Written by Editorial Team
Iodine plays a crucial role when it comes to your metabolism and regulation of the thyroid gland. During pregnancy, iodine is an important nutrient needed for the development of your baby’s growing brain and nervous system. Brain damage and other intellectual disabilities can be caused by iodine deficiency. Stillbirth, miscarriage and preterm delivery have also been linked to lack of iodine in pregnancy.
The daily requirement of iodine male, non pregnant women, for pregnancy and lactation are mentioned as under:
A maximum of 1100 mcg per day is considered safe. Though it is not required to consume the same amounts of iodine daily, yet the consumption should match the average over the course of months.
Most of our iodine requirements are met by consuming iodized salts. The foods rich in iodine include vegetables, eggs, sea-foods, milk products and brewer’s cheese. Some sea foods do have more than the recommended amounts of iodine for regular consumption, so do avoid items such as kelp.
Here is a list of some common food items and their iodine content:
Iodine deficiency does not have many sureshot symptoms, but because the metabolism is slow, you may experience the below signs:
Mostly, a test is conducted to figure out if a person has iodine deficiency.
The daily requirement of iodine is increased during pregnancy due to high renal iodine losses, raised thyroid hormone production and iodine requirement by growing fetus. Iodine is a vital nutrient needed for proper functioning of your body and its deficiency is associated with following conditions, among others:
The deficiency of iodine can be treated by taking iodized salt. Daily consumption of egg yolk, saltwater fishes, milk and iodized salt in food items can treat iodine deficiency in mild forms. Sea vegetables such as kelp, dulse, hijiki, etc. are also helpful in providing good amount of iodine. Most prenatal vitamins do not contain reliable amounts of iodine. In the age where most of us prefer processed food, it would be wise to check the labels as salt in processed foods is not always iodized.
However one has to be careful and avoid taking heavy amounts of iodine as its over-dosage can produce toxic results such as hyperthyroidism and elevates level of thyroxine in blood stream (hyperthyroxinemia).
Wolf-Chaikoff effect is seen with a single high dose of iodine. This condition is associated with short term repression of thyroid gland function.
The risk factors that can make you vulnerable to iodine deficiency are:
Iodine deficiency is a grave public health concern. The blessing in disguise is that it is preventable. Iodine is easily accessible to you when you cook and at the dinner table. Have a balanced diet and do check with your doctor if you suspect you have iodine deficiency.
Click here to read about hypothyroidism.
With a rich experience in pregnancy and parenting, our team of experts create insightful, well-curated, and easy-to-read content for our to-be-parents and parents at all stages of parenting.Read more.
Stomach Bubbles in Pregnancy – What is it, Top Causes and How to Prevent
Antepartum Hemorrhage – What is It, Top Causes and Complications
Psychological Care During Pregnancy
What to Expect On the First Appointment With a Gynecologist?
Strawberry During Pregnancy – Why Should This Fruit Be on Your Pregnancy Platter?
Contraction Stress Test in Pregnancy – Everything you need to know
Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.