Iodine Rich Foods List

Thank you for visiting our page that provides you with a free iodine rich foods list. There are many benefits of eating foods with iodine in them and this is where you will find out all about them as well as an explanation as to what iodine is and also what it does for us as human beings. Many people are familiar with iodine for a number of different reasons but it is not always known that it is something that our bodies require to function effectively. This page really is all you need to know about iodine and the foods that it is high in.

What is iodine?

So what is iodine? Iodine is one of the essential minerals that our bodies require in order to function effectively both physically and mentally, it is not required in as high a quantity as other minerals such as calcium and it is what is known as a 'trace mineral'. The role of iodine in the body is to help the function of the thyroid gland, it is needed for the creation of the thyroid hormones known as 'thyroxine' and 'triiodothyronine'. These two hormones regulate the metabolism in all of the cells in our bodies and also play a part in all of the body's functions, for more information on metabolism click here. Without a sufficient amount of iodine you can develop an iodine deficiency and this can have a very detrimental effect on your health. The amount of iodine that is contained in the body is around 20 to 30 milligrams with the majority being stored in the thyroid gland. The amount of iodine that we should be consuming per day is 150 micrograms for adult men and women, 200 micrograms for pregnant women, 100 micrograms for babies and 130 micrograms for children, please note that these are approximations. Other than using supplements the most effective way to absorb the relevant amount is through iodine rich foods.

Away from foods high in iodine, iodine is a fundamental element that has many functions other than being something that is required in the human body and these include:

Iodine is used to test for starch in foods
Iodine is an ingredient in various household cleaning products
Iodine is used as an ingredient of antiseptic
Iodine is used for photographical purposes when added to potassium
Iodine is used in the treatment of water

As you can see there are more uses for iodine than just something that is found in foods high in iodine.

We hope that this explanation as to what iodine is has been of use to you, we will now proceed to explain just why iodine rich foods are needed in the human body.

Why do you need foods with iodine?

There are several reasons why consuming foods with iodine may be necessary. You may just want to be keeping your iodine levels at a healthy level, you may have one of several medical conditions that require an intake of iodine through preventative or treatment measures, or you may have developed an iodine deficiency. For more information on iodine deficiency please see our iodine deficiency symptoms page. The medical conditions that may require iodine through supplements of foods with iodine include:

Hyperthyroidism - Unusually high activity of the thyroid gland that leads to increased heart rate and an increased metabolic rate.
Hypothyroidism - Low activity of the thyroid gland that leads to stunted growth and retardation.
Miscarriages
Goiter - Severe enlargement of the thyroid gland resulting from low iodine levels in the blood. This will enlarge so much it is visible as a lump in the neck.
Cognitive impairment - Poor mental function such as becoming forgetful and experiencing a lack of concentration
Fibrocystic breast disease
Cretinism - A mother with a severe iodine deficiency can give birth to a child who is severely physically and mentally retarded. Strangely, the same condition can occur if the mother has an excessive amount of iodine in them, although this is unusual.
Weight gain

Along with the other essential vitamins and minerals, iodine helps with the growth and maintenance of hair, skin, teeth and nails. The best way to make sure you are never left wanting for iodine is by eating foods with iodine in.

Iodine rich foods list

If you are looking at this page then there is a high probability that you are looking for an iodine rich foods list and that is what we will now provide you with. There are not an awful lot of foods that are high in iodine but this is not a big deal because the amount of iodine that we require each day is so very small. As we have stated earlier on in the page the average adult male and female require 150 micrograms of iodine, a microgram is a one thousandth of a milligram!

Seaweed
Iodized salt (table salt)
Sea Kelp
Seafood - Notably perch, cod and sea bass
Vegetables and fruit that are grown in iodine rich soil
Bread
Roast chicken
Corned beef
Dairy products - Cheese and yogurt notably
Strawberries
Onions

As you will see from the above iodine rich foods list, iodine is something that comes primarily from the seas and oceans of the world. Not only is it found in the ocean but it is also found in the earth's soil and any foods that are grown in soil that is rich in iodine will also have an increased level of iodine in it.

It is not uncommon for most people to take their regular amount of iodine in through the salt that they eat on their food, after all looking at the above list of iodine rich foods it is not too common for people to be eating seaweed for dinner.

More than foods high in iodine

As we have touched on earlier on in the page, some people suffer from an iodine deficiency so if you require information on this subject we have a whole page advising what the symptoms of iodine deficiency are and how the condition is dealt with.

We hope that you have found our page on iodine rich foods useful and that you now know what iodine is and the other roles it plays alongside being an essential mineral required by the human body. There is plenty more to our site that foods high in iodine so if you want to know more about foods high in zinc or fiber rich foods please see our other pages.