Iodine is an essential part of everyone’s diet.
It is not naturally made by the body, so it should be obtained through food or supplements. Also, iodine is just a natural content of some foods and an added formula for supplements and certain salt seasonings.
Moreover, iodine is required by the body to produce thyroid hormones, namely thyroxine and triiodothyronine. This essential nutrient can assist with the creation of proteins and enzyme activity, including regulating normal metabolism.
When your body lacks iodine, your thyroid hormones may not work properly, which can further lead to an underactive or overactive thyroid gland. Not having enough iodine can cause the development of medical conditions of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism with different negative side effects in the body [1].
Effects of iodine on health
Health experts are studying and investigating iodine to know its effects on health. Here are a few examples of some research about the effects of iodine:
Fetal and infant development
Pregnant women or breastfeeding should have enough iodine for their infant to grow and develop properly. Breastfed babies acquire iodine from their mother’s breast milk. However, the iodine content of breast milk is based on how much iodine the mother consumes.
In order to produce adequate amounts of iodine for proper fetal and infant development, it is recommended by several national and international groups that pregnant and breastfeeding women and babies must take iodine supplements.
The American Thyroid Association suggests that pregnant women, women who are planning to become pregnant or breastfeeding, must take a supplement containing 150 mcg of iodine as potassium iodide every day.
On the other hand, the American Academy of Pediatrics has backed up the recommendation and advised women with the same guidelines. Nonetheless, there are only a few that has iodine content in the