Foods High In Iodine –Some Interesting Facts About Iodine Along With Its Benefits

A balanced life also refers to a balanced diet. A deficiency in any one or more mineral or vitamins can lead to serious health complications. if you are in a dire need and search of foods high in Iodine, this article gives you all the reasons for why you should include Iodine rich foods in your diet

Did You Know That Iodine Was Discovered Accidentally?

The origin of iodine dates back to 18th century where a process of obtaining potassium and sodium from seaweeds was being put into practice, by a French scientist and he accidentally added excess amounts of sulphuric acid to the seaweed which lead to the emergence of a peculiar gas.

This gas when it came into contact with the metal gave rise to Iodine in solid form. This lead to an accidental discovery of Iodine.

The Government Has Insisted The Companies Add Iodine To Salt Which Leads To Iodized Salt

Later, it was discovered that there has been a rapid increase in the rate of Goitre (swollen neck) which is caused due to the deficiency of Iodine. As salt naturally contains Iodine in trace amounts, the government of United States has requested the companies to add iodine to the salt that is being sold in the markets

This initiation was taken by the government because many people in the United States were suffering from lack of Iodine in their diets because the regions where they were actually situated did not produce Iodine in required amounts.

So, this made the government step up and do justice to the people by including more Iodine to the salt, as salt is the basic commodity that everyone consumes on a daily basis.

Why Is There Is A Need For You To Consume Iodine Rich Foods?

Even after adding considerable amounts of Iodine to the salt making it iodized salt, over 71 million people in India suffer from health issues related to Iodine deficiency. This makes it very essential for us to consume foods high in Iodine in order to maintain a distance from Goitre and hypothyroidism.

Goiter is a disorder which is related to underproduction of thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone is released by the thyroid gland and if this hormone is not produced in required amounts, it leads to low productions of thyroid hormone which is considered as hypothyroidism.

Your Production Of Thyroid Hormone Is Directly Proportional To Your Iodine Intake

There can be no thyroid hormone without Iodine. In fact, when your body consumes Iodine from various natural sources(1) that you consume in the form of food, your thyroid cells absorb this Iodine from food and convert them into two thyroid hormones, which are Thyroxine (T4) and Triiodothyronine (T3).

In this way, thyroid hormones are produced by your thyroid gland, which is possible only with the consumption of Iodine.

What Can Iodine Deficiency Do To Your Body And Why Should You Consume Foods With Iodine?

When you do not consume Iodine in required amounts, your body cannot produce thyroid hormones in the required amount. The major function of thyroid hormone is to maintain a good metabolism and enhance the growth and development.

When your metabolic rate slows down, you will get succumbed to the following symptoms

• Drowsiness
• Lethargy
• Tiredness
• General weakness
• Inability to concentrate

Hypothyroidism

As it has already been discussed, inadequate intake of Iodine will lead to underproduction of thyroid hormone, which is referred to as hypothyroidism.

A Person Suffering From Hypothyroidism May Experience The Following Symptoms

• Dry skin
• Constipation or irregular bowel movement
• Lethargy and drowsiness
• Poor concentration levels
• Irregular menstrual cycles or heavy periods
• A sudden weight gain
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sudden mood swings
• Intolerance towards cold

If You Are Lucky, Hypothyroidism May Get Naturally Cured By Itself

Your thyroid gland may naturally start producing required amounts of thyroid hormone, but sometimes, the disease does not get cured by itself. It persists for a lifetime for which you should continue to take medications.

But apart from this, you can consume the foods high in Iodine, in order to reduce the intensity of the problem.

There are of course some Iodine tablets that will work as an iodine supplement but, this article gives you the best Iodine rich foods and some natural sources of Iodine to include in your diet(2) because it is always best for you to look for natural sources of Iodine.

Iodine Rich Foods To Be Incorporated Into Your Diet Immediately – What Foods Contain Iodine?

You need not put many efforts to prepare a diet plan or stress your brain to collect various natural sources of Iodine, because this article provides you a perfect list of all the foods that contain Iodine.

If you have been wondering about what foods contain Iodine, this list of 12 foods are the best sources of iodine, you have been looking for.

Milk – One of the best natural sources of Iodine

If coffee and tea breaks are something you always crave for whether it is post your breakfast or lunch, you can replace it with

a glass of milk because milk is a very natural source of iodine and you will be astonished to know that cows are fed with the fodder that is rich in Iodine.

When cows are fed with the cattle feed containing large amounts of Iodine, they consume the maximum amounts and only 8% of Iodine is extracted in the form of milk.

Also, having a warm glass of milk before going to bed can reduce the problems of insomnia and result in better sleep.

Drizzle A Little More Salt Into Your Foods Next Time!

If I say that you consume Iodine daily, it may sound weird, but if I say, you consume salt on a daily basis, it sounds rather comforting. But, what if I say that the Iodine intake from your daily consumption of salt is still being insufficient!?

The next time, you are in the kitchen, cooking your favorite recipe or baking your favorite snack, drizzle an additional amount of salt into your recipe, than you usually do. But, what do you do if your recipe has an excess salt added by mistakenly? You can compensate it by adding some fresh cream or milk if that suits your recipe, or if it is a spicy dish that you are preparing, you could add a lemon essence to it, in order to compensate the excess salt taste.

Ancient Women Used To Consume Raw Seaweed If They Suffered From Goitre

Seaweeds are the natural sources of iodine because they consume iodine directly from seawater. Today’s advancements and developments are making it easy for us to look for iodine supplements and opt for the best source of iodine, but ancient women were wise enough to know that seaweeds contain the traces of Iodine and therefore, women suffering from goiter consumed seaweeds to heal themselves.

But, today, seaweeds in edible forms are not only considered as foods high in Iodine, but they are also said to be the best source of Iodine.

If you want to include foods high in Iodine in your diet, you can buy the following varieties of seaweed online

• Wakame
• Nori
• Kombu
• Arame

Cranberries – These red cherries will make a tasty treat

Cranberries can never be put off from the foods high in iodine because these red colored cherries which are sweetened and savored in many thanksgiving parties and other joyous occasions contain 100 micrograms of iodine per one ounce.

You can add a special essence to your celebratory occasions by adding Cranberries to the menu because they provide a good flavor to your breezers and cocktails.

Cranberries are not only amazing food sources of iodine, but they are used to reduce the impact of cancerous cells because they help in reducing the rate of tumor formation.

They help in eradicating the bacteria that is adjoined to the urinary tract walls thereby helping in curing Urinary tract infections.

Bake Your Potatoes Instead Of Frying Them

If you are much worried about losing your weight, but can’t resist yourself from relishing potatoes, you can boil or bake your potatoes because boiled potatoes have relatively less number of calories when compared to fried potatoes.

Make your snack time interesting by munching upon your favorite snack – Potato cheese balls

For making this delicious snack, all you need is boiled potatoes, some vegetables of your choice like capsicum, carrots, salt in required amounts, pepper and ginger to add a spicy flavor.

Boil few potatoes, mash them and add vegetables to these mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle some salt, pepper and add chopped ginger to this. Once you mix these ingredients, make them into your desired shape and stuff them with cheese.

Roll these potato balls in all-purpose flour and breadcrumbs

Preheat your oven and bake your cheese stuffed potato balls and you can now dip this savory snack and relish them with your favorite kinds of ketchup or sauces

Bananas – Love Bananas Like Minions Love Them

As of now, there is no reason for why these cute little munchkins have an immense love towards bananas, but, it is essential for you to include bananas in your diet because bananas are one of those foods high in iodine.

Bananas are rich in antioxidants and apart from iodine, they are composed of omega 3, omega 6 fatty acids, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and iron, vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, vitamin B6. Vitamin B12

But, you should be cautious about the number of bananas that you include in your diet because; excessive consumption of bananas can cause immense weight gain.

Lobsters – The Best Iodine Supplement

If you are a meat eater, you will definitely have to try some amazing lobster soups and dishes, because they not only taste lip-smacking but are also very rich sources of copper, zinc, selenium, calcium, Vitamin A, iron and phosphorous.

They can speed up your thinking process and the presence of calcium improves your bone strength drastically.

If you are on diet and can’t curb your food cravings, lobsters would make the best part of your diet list because, they are rich in proteins and low in fats, thereby keeping you full and reducing your appetite.

Boiled Eggs – One Of The Best Foods High In Iodine And Vitamin D

If you are under a wrong perception that you can obtain Vitamin D only through sunlight, you should try including boiled eggs in your breakfast, because these are good sources of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Iodine, selenium.

You can easily afford to consume three boiled eggs per day by including two eggs in your breakfast and one boiled egg in your lunch.

Egg white is a rich source of Selenium, which helps in regulating the production of thyroid hormones and eggs white also contains antioxidants that will help in making your immunity much stronger.

Read More: Egg White Benefits for skin and Hair 

Dried Prunes- A Dry Fruit Which Is The Best Source Of Iodine

Dried prunes, which are also called dried plums, are a perfect package of essential vitamins and minerals because they contain sodium, potassium, Iron, magnesium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, calcium and zero cholesterol.

They improve your eye vision, help in keeping you away from cardiovascular diseases, give you healthy skin, makes you look younger and relieve you from constipation.

If you are deficient in iodine, you can make dried plums a part of your routine, because dried plum is the best source of iodine.

Tuna – One Of The Delicious Fish Foods High In Iodine

If you are fond of eating fishes, you can include a Tuna salad bagel in your diet, because tuna apart from being a part of foods with iodine will lower your blood pressure and is perfect for a healthy functioning of kidney. It helps in improving your bone strength and helps in maintaining a healthy heart.

If you are looking for high protein foods with lesser amounts of calories, you can prepare some tasty recipes out of tuna which will decrease your hunger pangs and therefore help in weight loss.

Add some extra cheese to enrich the flavour

Cheese which can instantly melt in your mouth is the best sources of iodine and a heart of main courses as well as side courses.

Grating more cheese on to your foodstuff can supply you with abundant amounts of iodine that your body usually requires.

There are many wide verities of cheeses that can add a tasty flavor to your recipes but the most commonly available cheeses which make your dishes more appetizing are mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese.

Mozzarella cheese contains Biotin which can increase your hair volume and gives you smooth and glowing skin.

Yogurt – A Cup Of Greek Yogurt Can Be The Best Iodine Supplement

Yogurt also contains Vitamin D which helps in curing osteoporosis (weakness in bones) and helps in relieving you from digestive problems which is why you must essentially include yogurt in your breakfast.

Yogurt is one of those foods high in iodine, but consuming yogurt in excessive amounts can cause ovarian cancer and can also cause kidney stones.

As you have been acknowledged with a perfect list of foods high in iodine, you can easily incorporate these foods into your daily diet to prevent yourself from major iodine deficiency diseases which are Goitre and hypothyroidism.

Before incorporating iodine rich foods into your diet, you must cross check with the iodine content already present in your body because iodine consumed in excess amounts can land you up in some serious health problems.