Foods rich in iodine

The foods most rich in iodine are those of marine origin such as mackerel or mussels, for example. But, there are other foods rich in iodine, such as iodized salt, milk and eggs. On the other hand, vegetables are generally low in iodine.

Iodine is important for the production of thyroid hormones, which are important in terms of growth and development, as well as the control of some metabolic processes in the organism. Iodine deficiency can cause a disease known as goiter, as well as a hormonal deficiency, which in the most severe cases can cause cretinism in the child. For this reason, it is essential to include iodine in the diet.

List of foods rich in iodine

Some examples of iodine-rich foods are in the table below, check out:

Foods	Weight (g)	Iodine per serving (µg)
Mackerel	150	255
Mussel	150	180
Codfish	150	165
Salmon	150	107
Hake	75	75
milk	560	86
Cockle	50	80
Shrimp	150	62
Herring	150	48
Beer	560	45
Egg	70	37
Liver	150	22
Bacon	150	18
Sardines with tomato sauce	100	64
Trout	150	2
Tuna fish	150	21
Kidney	150	42
Sole	100	30
Cheese	48	18

Some foods such as bamboo shoots, carrots, cauliflower, corn and cassava reduce the absorption of iodine by the body, so in the case of goiter or low iodine intake, these foods should be avoided.

In addition, there are also some nutritional supplements such as spirulina that can influence the thyroid gland, so if a person has thyroid-related disease it is recommended that you seek medical advice or a nutritionist's before taking any type of supplement.

Iodine recommendation

Iodine recommendations in the different stages of life are shown in the table:

Age	Recommendation
Up to 1 year	90 µg / day or 15 µg / kg / day
From 1 to 6 years	90 µg / day or 6 µg / kg / day
From 7 to 12 years	120 µg / day or 4 µg / kg / day
13 to 18 years	150µg / day or 2 µg / kg / day
Above 19 years	100 to 150 µg / day or 0.8 to 1.22 µg / kg / day
Pregnancy	200 to 250 µg / day

Iodine function

The function of iodine is to regulate the production of hormones by the thyroid. Iodine serves to keep the metabolic processes of growth and development of the brain and nervous system balanced, from the 15th week of gestation to 3 years of age.

In addition, iodine is responsible for regulating various metabolic processes, such as energy production and consumption of accumulated fat in the blood. Thus, it is believed that iodine may have an antioxidant action in the body, however further studies are needed to confirm this relationship.

Iodine deficiency

Iodine deficiency in the body can cause goiter, in which there is an increase in the size of the thyroid, as the gland is forced to work harder to capture iodine and synthesize thyroid hormones. This situation can cause difficulty in swallowing, the appearance of lumps in the neck, shortness of breath and discomfort.

In addition, iodine fata can also cause disorders in the functioning of the thyroid, which can result in hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, conditions in which hormonal production is altered.

In the case of children, iodine deficiency can cause goiter, cognitive difficulties, hypothyroidism or cretinism, since neurological and brain development can be severely affected.