home Construction

Iodine content in grapes. You are what you eat: what foods contain a lot of iodine. List of useful products

Iodine is a “universal” microelement necessary for the full functioning of the thyroid gland, the growth and development of the child’s body, the proper functioning of the heart muscle, and maintaining the health of the nervous and immune systems.

Lack of mineral in the daily menu causes hormonal imbalance, which can lead to dysfunction of the endocrine glands, including endocrine system generally.

The body of healthy people contains about 25 milligrams of iodine: 15 milligrams are concentrated in the thyroid gland, and 10 milligrams in the liver, skin, kidneys, nails, hair, ovaries, and prostate gland.

This element is widely distributed in nature in the form of organic and inorganic compounds; it is obtained from seaweed, oil drilling waters and saltpeter.

Effect on the human body

Main biological role iodine – synthesis of thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine and thyroxine), which perform the following functions:

stimulate the growth and development of the body, being responsible for the processes of tissue cell regeneration;
regulate the exchange of vitamins, hormones and;
increase the production of new red blood cells in the bone marrow (erythropoiesis);
activate the cardiovascular system (increase blood pressure, increase the frequency and strength of heart contractions, regulate vascular tone);
potentiate oxygen consumption by tissues;
control the transport of sodium and hormone-like substances through the cell membrane;
increase the rate of biochemical reactions in the endocrine ring;
regulate thermal, energy, water and electrolyte metabolism;
enhance oxidation of lipids and;
potentiate the formation of phagocytes (blood cells that destroy harmful microorganisms);
participate in the regulation of a person’s emotional tone (increase cognitive abilities, normalize mental activity);
enhance the removal of excess fluid from the body;
improve the functional state of the liver, brain, heart, blood vessels;
regulate the processes of puberty;
normalize the menstrual cycle;
increase the activity of sex hormones, restoring a woman’s reproductive function (the ability to conceive and bear a fetus).

Due to the multilateral impact on human body, iodine is classified as a bio- and immunostimulating substance.

Daily norm

The daily need for iodine directly depends on a person’s age, physical condition and individual characteristics body. Considering that the microelement is not synthesized by the intestinal microflora, it must be regularly supplied with food or nutritional supplements.

The average daily norm for persons of different age categories is:

for infants under 2 years old – 50 micrograms;
for children from 2 to 6 years old – 90 micrograms;
for children from 7 to 12 years old – 120 micrograms;
for adults – 150 micrograms;
for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding – 200 – 300 micrograms;
for people working with compounds that depress the thyroid gland - 200 - 300 micrograms.

The exact daily dosage of iodine is calculated based on the calculation of 2 - 4 micrograms of the substance per kilogram of body weight.

The upper permissible level of mineral intake is 600 micrograms per day. Exceeding this indicator causes poisoning and intoxication of the body.

If the endocrine system malfunctions, before consuming the mineral, you should consult your doctor regarding the dosage.

Deficiency and excess

The concentration of iodine in the blood varies depending on the season: it decreases in the fall and increases in the spring. However, the thyroid gland absorbs exactly enough of the element to form thyroid hormones. At the same time, excess mineral is removed with urine and saliva.

Interestingly, over the past 20 years, the concentration of iodine in the soil has decreased threefold, as a result of which every third person on the planet has iodine deficiency, and every sixth person is at risk of developing it. A deficiency of the compound in the daily menu is a dangerous phenomenon, since prolonged deficiency provokes a “restructuring” of the function of the thyroid gland. This process is accompanied by an increase in the absorption of the element by the organ, as a result of which its excretion along with urine decreases. After this, adaptation processes are launched aimed at the most economical use of iodine. Such reactions underlie a decrease in thyroid function (hypothyroidism), which leads to a compensatory increase in the “butterfly” (endemic goiter). This condition is the optimal “springboard” for the development of severe thyroid pathologies, including nodules and.

Symptoms of hypothyroidism:

fatigue;
weakening of memory, vision, hearing;
decreased performance and concentration;
, drowsiness, mood changes;
tearfulness;
decreased blood pressure;
slowing heart rate (up to 45-60 beats per minute);
, impaired motility of the digestive tract;
sweating;
weight gain;
swelling;
irritability;
violation of thermoregulation, chills;
menstrual disorders;
and mucous membranes;
hair loss;
infertility, miscarriages, stillbirths.

The most severe consequences of iodine deficiency in newborns are cretinism, skeletal deformation, paralysis, and deaf-muteness. In view of this, women when planning pregnancy, carrying a fetus and breastfeeding need to carefully control the level of mineral intake in the body.

Causes of iodine deficiency:

living in endemic regions where the soil is “depleted” of minerals or there is an increased background radiation;
insufficient consumption of iodine-containing foods;
taking foods or medications that contain goitrogenic factors (thiourea, thiouracil, thiocyanate, derivatives of polyphenols, aniline and perchlorate) that interfere with the absorption and utilization of the microelement;
use of drugs containing iodine antagonists (fluorine, manganese, cobalt, bromine, lead, chlorine);
the presence of foci of chronic infections (tonsillitis, rhinosinusitis, pharyngitis, sinusitis);
impaired absorption of the element due to deficiency, folic acid, and in the body.

To prevent and eliminate deficiency, the daily diet is enriched with iodine-containing products or complex dietary supplements. Interestingly, the microelement from seaweed is better absorbed than from medicinal analogues.

Remember, to relieve hypothyroidism, iodine preparations are taken with caution, only as prescribed by a doctor, since an overdose of the element is fraught with the development of iodism (aseptic inflammation of the mucous membranes in areas where the mineral is secreted), iododerma (toxic-allergic lesions) skin), hyperfunction of the thyroid gland.

Other signs of excess:

tachycardia;
increased salivation;
headache, ;
numbness and tingling of the skin;
acne, skin, including allergic;
development of thyrotoxicosis;
dyspeptic disorders, sometimes with blood;
reduction in body weight and skeletal strength;
goiter formation;
nervousness;
insomnia;
lacrimation;
paralysis, muscle weakness.

A single dose of iodine in excess of 500 milligrams can lead to direct poisoning. The first symptoms of intoxication are brown skin discoloration, stool upset, severe pain in the abdomen and body, and the appearance of a metallic taste in the mouth. If this condition is not stopped, death can occur due to irritation of nerve endings.

Contraindications for taking iodine supplements:

increased thyroid function (hyperthyroidism);
suspicion of thyroid cancer;
Dühring's dermatitis;
toxic goiter;
radioactive iodine therapy;
toxic thyroid adenoma;
individual intolerance to the mineral.

Remember, increased iodine consumption in the background can aggravate the course of hypothyroidism and reduce the pharmacological properties of thyroid medications.

Natural sources of iodine

The daily need for iodine is met through products of plant and animal origin. In addition, some part of the element (up to 25% of the daily value), depending on the place of residence, enters the body with air and water.

Table No. 1 “Natural sources of iodine”

Product name	Iodine content in 100 grams of product, micrograms
Dried seaweed (kelp)	2500 – 3000
Cooked seaweed	300
Squid	290
Feijoa	70 – 250
Salmon, pollock	200
Hake, pollock, haddock	150 – 160
Blue whiting, cod, pinniped meat	130
Shrimp, oysters, crabs	90 -100
Perch	65
Rye bran	60
Pink salmon, perch, catfish, tuna, catfish, capelin, flounder, carp, salted herring, pike perch, pike	50
Mackerel, anchovies	45
Salted herring	40 – 60
Egg yolk	35
Champignon	18
Dairy and fermented milk products	8 – 18
Greens, legumes, vegetables	6 – 15
Cereals, fruits, berries	2 – 10

In addition, good sources of the element are apple seeds, iodide and iodine-bromine mineral water. In small concentrations (up to 10 micrograms per 100 grams of product), the mineral is present in all fermented milk products, garlic, feijoa, persimmons, radishes, eggplants, potatoes, spinach, sorrel, asparagus, grapes, strawberries, onions and green onions.

During culinary processing or long-term storage, the iodine content in products decreases significantly. Thus, when cooking fish, meat, cereals, legumes, 45–65% of the microelement is lost, when baking bread – 70–80%, when boiling milk – 20–25%, when boiling potatoes and other vegetables “in their jackets” – 30–40 %, and in crushed form - 45-50%.

Conclusion

Iodine is a biogenic microelement “responsible” for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, and, consequently, for the full functioning of the entire body.

Interestingly, over a lifetime a person receives about 3-5 grams of this mineral. Moreover, for full-fledged work internal organs This volume is not needed immediately, but in portions of 100-200 micrograms per day.

Today, as a result of low concentrations of the element in soil and water, 153 countries around the world experience iodine deficiency. This problem has the character of a “global pandemic”, since iodine deficiency leads to pathologies of the thyroid gland, resulting in hormonal dysfunctions, mental disorders, diseases of internal organs, and in pregnant women – premature births or stillbirths.

To replenish reserves and prevent mineral deficiency in the body, it is recommended to introduce into the diet: seafood, feijoa, Himalayan salt.

Speciality: pediatrician, infectious disease specialist, allergist-immunologist.

Total experience: 7 years .

Education:2010, SibSMU, pediatric, pediatrics.

More than 3 years of experience as an infectious disease specialist.

He has a patent on the topic “Method for predicting the high risk of developing chronic pathology of the adeno-tonsillar system in frequently ill children.” And also the author of publications in Higher Attestation Commission magazines.

Iodine is a rare but extremely dispersed element in nature, which is found in small quantities in water, air, soil and almost all living organisms, from plants to mammals. Iodine and its salts are highly soluble in water, so the main “storehouse” of iodine is the seas and oceans. There are 20−30 mg of iodine salts (iodides) per ton of sea water.

Humans receive iodine primarily from food; relatively small amounts also come from air and water.

Algae, fish, shellfish and other living creatures living in the sea accumulate iodine in their bodies. In a ton of dried seaweed (kelp) you can already find up to 5 kg of iodine! Therefore, the main sources of iodine in the diet are various seafood: fish, algae, shellfish, shrimp, etc.

The amount of iodine in “land” plants and animals depends on the soil on which they live. If the area is located close enough to the sea, then the soil there is sufficiently saturated with iodine, and the plants will contain enough of this element. Animals that eat these plants will also have quite a lot of iodine.

If the area is located far from the sea (mountains, large plains, etc.), then the products there will be poor in iodine.

The following foods are richest in iodine:

Fatty fish, fish fat, seafood, seaweed
Apples, grapes, cherries, plums, apricots (only when grown in soils rich in iodine)
Cheese, cottage cheese, milk (only with a sufficient amount of iodine in the animal’s diet)

Beets, lettuces, tomatoes, carrots (only when grown in iodine-rich soils) The iodine content of plants, dairy and meat products is variable and greatly depends on the area in which the fruits and vegetables were grown and what kind of food the animals received. Where there is little iodine in the soil, plants contain 10–30 times less iodine than their “counterparts” in those coastal regions where the soil is saturated with iodine. Unfortunately, in Russia the soil in almost all territories is poor in iodine!

Iodine content in some foods

Product	iodine content in mcg per 100 grams of product

Cod liver
Haddock
Freshwater fish (raw)
Saida
Salmon
Flounder
Fresh shrimp
Sea bass
Smoked mackerel
Cod
Shrimps
Fresh mackerel
Fresh herring
Salted herring
Freshwater fish (cooked)
Raw oysters
Frozen fish fillet
Atlantic sardines in oil
Oats
Champignon
Processed cheeses
Eggs (1 piece, about 50 g)
Pork
Whole milk
Skimmed milk
Low fat milk
Butter
Greens (in general)
Beans
Spinach
Beef
Fried shrimp
Dairy
Hard cheeses (like Edam)
Peas
Wheat flour
Regular bread
Rye
Vegetables
Beet
Carrot
Cabbage
Potato
Buckwheat
Fruits
Sausages
Meat (average)

When comparing the iodine content in different foods, it becomes clear that without a really large amount of fish and seafood in the diet, it is impossible to get the required amount of iodine. After all, to ensure the required daily intake of iodine without seafood, you need to drink more than a liter of milk every day or eat almost 2 kg of meat (which must be obtained from animals that received a sufficient amount of iodine in their diet)!

Moreover, even if seafood is present in the diet, the iodine content in them very much depends on the conditions under which they were stored and how they were prepared. Freezing and intensive heat treatment significantly reduce the amount of iodine in the finished dish.

Do you know that

In addition to iodine source plants, there are antagonist plants. Soybeans, flax seeds, raw cabbage (white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower) contain substances that interfere with the absorption of iodine! Such plants are called “gumogenic”, i.e. "goiter-forming" Frequent consumption of soy products and cabbage vegetables in large quantities can lead to severe iodine deficiency in the body and compensatory enlargement of the thyroid gland.

In addition to goitrogenic vegetables, the absorption of iodine is noticeably hampered by excessive chlorination of water, too intense fluoridation of water and/or toothpastes, lack of nutritional vitamins A and E, which help the absorption of iodine salts, and heat treatment of food.

To compensate for iodine deficiency in food, iodine prophylaxis is used. It can be mass or individual. Mass iodine prophylaxis is the enrichment of table salt, flour, milk and other commonly used food products with iodine salts. Unfortunately, some iodine salts are destroyed during heat treatment. Therefore, along with mass prevention, individual prevention is widely used, for which special iodine medications are used, such as Yodomarin ®. This is extremely important for residents of Russia who cannot get enough iodine from food, because... There is clearly not enough fish and seafood in their diet, and vegetables, fruits, meat and milk are not adequate sources of iodine.

Over the course of a lifetime, a person consumes only 3−5 g of iodine (about one teaspoon).
The human body contains about 25 mg of iodine, of which 15 mg is found in the thyroid gland.
In sea water rich in iodine, live the largest animals on our planet (whales, whose weight can reach 150 tons) and the longest living (sea turtles live 200-300 years). In coastal areas, grasses grow taller than on the plains or in the mountains.
Goiter is the collective name for all diseases that occur with an increase in the size of the thyroid gland. In birds, a goiter is an enlargement of the esophagus that serves to store food. The full crop protrudes, and the bird's neck becomes similar to the neck of a person with an enlarged thyroid gland.
Iodine got its name from the Greek “iodes” violet, because. Iodine vapor has a rich dark purple color.
Iodine was discovered by the French pharmaceutical chemist Bernard Courtois. He isolated it from seaweed. Legend has it that the chemist had a beloved (and very lazy!) cat who reached out and knocked two vessels onto the floor, one of which contained an alcoholic solution of seaweed ash, and the other of sulfuric acid. The solutions mixed, and the laboratory was covered in a beautiful dark purple cloud. According to another version, the chemist noticed that the copper boilers in which the seaweed solution was evaporated to obtain saltpeter were very quickly destroyed. He began to examine this solution and isolated a new, hitherto unfamiliar substance.
The frequent spelling of “iodine” is not entirely correct. From the point of view of the international classification of chemical elements, this element is called “iodine”.
Iodized salt is not recommended for pickling or pickling, because the resulting products will quickly ferment or begin to taste bitter.
Iodized salt has a very short shelf life. After 3-4 months, most of the iodine evaporates from it, so it must be stored in a hermetically sealed container.
Iodine deficiency is a problem in 153 countries around the world!
In Europe, only 4 countries have never encountered iodine deficiency and its consequences: Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The connection between an enlarged thyroid gland and seafood has been noticed for a very long time. Mentions of the treatment of goiter with seaweed can be found in ancient Chinese treatises on medicine, in Sumerian and ancient Indian manuscripts, etc. Hippocrates considered bad water to be the cause of goiter and advised treating it with algae.
There is a theory that the death of Neanderthals 30,000 years ago is associated with a lack of iodine in their diet. This led to a decrease in intellectual abilities and severe physical weakness.
During the Renaissance, a woman's "swollen" neck with an enlarged thyroid gland was considered very beautiful. In paintings of the time, most women and children (including the Madonna and Child Jesus) have all the signs of a diffuse goiter. This is probably due to the widespread prevalence of this disease at that time.
The first mass studies of people to exclude thyroid diseases are associated with Napoleon. The fact is that many young men from mountainous regions, whom he tried to recruit for military service, suffered from iodine deficiency with all the ensuing consequences: goiter, hearing loss, and a sharp decrease in intelligence. This made them unsuitable for service. Therefore, Napoleon ordered that the thyroid gland of all recruits be felt and those whose gland was greatly enlarged not be allowed to serve.

One of the main substances needed by the human body for growth and development is iodine. It comes from food or air, so it is very important to consume iodine-containing foods so that the body is saturated with the microelement in the required quantity.

In contact with

Meet Yodine

This is one of the most important substances for humans, as it affects many different processes and functions of the body. How much iodine do doctors say a person should consume daily? Data from the medical literature are as follows:

adult – about 150 mcg of the substance;
child – from 90 to 120 mcg;
pregnant woman – 250 mcg.

This element influences many processes occurring in the human body, for example, participates in the normalization of metabolism, stabilizes blood pressure, protects the body from viruses and infections.

Iodine is supplied through air and food. Sometimes people use special vitamin and mineral complexes that are rich in it.

However, you should not take the substance in excess, since high levels can have the same negative effect on the body as its deficiency.

Doctors recommend enriching your daily diet with iodine-containing foods to avoid micronutrient deficiency in organism. For this reason, you need to know which foods contain this element in large quantities and which do not.

If the body receives insufficient amounts of vital important elements, then there are attacks of headaches, memory deterioration, a person cannot concentrate on one thing, he is plagued by lethargy, loss of strength, high blood pressure, and so on.

Insufficient iodine leads to various heart problems, such as atherosclerosis and. It is worth noting that a lack of microelement in a woman who is expecting a baby can lead to disturbances in the formation of the fetus.

Iodine-rich foods

The element enters the human body largely from food, so it is necessary to carefully approach the preparation of the menu and ensure that the required amount of the substance is maintained in the body.

Most people tend to replenish their stock with iodized table salt, but this source is not effective and can be replaced by many iodine-containing products.

It is worth noting that if you add iodized salt to boiling water, the element will simply evaporate.

Water is the main source of this substance, in one liter of pure drinking water contains 15 mcg of iodine. Sea water contains several times more of it, which makes seafood very healthy.

What products contain iodine that people most often use in their daily menu:

oil;
eggs;
bread;
Champignon;
meat;
cereals

Note! Iodine evaporates during any heat treatment, so larger amounts of this substance are found only in fresh products.

Seafood

The sea is one of the main suppliers of iodine in the human diet. Kelp is brown seaweed, rightfully occupy a leading position in terms of the level of this element. So, one hundred grams of the product contains three hundred micrograms, therefore, to restore the level of the element in the body, a person must eat two tablespoons of algae per day.

Sea fish also contains a large number of of this substance. It is worth noting that freshwater fish significantly inferior in microelement content, especially after undergoing heat treatment.

So, which sea fish has the most of this element:

cod;
perch;
tuna;
pink salmon.

The daily norm can be obtained by consuming one hundred and fifty grams of hake.

What contains iodine besides fish and algae is in seafood delicacies such as scallops, oysters, shrimp and so on. The leader among them is squid, since its hundred grams contain three hundred micrograms of the substance.

The seafood production region plays a huge role. For example, there is a lot of substance in Far Eastern products, but its level is much lower in the northern seas.

Vegetables and fruits

This element is also present in vegetables and fruits. However, the level of its content is not so significant, but when consumed daily, the body receives the required amount.

Enough of it is contained in the following vegetables and fruits:

potato;
tomatoes;
bananas;
citrus.

Among the leaders is persimmon, which contains iodine in the same amount as algae. A cup of strawberries is 10 percent of your daily value. microelement consumption.

By consuming 5 prunes, a person replenishes the supply by 13 mcg.

A lot of iodine is present in feijoa.

This subtropical fruit is a leader: in one hundred grams of it, scientists counted 350 mcg of the element, which exceeds its content in sea kale.

What else does iodine contain?

apple pits;
cranberry;
plum;
grape.

Cereals

By consuming some cereals, you can also replenish the level of microelement in the body; for example, buckwheat contains quite a lot: approximately 3.5 mcg per hundred grams.

The leader among cereals is millet, it has slightly better indicators than buckwheat: 4 mcg per hundred grams of product.

This element can also be found in the following cereals:

pea cereal;
oats;
rye;
beans.

List of useful products

List of products indicating the mass of the trace element in one hundred grams:

feijoa – 350;
seaweed – 300;
squid – 300;
hake – 160;
champignons – 18;
pork – 17;
milk – 16;
vegetables – 10-12;
butter – 9;
buckwheat – 3.5.

According to this list, you can determine what iodine contains and in what quantity. The leaders in the amount of substance are seafood.

Iodine-free diet

In some situations, doctors recommend stick to an iodine-free diet.

But for full development, the menu must be balanced, so you need to consider which foods do not contain iodine.

Food products that do not contain or include this substance in small quantities are the following:

raw or cooked vegetables without salt, except legumes, potato peels;
citrus fruits, currants, apple, banana and pear;
nuts;
egg whites;
vegetable oil;
sugar;
seasonings;
fresh juices.

Also for a balanced diet you need eat foods containing low amounts this microelement. You can eat no more than four servings of cereals, pasta, cereals and bread per day. You can consume up to 140 grams of fresh meat throughout the day.

Note! In a whole piece of meat, the amount of substance is much less than in minced meat or small pieces.

Video: where is iodine found?

Conclusion

Iodine is a necessary trace element for the stable functioning of all body systems. In order to prevent the development of its deficiency, you should know where iodine is found and the approximate amount, strive to create a menu so that you consume the required amount every day so that the body functions normally. However, you should not regularly exceed it, as an excess of the substance can have a detrimental effect on your health.

In contact with

12 votes

Let's look at two questions: what foods contain iodine and how to compensate for iodine deficiency. With iodine, everything is not so simple; its content in a product can be high, but it is impossible to absorb it from this product for various reasons. First of all, you need to understand what kind of substance “iodine” is and what characteristics it has: what it looks like, where it is mined, how it behaves when heated, and in what forms it is found in nature. After all, if some element cannot withstand heat treatment, then there is no point in consuming it in the form of boiled liquid, tincture or boiled food.

So, iodine is not a metal; it is a halogen, a substance that easily forms salts. By their nature, halogens are the strongest oxidizing agents; they are not found in pure form, only in various compounds. Under normal conditions, iodine is black-gray crystals with a purple tint, which form pairs very easily.

There is a lot of iodine in sea water (20-30 milligrams per ton of water), in seaweed (5 kilograms per ton of dried seaweed) and inhabitants. Due to the fact that iodine easily forms vapors, you and I can obtain iodine not only from food, but also by inhaling sea air, assimilating it through the lungs.

Since iodine cannot be produced in our body, iodine is important for us receive with food or air constantly.

Iodine does not tolerate heat treatment

Iodine dissolves easily in water and also evaporates easily. Therefore, if any of the products potentially rich in iodine are boiled/fryed/stewed, it is possible to achieve complete evaporation of iodine - first it will go into water and then evaporate.

“In the course of research into the reasons for the reduction in iodine content in algae due to improper storage conditions, the following results were obtained:

– the iodine content remains virtually unchanged if the product is stored in waterproof bags or boxes.

“However, this same product loses up to 40% of its total iodine when stored in open containers or paper bags, especially in a humid environment, the moisture evaporates from the algae along with the water-soluble iodine.”

Fresh herring contains 66 mcg of iodine per 100 grams, herring in sauce – already 6 mcg.

Fresh shrimp - 190 mcg per 100 grams, cooked - 11.

Raw oysters – 60, canned oysters – 5.

The situation is the same with algae; when boiling kelp, up to 90% of the iodine contained in it can pass into the water.

As you can see, there is no point in eating cooked fish, boiled seaweed salads, soups with wakame and thinking that you are replenishing iodine deficiency.

Before I move on to the main sources of iodine in food, let's look at how much iodine a person needs per day.

How much iodine should you consume per day?

Nowadays, there is a huge confusion with the norms for the use of this or that element; if you open the Internet, you will find a lot of contradictory data. I can't figure out the reason for this diversity, but to get data you can rely on, it's important to get information from reliable sources.

So, according to the “Norms of physiological needs for energy and nutrients for different population groups Russian Federation» dated December 18, 2008, which were approved by the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, Moscow Medical Academy named after. I.M. Sechenov, State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of Russia.

Average iodine requirement for an adult: 130-200 mcg/day, maximum – 600 mcg/day (the abbreviation mcg means microgram, 1 milligram [mg] = 1000 micrograms [ mcg]).

For children – from 60 to 150 mcg/day
For adults – 150 mcg/day

Unfortunately, this document does not contain separate recommendations for pregnant women, nursing mothers and athletes. That is, those who need more iodine than usual. But if 150 mcg is recommended for an adult, then pregnant and lactating women will need a minimum of 200 mcg per day.

Please note that I am talking not only about pregnant women, but also about athletes, since recent studies in Japan have shown that a person involved in sports consumes a lot of iodine not only in urine, but also in sweat.

Now let's look at the data from the US FDA, which was prepared by the Institute of Medicine and the National Academies (NSDA).

Age	Iodine requirement (mcg per day)

Newborns from birth to 6 months
Newborns 6–12 months
Children from 1 to 8 years old

Men 9–13 years old
Men 14–18 years old
Men 19–70 years old or older

Women 9–13 years old
Women 14–18 years old
Women 18 - 70 or more years old
Pregnant women from 14 to 50 years old
Breastfeeding women from 14 to 50 years old

In the USA, as you can see, the iodine norm for adults is 150 mcg per day, for pregnant women – 220, for lactating women – 290.

You can safely rely on these data. If in any doubt, please follow the links I have provided and check the information and its sources.

Iodine overdose

There is simply an ongoing debate around this topic. Many scientists and doctors believe that there is a threshold for iodine consumption, after which an overdose will begin and the thyroid gland will stop working normally. According to Russian standards, the critical indicator is 600 mcg per day. In the West - 1100 mcg.

Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc

However, there are quite a few studies in which doctors have tried to treat various diseases with high doses of iodine, 3-6 times the upper limit. And what's most interesting. They managed to achieve very good results.

Treatment of mastopathy with high doses of iodine

“According to the results of a recent randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study, 111 women aged 18 to 50 years with fibrocystic breast disease and regular breast pain were recruited.

The women were divided into 4 groups, group 1 received tablets that do not contain iodine, group 2 received 1500 mcg of iodine, group 3 – 3000 mcg, and group 4 – 6000 mcg per day.

After 5 months of treatment, women who received 3000-6000 mcg of iodine received a significant result: chest pain decreased greatly, the breasts became soft in comparison with those who received 1500 and 0 mcg per day. In addition, neither group experienced any deterioration in thyroid function."

The Japanese eat more than 1,000 micrograms of iodine daily

Another interesting fact is that the Japanese consume from 200 to 20,000 micrograms of iodine daily, on average 1,000 micrograms from algae foods. Each Japanese eats 4 kilograms of algae per year, about 10 grams per day; more than 21 types of algae are eaten; in Korea, more than 40 are used as food. different types.

Obviously, with such consumption, the Japanese would have all the signs of thyroid dysfunction, and everyone would have hypothyroidism, but all this does not happen.

Why do some studies confirm all the signs of iodine overdose, while others see no problems at all?

In my personal opinion, the problem may lie in the iodine itself that a person takes.

If you read the article about vitamin A, then you know that if a person takes synthetic vitamin A from tablets, then it is very important to monitor its dosage, since problems will begin when taking large doses. However, if a person simply eats or drinks natural vitamin A from raw plant foods, then there is no talk of any overdose.

Hence the conclusion: if you take iodine in tablets, as part of vitamins, in dietary supplements, watch the norm and do not exceed it. If your source of iodine is raw seaweed, you may not be able to overdose.

What foods contain iodine?

Iodine is found in sea water, sea fish, seafood (shrimp, squid, etc.), and seaweed. These are the main sources of iodine in its organic, ionic form, easily digestible by humans. It is important that the product be raw.

You and I cannot eat raw fish or raw seafood. In addition, there is a huge amount of a wide variety of marine waste, including mercury.

« The most dangerous types of fish are: swordfish, shark, king mackerel (not to be confused with the familiar Atlantic mackerel), tuna (yellowfin, longfin, bigeye), marlin, sea trout, snapper, sea bass, river perch, stingray, carp.

The safest are: scallop, shrimp, oysters, sardines, telapia, salmon, squid, Atlantic mackerel.”

Karimi R, Fitzgerald TP, Fisher NS. A quantitative synthesis of mercury in commercial seafood and implications for exposure in the United States. Environ Health Perspective. 2012 120 (11):1512-9.

But algae is just an excellent source of organic iodine.

Seaweed is the best source of iodine

People have used seaweed for food and medicine for more than 13,000 years.

Algae-based medicines and ointments have been actively used in Ayurveda since the 4th century BC, in traditional Chinese medicine - the first mentions date back to 2700 BC, and also in the traditions of Egyptian doctors around 1500 BC.

For many centuries seaweed was the main source of iodine for humans, which is why algae have been so actively used to treat a variety of ailments. However, later, in 1930, scientists found a simpler and, most importantly, cheaper way to extract iodine - not from algae, but from deposits of silver and nitrate.

Even iodine was discovered with the help of algae: in 1811, when burning dried algae, the researcher Courtois saw purple smoke, the source of which was the iodine contained in the algae.

Firstly, seaweed contains a lot of iodine, secondly, this iodine organically th, in its original form, which you and I can easily assimilate, thirdly, seaweed can be eaten raw, fourthly, there are a lot of algae and they are available on sale everywhere.

Now we just have to figure out the following questions:

Which algae have the most iodine
Is iodine absorbed from algae?
how to eat raw seaweed

Which algae have the most iodine?

Let's look at the results of the study: “Iodine Content in Common Commercially Available Edible Seaweeds (Jane Teas,1 Sam Pino,2,3 Alan Critchley,4 and Lewis E. Braverman3)

During this study, samples of 12 species of algae were taken and this is what we found out:

Name of algae	Iodine content in 1 g of algae, in mcg
Sea kale, whole (Kelp)	1742 mcg per 1 gram (max = 2894 mcg/g, min = 746)
Seaweed Ecklonia maxima (sea bamboo)	2123 mcg/g
Algae Postelsia palmaeformis	871 mcg/g
Brown algae of the genus Fucus	646 mcg/g
Hijiki kelp (Hizikia fusiforme)	629 mcg/g
Japanese Arame kelp (eisenia bicyclis)
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida)	66 mcg/g, (max=115, min=41)
Red algae Palmaria, (palmaria palmata, Dulse)
Sargassum algae, "Sea grapes"
Nori (Porphyra tenera)

The results shown in the table apply only to seaweed in whole form, not in the form of capsules or powders.

For some species, such as Laminaria and Wakame, the average value of iodine content, maximum and minimum, is indicated, this is due to the fact that the researchers took more than 6 samples of this type of algae for research, all these samples differed in iodine content, since they were collected in different seas: off the coast of Washington, in Japan, Iceland, Canada and so on. In addition, the seaweed was harvested at different times of the year.

Thanks to this diversity, scientists made another conclusion - the same algae collected in different seas and at different times of the year may differ in the content of microelements, in particular iodine.

However, in any case, algae of the Laminaria species accumulate a huge amount of iodine, even if this algae contains a minimal amount of iodine - 746 mcg / per 1 g, this is in any case 5 times more daily norm for adult men and women.

This is what kelp looks like in its natural habitat:

Despite the variety of algae species in the table, I have only ever seen on sale: seaweed or kelp, fucus, nori and wakame.

Ito nori and wakame in rolls and sushi, or in soups. And I know well that in 99% of cases nori sheets are sold fried, that is, not raw. And finding raw sheets of nori is quite a task. Therefore, I do not consider them as a source of iodine.

Wakame can be sold raw or dried and can be eaten as a salad. You need to look for such algae in raw food stores. Raw wakame can be found in big cities, but it is not easy and it contains very little iodine.

Can humans absorb iodine from algae?

Everything would be fine if not for one “but”. According to the latest data from one of the Russian scientists - Doctor of Sciences Savva V.V. – iodine contained in algae is not so easy to obtain and absorb, the fact is that we do not have specific enzymes that can break down the rough shell and fiber of algae and extract valuable minerals. Even if we take dry seaweed and grind it, we can “extract” no more than 2-3% of the iodine contained there.

And this is a very important and big problem.– make the iodine in algae available for human absorption. The difficulty is also that for this purpose neither chemical methods nor heat treatment can be used - as you understand, with such harsh exposure from iodine, vitamins and other macro and microelements, in this case there will be little left.

More recently, our scientists managed to make a revolution and develop installations that make it possible to crush algae fiber in such a way as to extract iodine and other elements intact.

This method was invented by chemistry professor V.V. Savva. He made 2 installations: the first one washes away the mucus from the surface of the algae, which contains bacteria, microorganisms, and, just like a sponge, absorbs heavy metal salts, the second one crushes the algae without heating or using chemicals. Fucus algae, which grow in the North Sea, were chosen as raw materials.

It is this product that I can advise you to use daily, for men and women, athletes, children, as well as during pregnancy and during feeding.

You can read more about fucus. I myself constantly buy and use this particular fucus.

This product is so unique that its supplies are even established in the UK, where there is a special official whose functions include supplying all gastroenterological departments of all hospitals and clinics with fucus. This fucus is fully licensed and has undergone dozens of clinical tests, both on the content of elements and on the effect on humans for a wide variety of diseases.

In addition to iodine, Fucus Nativ contains: potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, silicon, iron, copper, bromine, sulfur, phosphorus and many others. Rich in vitamins: groups B, D, C, E, PP. The highest level of vitamin E is in fucus, reaching up to 600 mg of tocopherols per kg of dry weight. There is more vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in fucus than in any other plant on earth.

If you are interested in learning more about fucus, watch this video interview with the growers:

Salt as a source of iodine

You all know that iodized salt is available for sale. Thus, governments different countries trying to cope with widespread iodine deficiency. I can’t say that this is a completely useless method; at one time it helped keep people from getting into big problems. However, if there are stronger methods, why is salt needed.

Firstly, salt is iodized using the compounds potassium iodate or potassium iodite; this is no longer iodine in its pure form, but its compound. This is done in order to ensure the stability of the iodine - so that it simply does not evaporate. However, if you use iodized salt when cooking, that is, salt soups, borscht, fried dishes, etc., most of the iodine will still not withstand heat treatment and liquid media. Iodized salt is best used to season salads or ready-made hot dishes. It should not be stored for long, closed and not exposed to light.

Besides, Not all salt is iodized by default. There are now a huge amount of different salts on sale that have not been iodized. When purchasing, look at what is written on the jars.

Secondly, rock salt is not the most best product basically. And the less you eat, the healthier your kidneys are, the better your blood pressure is. In most cases, pregnant women have to limit salt to prevent the development of hypertensive disorders.

And thirdly, according to researchers Farrow and Brownstein, at best only 10% of iodine from salt is absorbed by the body. It turns out that consuming salt still does not completely solve the problem of saturating the body, it just prevents the bar from dropping to the very minimum.

CONCLUSIONS:

I do not recommend using salt as a source of iodine. As well as tablets, vitamins and dietary supplements. The best source of iodine is raw seaweed, especially kelp and fucus. There is a unique product on our Russian market that can solve all problems with iodine - this is the Nativ Fucus product. Despite the high price, it's worth it. Take 2-4 cans per month, consume 2-3 tablespoons in the morning on an empty stomach with warm water throughout pregnancy, as well as during breastfeeding.

If purchasing fucus is expensive, take a closer look at raw seaweed, not in the form of ready-made salads, not in soups, look for raw kelp in raw food stores, cook it for yourself, simply soaking it and seasoning it with lemon. In this case, you will need to calculate the amount of iodine you receive yourself. Look at what is written on the package and calculate your daily requirement.

I would like to conclude the article with an excerpt from the Federal American Dietary Guidelines:

« A person should receive all necessary vitamins, micro and macroelements from food.. Only foods contain vitamins and minerals in their natural form, as well as dietary fiber and other substances that can have a positive effect on your health. Only in some cases can you resort to refined foods or supplements to replenish some element. And only if the products contain little or not enough of this element to replenish the daily dose.”

Sources:

Marchal P, Lognone V, Fuselier M, Bonabeze E, Brault D, Barwell C, Blondel JM, Franc M, Ninane L, Schwartz D, Menager M, Delange F, Aquaron R 2000 8th World Salt Symposium. In: Geertrnan RM (ed) Iodized Salt for Sustaining IDD Elimination, Vol. 2. Elsevier Science Proceedings, The Hague, The Netherlands, pp. 1015-1020.
Variability of Iodine Content in Common Commercially Available Edible Seaweeds Jane Teas,1 Sam Pino,2,3 Alan Critchley,4 and Lewis E. Braverman3
Rosenfeld L 2000 Discovery and early uses of iodine. J Chemi Educ 77:984–987.
Chapman VJ 1970 Seaweeds and Their Uses, 2nd ed. Methuen & Co. Ltd, London, pp 304.
This table (taken from the DRI reports, see www.nap.edu) presents Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs)
Suzuki M, Tamura T 1985 Iodine intake of Japanese male university students: urinary iodine excretion of sedentary and physically active students and sweat iodine excretion during exercise. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo) 31:409–415.
Kessler JH. The effect of supraphysiologic levels of iodine on patients with cyclic mastalgia. Breast J. 2004 Jul-Aug;10(4):328-336.
Arasaki S, Arasaki T 1983 Vegetables from the Sea. Japan Publications Inc., Tokyo.
Toyokawa H 1978 Nutritional status in Japan from the viewpoint of numerical ecology. Soc Sci Med 12:517–524.
Matsuzaki S, Iwamura K 1981 Application of seaweeds to human nutrition and medicine. In: von Horst Noelle H (ed) Nahrung aus dem Meer; Food from the sea. Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 162-184.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate.
“Norms of physiological needs for energy and nutrients for various groups of the population of the Russian Federation” dated December 18, 2008.

“Therapeutic and preventive nutrition products based on algae of the fucus family,” NativRan

Products containing iodine for the thyroid gland are a mandatory part of the diet for many pathological conditions of the body, as well as at the risk of developing diseases. Iodine is one of the trace elements needed by our body. It is absorbed by the cells of the thyroid gland and is part of its secretion. play a vital role in metabolic processes. The group of iodine-containing hormones includes the so-called thyroid hormones: triiodothyronine (which includes three iodine atoms in its molecule) and thyroxine or tetraiodothyronine (which includes four iodine atoms and is a chemical precursor of triiodothyronine).

Who needs iodine-containing products for the thyroid gland?

Iodine enters our body with food. The microelement content in the human body is 20–50 mg. The daily requirement for a micronutrient varies depending on the age, weight and condition of the person (Table 1). If you calculate the daily requirement for a microelement by weight, it is about 3 mcg per 1 kg of body weight.

Table 1 - Daily iodine requirement

With insufficient iodine content in the body, the synthesis of thyroid hormones is disrupted, and, as a result, metabolic failures occur.

people living in iodine-deficient areas (regions where there is insufficient iodine content in the soil and water);
women during pregnancy and lactation (these conditions are accompanied by an increased need for the element);
adolescents during puberty (thyroid hormones play an important role in the processes of development, growth and puberty of the body);
women during the postmenopausal period (hormone imbalance increases a woman’s susceptibility to the development of endocrine and other diseases);
people who have insufficient iodine content in the body or suffer from primary (thyroidogenic) iodine.

In the first four cases, the consumption of iodine-containing products for the thyroid gland has a preventive purpose. In the latter, it is part of the treatment. Moreover, it can somehow complement drug treatment, and have an independent therapeutic effect in the initial stages of the disease.

Products containing iodine

Many people know that the highest iodine content is in seafood. This applies not only to fish, but also to other inhabitants of the deep sea, including algae.

In each food group you can find those that are rich in an element and correspond to our gastronomic preferences.

Let's look at the main ones.

Seafood containing iodine:

Vegetables and grains containing iodine:

white cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, asparagus, lettuce;
nightshades (sweet peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes);
carrots, beets, turnips, radishes;
garlic, onion,
cereals (buckwheat, oats, wheat, rye);
legumes (peas, beans, peanuts);
nuts (walnuts).

Berries and fruits containing iodine:

feijoa;
bananas;
persimmon;
strawberry;
plum;
cranberry;
grape;
chokeberry;
lemon;
orange;
melon;
a pineapple.

Animal products containing iodine:

eggs;
beef;
milk;
butter;
sour cream;
kefir.

Please note that the foods richest in iodine are those that are grown either in the sea or in areas where there is a sea nearby. River fish also contains this trace element, but in smaller quantities than sea fish.

It should be noted that this element is quite volatile. During heat treatment or long-term storage, it partially or completely evaporates. Therefore, vegetables and fruits containing iodine should be consumed fresh. Iodine-containing products for the thyroid gland that require mandatory heat treatment are best steamed or stewed for a short period of time. Boiling and frying will strip the food of a valuable component.

Increasingly, on the shelves of grocery stores we find ready-made iodine-containing products for the thyroid gland or semi-finished products artificially enriched with microelements: bread, baby food, etc. You can also add iodized salt to your diet. This salt has a limited shelf life, so it is better to use it immediately, for example, by salting a slice of tomato with it. Iodine can also be obtained by taking special supplements and medications: fish oil. In organic form and from food, iodine is absorbed much better than from inorganic salts.

When including foods containing iodine in your diet, you must take into account that excess levels of the microelement can also cause a number of health problems. Therefore, in order to compensate for the lack of microelement content in your body, it is enough to simply diversify the menu and add sea fish, vegetables and fruits containing iodine to it daily. When following a diet, rely on the “rating” table of products containing iodine (Table 2) and the daily requirement for the microelement in accordance with age.

Table 2 – Iodine content in food products

Product	Iodine content, mcg/100 g of product
Fish fat	700
Cod liver	370
Feijoa	350
Squid	300
Sea kale	300
Haddock	245
Freshwater fish	240
Salmon	200
Shrimps	190
Flounder	190
Pollock	150
Mackerel	145
Sea bass	145
Cod	130
Herring	70-90
Apples	70
Oysters	60
Feld salad	65
Tuna	50
Persimmon	30
Oats	20
Champignon	18
Egg yolk	18
Pork	17
Milk	15 – 20
Broccoli	15
Beans	12
Beef	12
Spinach	12
Peas	11
Cheese	11
Butter	8 – 10
Wheat bread	9
Soybeans	8
Radish	8
Grape	8
Beet	7
Carrot	6 – 7
Cabbage	6 – 7
Chicken	6
Potato	5 – 6
Chocolate	5 – 6
Onion	5
Buckwheat	3 – 4
Sorrel	3
Fruits	2 – 6

However, there are dangerous iodine-containing products. For the thyroid gland, which is prone to overgrowth, products containing goitrogenic substances are undesirable. Among them are cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, turnips, radishes, spinach, beans, carrots, soybeans, and peanuts. The use of these products is not recommended for people suffering from endemic goiter and other pathologies associated with diffuse