Jumpstart Thyroid Health - The Importance of Iodine in Your Diet

• 24 December 2015
• by: Adam
• in: Blog
• note: Be the first to comment!

This article was written by a Medical Doctor (MD) and reviewed by the thyroid health experts at ThyroMate.




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  Medically Reviewed

Our thyroid glands are the masters of metabolism. They make and regulate hormones that run the entire body's metabolism. Those suffering from an underactive thyroid can have many hypothyroidism symptoms associated with a slow metabolism including unexplained weight gain, hair loss, fatigue, depression, poor sleep, muscle weakness, and impaired memory.

It is important to make sure our thyroids are healthy so we can boost our metabolism and feel more energized. We need to provide our thyroids with the nutrients it needs to work to its maximum potential. 

Iodine, an important trace mineral, is one of the two ingredients needed by the thyroid gland to synthesize thyroid hormones. Our thyroid uses it to produce thyroid hormone. In fact, the triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) hormones are named after the amount of iodine they contain: each T3 molecule contains three atoms of iodine and T4 holds four iodine atoms.  However, the thyroid is not the only part of the body that needs iodine. Your salivary glands, skin, brain, and muscles all use iodine as well. Our bodies cannot produce iodine on their own – we can only gain iodine through our diet.  

You can get your daily intake of Iodine by eating sea vegetables and seafood, and some special brands of salt. However, since many people today are limiting their intake of salt or switching to different brands, such as sea salt, most people are not getting enough iodine in our diets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that Iodine deficiency is one of the four major deficiency diseases in the world (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/iodine.htm). Iodine deficiency can also be linked to other factors - Fluoride, which is found in most toothpaste, interferes with iodine absorption in the body. As does bromide and chlorine. However, this is not to say that you should switch toothpastes or stay away from these substances. The research simply suggests we need to consume more iodine than we usually do.

Ideally, your TSH levels - the pituitary hormone that tells your thyroid to produce more thyroid hormones - should be 4.0 mU/L or below. If your levels are higher than this, that means your body is trying to produce more thyroid hormones, but it is not working as it should. For example, if you’re T4 levels are low and your TSH levels are high, this could indicate that your thyroid gland is responsible for the hypothyroidism and not the pituitary gland.

In order to correct these hormones to their ideal levels, we need to change our diet and exercise more. Eating more eggs, kelp, and saltwater fish will increase our iodine levels. Exercising, such as taking a walk or riding a bike, help regulate your body functions and help to clear your mind.

Thyroid support supplements are another way to easily, efficiently, and naturally increase your thyroid hormones. There are many options on the market right now. However, ThyroMate is consistently ranked as the best thyroid support supplement. It contains 14 vitamins, minerals, and amino acids including iodine. Our customers have said it helped them a lot and was very effective for weight management. You too can try ThyroMate, risk-free with a 100% money-back guarantee. Start feeling more like your real self.