has been useful to you, further on down the page we will provide information on where you can get iodine from in our 'sources of iodine' section.

What is an iodine deficiency?

Plain and simply an iodine deficiency is a lack of iodine in the body and can cause some serious health problems both mentally and physically. The first question that people ask when they learn about iodine deficiency or that they may be suffering from iodine deficiency symptoms is naturally 'how much iodine do I need per day?'. The recommended daily amount of iodine has been displayed below:

Babies - 100 micrograms
Children - 130 micrograms
Adult men - 150 micrograms
Adult women - 150 micrograms
Pregnant women - 200 micrograms
Breast feeding period for women (lactation) - 220

The level of iodine that our bodies contain should be approximately 20 to 30 milligrams, most of this is stored in the thyroid gland. If you are not consuming enough iodine for your body to absorb and use then it will begin to suffer and show symptoms of iodine deficiency.

As we have mentioned above, iodine is a trace mineral and this means that the quantity that we require each day is very small, this is highlighted in the fact that one microgram is just one thousandth of a milligram. There are a variety of different iodine sources and these will be explained further down the page following our main section on iodine deficiency symptoms.

Iodine deficiency symptoms

If the body does not consume and absorb a sufficient amount of iodine then it will begin to want for the essential mineral and certain aspects of it are going to start breaking down. When this happens the body will begin to display iodine deficiency symptoms. You may think that because the amount of iodine that is required each day is so minimal that there is no chance that you will ever develop iodine deficiency symptoms and in fairness these days it is rare, especially since the introduction of iodized salt. However, this is not to say that it is impossible so it is important to understand what the symptoms of iodine deficiency are so that you can seek medical attention if you begin to display them.

Below we have listed what the symptoms of iodine deficiency are:

Goiter - Swelling of the thyroid gland. The thyroid gland is in the neck and a goiter will look like a large lump or inflammation in the neck.
Chronic fatigue (tiredness) - A common symptom of hypothyroidism
Dry/damaged skin
Reduction in the function of the immune system
Hypothyroidism - Low activity of the thyroid gland that leads to stunted growth and retardation.
Hyperthyroidism - Unusually high activity of the thyroid gland that leads to increased heart rate and an increased metabolic rate.
Excessive production of the oestrogen hormone
Forgetfulness - A common symptom of hypothyroidism
Depression - A common symptom of hypothyroidis
Weight gain - A common symptom of hypothyroidism Damaged hair - A common symptom of hypothyroidism
Constipation - A common symptom of hypothyroidism
Muscle pain and cramps - A common symptom of hypothyroidism
Problems concentrating - A common symptom of hypothyroidism
Swelling of the legs - A common symptom of hypothyroidism

As you can see there are various iron deficiency symptoms with many of them linked to hypothyroidism which will come about due to a lack of iodine in the first place as it is essentially the thyroid not working properly and producing sufficient amount of hormones.

So that is what happens if you do not consume a sufficient amount of iodine, but what are the best iodine sources? Our next section will explain that to you.

Sources of iodine - Iodine Supplements

Just like all of the essential vitamins and minerals there are a variety of sources that they can be obtained from and this section is going to talk about the sources of iodine. There are two main ways of getting the right amount of iodine into your body each day and these are through iodine rich foods and iodine supplements. The most beneficial method for you is going to be the foods with iodine in them because as well as containing iodine they will also provide you with many other benefits due to the vitamins and minerals that they hold. Sure iodine supplements are useful too, especially if you have been displaying iodine deficiency symptoms, but obviously these are going to provide you with one thing and one thing only being iodine. You will find all of the information that you need on iodine rich foods on on our dedicated page.

There may be a several reasons why taking iodine supplements is preferred to eating high iodine foods, these can range from you just not getting along with seafood to having a diet that requires you to eat minimal amounts of salt. If this is the case the iodine supplements are the way forward. Iodine supplements can be purchased online or at your local pharmacy and are not very expensive at all.

We hope that you have found our page on iodine deficiency symptoms of some use. There is much more to our site that just an explanation as to what iodine is and information on the sources of iodine. Please take a look at the wealth of free information that we have available.