Final Up to date on Might 6, 2026 by Carrie Korem, FNTP

There’s a variety of confusion about iodine and the thyroid, particularly relating to thyroid illness. Many individuals have heard that every one iodine is harmful, or that it could possibly trigger thyroid illness signs to worsen. However what’s the actual story? Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at the information. 

The Advantages of Iodine

Iodine is current in each organ and tissue within the physique. It’s not solely crucial for correct thyroid hormone manufacturing, nevertheless it’s additionally wanted for fetal improvement, the well being of the salivary glands, correct immune system operate, hormone stability, wholesome breast tissue, and the prostate, ovaries and pores and skin. 

Iodine incorporates antibacterial, anti-parasitic, antiviral, and anticancer properties. It may be useful to deal with breast illnesses, fatigue, goiter, fibrocystic breasts, thyroid issues, and hypertension, simply to call a couple of. 

It’s additionally an important part of the thyroid hormones, T3 and T4, and is critical for regular thyroid operate.  

A meta-analysis of research on iodine in China concluded that the extent of iodine vitamin performs an important position within the mental improvement of kids. 

A research printed within the Lancet concluded that iodine deficiency throughout being pregnant adversely impacts kids’s psychological improvement. 

This research confirmed that iodine will be helpful to deal with fibrocystic breast tissue. 

Iodine deficiency is acknowledged as the most typical reason for preventable mind harm on the planet.

That is actually simply the tip of the iceberg relating to why the physique wants iodine. However, as you possibly can see, it’s extremely essential!

Iodine and the Thyroid

The thyroid wants iodine and tyrosine to make thyroid hormones. With out iodine, you can’t make thyroid hormones.

Iodine deficiency could cause or contribute to hypothyroidism, goiter, cysts and nodules. Research have additionally proven that iodine deficiency can contribute to hyperthyroidism, when the hyperthyroidism is brought on by poisonous nodules or goiter.

How A lot Iodine Do I Want Every Day?

Whereas the RDA is 200mcg, most thyroid specialists consider that is too low. Many medical medical doctors who concentrate on thyroid well being resembling Man Abraham, M.D., and David Brownstein, M.D. suggest quantities wherever between 12.5 – 37.5 mg each day.

In my follow, I’ve seen doses nearer to 600mcg – 6mg each day will be effectively tolerated, nevertheless it’s essential to keep in mind that we’re all biochemically particular person, so what works for one individual doesn’t essentially work for an additional.

When you really feel you want supplementation, I at all times suggest consulting with a practitioner who’s well-versed in vitamin that will help you work out the very best dosage on your physique.

What are Signs of Too A lot Iodine

A sign that you simply’ve taken an excessive amount of iodine is coronary heart palpitations and/or feeling like you’ve got approach an excessive amount of power. If this occurs, it’s a good suggestion to cease taking iodine and discuss to your practitioner.

Iodine is excreted by way of the urine, so growing your fluids will be useful.

How Does Somebody Turn out to be Poor in Iodine?

If there isn’t sufficient iodine within the weight loss plan, then deficiency can comply with. Swimming, bathing or ingesting chlorinated and/or fluoridated water or a high consumption of bakery merchandise (breads, pastas, and so forth. ) that comprise bromide could cause iodine deficiency. And, vegan and vegetarian diets can typically lead to iodine deficiency.

Greatest Meals Sources of Iodine

The physique doesn’t make iodine, so it’s important to incorporate it as a part of your weight loss plan. Right here’s an inventory of iodine-rich meals:

• Sea greens, resembling kelp, dulse, nori and wakame
• Wild seafood
• Unprocessed, natural dairy, resembling uncooked milk, uncooked cream, cultured yogurt, and so forth.
• Pastured/natural eggs

Is Iodized Salt a Good Supply of Iodine?

“Not solely is iodized salt a poor supply of iodine, however we’ve got been conditioned to keep away from salt by the media and by mainstream drugs. Presently, lower than half of U.S. households use salt. Consequently, iodine ranges have fallen by greater than 50% over the past 40 years as reported by the Nationwide Well being and Diet Examination Survey from the Facilities for Illness Management. It is a recipe for making a complete inhabitants of U.S. residents iodine-deficient. That’s precisely what has occurred in america and plenty of different western nations.” Dr. Brownstein

Iodized salt is a processed meals that has been bleached, stripped of its many pure minerals, and had anti-caking brokers added (generally dextrose) that come from GMO corn.

I like to recommend utilizing Celtic Sea salt each day because it incorporates over 80 totally different minerals together with naturally-occurring iodine.

Iodine and Hypothyroidism

When you don’t have sufficient iodine within the physique, you can’t make sufficient thyroid hormones, specifically T4, which may result in hypothyroidism.

Moreover, iodine performs a big position within the liver’s capacity to convert FT4 to the energetic thyroid hormone FT3. When the physique under-converts FT4 to FT3, this may also result in hypothroidism.

Iodine and Hashimoto’s Illness

Hashimoto’s is an immune system situation that may have an effect on the thyroid. There are various totally different root causes for this resembling a viral an infection, a bacterial an infection, an overabundance of stress, heavy metals within the physique, liver congestion, toxins, nutrient deficiencies, and so forth.

Even when one has Hashimoto’s, they nonetheless want iodine to make thyroid hormones, and so they additionally want it for different tissues of the physique, as mentioned above.

Nonetheless, there are some who say they don’t really feel effectively when consuming iodine-rich meals. On this case, often this individual has excessive ranges of fT4, which signifies they’re in a hyperthyroid state, or they’ve indications of a congested liver.

In both of those conditions, while you add iodine to the combo, the metabolic price hurries up and/or the thyroid gland tries to push out numerous toxins. This may create die-off reactions and make them really feel very sick, as a result of their physique is being pushed more durable than it could possibly deal with.

On this case, it’s finest to maintain iodine-rich meals at a minimal whilst you work on the root causes of the elevated thyroid hormones or liver congestion. After the thyroid isn’t in a hyper state and/or the liver has been correctly supported, shoppers can usually re-introduce iodine-rich meals and even iodine supplementation and really feel nice.

If hyperthyroidism has been dominated out for you, then listed below are some issues to strive alongside a nutrient-dense weight loss plan:

1. Use a castor oil pack over the liver for 3-4 weeks. Then, strive including a little bit of kelp powder or sea vegetable powder to your weight loss plan and see how you’re feeling. I additionally suggest holding a detailed eye in your labs to see if issues are headed in the correct course.
2. Together with the castor oil packs, we like to make use of particular Gemmotherapy treatments resembling Rosmarinus or Juniperus that lightly drain the liver. Rosa Canina will usually be used to particularly help the thyroid gland.

When the castor oil packs and drainage treatments are used collectively, our shoppers really feel higher and are often capable of then add iodine-rich meals again into the weight loss plan and take an iodine complement if wanted.

It’s good to remember the fact that we’re all biochemically particular person, so iodine received’t work for each single individual, however normally, adversarial results from iodine are uncommon when it’s used appropriately.

Iodine and Hyperthyroidism

When you have elevated fT4 or fT3, then it is best to discuss to your nutritionist about the correct quantity of iodine that your physique wants. As I discussed above, we’d like iodine for extra than simply thyroid hormone manufacturing, however in case you are make an excessive amount of thyroid hormone, then consuming an excessive amount of iodine can probably create additional hyperthyroid points.

On the whole, it’s often alright to eat meals that comprise iodine resembling pastured eggs, uncooked cheese, butter, and a few wild seafood, however you’d wish to keep away from consuming massive quantities of seaweed or different meals that comprise a really excessive quantity of iodine in them. I’ve a reference chart beneath so you possibly can see the varied quantities of iodine in numerous meals.

In our follow, we’ve discovered that if we steps to assist the consumer transfer out of the hyper state and stability fT4 and fT3, then if that they had been having points with iodine-rich meals previously, we’re in a position so as to add them again after which add supplementation if crucial.

It’s additionally essential to say once more that research have additionally proven that iodine deficiency can contribute to hyperthyroidism, when the hyperthyroidism is brought on by poisonous nodules or goiter. So, if the foundation reason for your hyperthyroidism is a goiter or nodules, then engaged on the foundation causes of both of these points can then assist transfer the physique out of a hyperthyroid state.

Right here’s an inventory of the quantity of iodine in numerous meals for reference (in accordance with the NIH):
Seaweed, nori, dried, 10g or 2 tablespoons               232 mcg
Cod, 3 ounces                                                            158 mcg
Plain yogurt, 1 cup                                                      116 mcg
Oysters, 3 ounces                                                       93 mcg
Milk                                                                            ~85 mcg (this numerous in accordance with the season)
Egg                                                                              26 mcg
Cheese, 1 ounce                                                         14 mcg
Liver                                                                            14 mcg
Shrimp, 3 ounces                                                        13 mcg
Tuna, 3 ounces                                                            7 mcg

As as you possibly can see on this research, the quantity of iodine in milk, fish, and eggs varies upon the geographical location. So, the numbers above are approximate.

I at all times suggest speaking to your practitioner earlier than taking any type of supplementation.

Iodine and Goiter

Thyroid enlargement, or goiter, is without doubt one of the earliest and most seen indicators of iodine deficiency. 

When iodine consumption is inadequate, the thyroid tries to “lure” extra iodine and so will enlarge to do that. A standard resolution to goiter is iodine supplementation. It’s at all times finest to seek the advice of with a practitioner who’s extensively skilled in vitamin to determine the right dosage. 

On a aspect word, castor oil packs over the thyroid mixed with iodine supplementation will be very useful for these with goiter.

Iodine and Thyroid Cysts or Thyroid Nodules

Iodine deficiency could cause thyroid nodules, so growing your consumption of iodine-rich meals or taking an iodine complement will be useful to cut back them.  

Whereas thyroid cysts aren’t usually brought on by iodine deficiency, we’ve seen in our follow that shoppers with thyroid cysts usually see constructive outcomes once they embody an iodine complement together with the protocol their physician has prescribed. 

Final 12 months, one in every of my shoppers had a thyroid cyst, so she took an iodine complement and diligently used castor oil packs over her thyroid for a number of months. She was elated when her physician did an ultrasound and advised her the cysts had shrunk considerably.