Could You Have An Iodine Deficiency?

Your thyroid, which is a small gland located in the front and lower part of your neck, has the responsibility of keeping your body healthy. It produces a hormone that balances many important aspects in your body that keeps you healthy such as your metabolism, temperature, mood, heartbeat, repairing your cells, and more.

A well-functioning thyroid is important in every human body especially in infants, as it promotes the development of the brain and encourages their body to grow. If your thyroid begins having problems with the production of the thyroid hormone, it will start to be the reason for many of your health problems.

The thyroid needs an essential component called iodine, which produces two hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine. When an individual doesn’t consume enough iodine in their diet that will cause an imbalance in the production of the thyroid hormones, which results in conditions such as iodine deficiency.

Signs of iodine deficiency

Even though iodine is frequently found in the food that people consume on a daily basis, there is still a large percentage of people who are at risk of developing iodine deficiency. Luckily, there are signs that will show you if you are not consuming enough iodine.

1. Swelling in the neck

The most common symptom if you have an iodine deficiency is swelling in the front of your neck. Your thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland and if it is not able to produce the thyroid hormones due to the lack of iodine in your diet, your gland begins to work harder and harder to produce enough hormones, which leads to the cells growing and multiplying.

When the thyroid gland grows big, it develops a condition called goiter. Consuming a lot of iodine can treat goiter, but if it is left untreated for many years it could result in permanent damage in your thyroid.

2. Feeling fatigue and weak

Iodine deficiency is the leading cause for feeling fatigue and weakness. A study discovered that 80% of people who feel tired and weak a lot of the time are not producing enough thyroid hormone.

The thyroid hormone provides the body with the energy it needs throughout the day.

3. Weight gain

Another common sign of iodine deficiency is unexpected weight gain. Since the thyroid hormones work to increase your metabolism, lack of iodine intake will lead to unexpected weight gain.

Low thyroid hormones means that your body is storing the calories as fat instead of burning it into heat and energy.

4. Hair loss

A normal level of thyroid hormones helps your hair follicles to grow. A major sign of iodine deficiency is losing hair, and if you suffer from frequent hair loss it is important to increase your iodine intake.

Some studies have found that not everyone with low thyroid hormone levels begins to lose hair, it is mostly common in individuals with a family history of hair loss.

5. Sensitivity to cold

Generating heat is one of the benefits of having great metabolism. Since low thyroid hormone levels cause the body’s metabolism to not work at its best, it will not give your body the heat it needs, which is why people with iodine deficiency are sensitive to the cold more than others.

6. Dry and flaky skin

Thyroid hormones are also beneficial when it comes to renewing your skin cells. If you are not consuming enough iodine, your thyroid will not be able to produce the hormones your skin cells need to regenerate.

When your skin is unable to renew itself, you will start to notice that it is dry and flaky.

7. Difficulties learning and remembering

A well-functioning thyroid is crucial for the health of your brain. Thyroid hormones encourage the growth and development of the brain. If you have low thyroid hormones, you will have problems with memory and learning.

A study found that people with iodine deficiency have a smaller sized hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that helps with long-memory.

8. Irregular heart rate

Abnormality in the heart rate is another cause of iodine deficiency. Too much or too late both have an impact on the heartbeat, which is why it is important to remain at a healthy level of thyroid hormones

If you have iodine deficiency, you could feel weak, fatigue, dizzy, and in some severe cases, you could be at risk of fainting.

Who is at risk of iodine deficiency?

Iodine deficiency is found in large numbers all over the world, but there are specific groups who are at higher risk than anyone.

Those who are at the highest risk are:

• Pregnant women.
• People who avoid using iodized salt.
• People who are vegetarian or vegan.
• People who live in countries such as South Asian, Southeast Asia, and New Zealand due to the lack of iodine in the soil.

What are the sources of iodine?

Iodine is found naturally in soil and seawater. Using iodized table salt is a good way of ensuring that you are consuming a healthy amount of iodine.

Some of the most common sources of iodine are:

• Cheese
• Yogurt, including frozen yogurt
• Eggs
• Saltwater fish
• Soy milk
• Soy sauce
• Seaweed
• Shrimp
• Tuna

The amount of iodine in food will depend on the region and it could differ in each part of the world.

How can I treat iodine deficiency?

If you suspect that you don’t have enough iodine in your diet or you are suffering from the symptoms that are ways to prevent it from getting worse. All you have to do is ensure that you are consuming a sufficient amount of iodine each day.

There are herbal supplements that are made to protect the body from iodine deficiency, and you can start adding multivitamins that contain 150 mcg of iodine.

It is important to note to be careful with iodine consumption as it could cause problems if it is too much and might worsen conditions such as hyperthyroidism.

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