Will I Get Enough Iodine If I Use Sea Salt?

Sea salt iodine – do they give your body what it needs?

Fancy sea salts add flavor and look beautiful but do they give your body the iodine it needs to run better?

Sea salt iodine

If I take in sea salt iodine an issue?

Have you filled out The Better Iodine Evaluation ? You should share the results with your practitioner who can evaluate them along with lab results. That’s how you can discover if you have enough iodine in your body.

The Better News?

  • Getting in enough iodine is deliciously easy.
  • Sea salt can provide key nutrients your body needs too.
Instead of sea salt iodine sources include:
  • Seaweed,
  • iodized salt,
  • cod,
  • cow’s milk,
  • potato with the skin, 
  • seafood (cod, shrimp, salmon),
  • navy beans
  • turkey breast

Why does getting in enough iodine matter?

Iodine supports a healthy thyroid and in doing so, helps you get and keep better metabolism, energy and hair, skin and nail health. Iodine is also a critical prenatal nutrient impacting brain development and helping to promote healthy circulation for mom and baby during gestation.

What are the reasons you may not get enough iodine?

  • Not eating enough iodine-rich foods
  • Perspiration. We lose iodine through our sweat from exercise or being overheated or using a sauna.
  • You may get in enough, but your body can’t use the iodine:
    • Some ingredients interfere with iodine absorption
    • Perchlorate blocks the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland. This can create or be a factor in hypothyroidism. Perchlorate is found primarily in water but can transfer into breast milk.
    • Fluoride interferes with iodine metabolism and is found in water and toothpastes.
    • Bromine/bromide found in baked goods and beverages like sports drinks and sodas (look for: brominated vegetable oil or potassium bromate). This compound should be avoided in your food and beverage choices.

What should you do if you are worried about any of the above?

  • You can and should test your body’s iodine as well as for the compounds that support and interfere with its absorption and metabolism.
  • Your healthcare provider can do a fasting urine test for iodine but a 24-hour urine test is more accurate.
  • Review your local water tests each year, and test your water for environmental compounds too.
  • Get your iodine tested before you supplement as high iodine intake can also trigger hypothyroidism. A low to moderate daily dose is 1000mcg iodine.
  • Assess selenium levels as well as iodine as both support healthy thyroid. This will guide you in food and supplement needs of both minerals. Tyrosine, an amino acid, is also important for iodine absorption and metabolism.

Additional considerations for your iodine and sea salt intake

  • Over-consuming iodized salt is not the recommended way to increase iodine intake because too much salt isn’t better for you.
  • Vegetarian or vegan who avoids salt? You will need to ensure you get sufficient iodine from sea vegetables like organic seaweed if you are not getting it from your salt.
  • Pregnant or considering pregnancy? You should have a baseline iodine test and your prenatal should include iodine. You can get great health benefits from the other sources of iodine, but follow guidelines to ensure your seafood is a quality source so you avoid excess mercury.
  • Sweating daily from fitness, work, or because you are following a detox program that includes routine saunas? Awesome. But you will want to include food sources of iodine especially on days where you sweat a lot. You may consider a multi that includes a low to moderate dose of iodine to support optimal levels.
  • Seasonings should be primarily from spices not salt, so make sure you explore the wonderful world of quality herbs and spices to season your food during cooking.

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