Iodine
is a pretty chemical element. It was named after
the Greek word for violet, iodes. The crystals
of this thyroid-friendly mineral are a dark violet
color that become purple when dissolved in liquids.
Doesn’t smell very good, though.
The mineral, caliche, from Chile,
is the primary source of iodine because extracting
iodine from the caliche is the most economical
way to obtain it.
Other sources of iodine are
sea based. Seawater contains a good amount of
iodine but it’s difficult and expensive
to extract. Sea plants, particularly kelp, are
good sources of iodine, too.
Our bodies need only a small
amount of iodine, about 150 micrograms (mcg),
per day for optimum function of our thyroid glands.
Thyroid hormones are so very vital to every single
cell in our bodies that a deficiency of iodine,
called hypothyroidism, affects all body functions,
leaving us feeling very poorly in very many ways.
The amino acid tyrosine must
be combined with iodine in order to create thyroid
hormones. When iodine intake is deficient, a disfiguring
condition called goiter can develop. The thyroid
gland, located at the base of the neck, swells
dramatically. Goiter is believed to affect more
then 200,000,000 people worldwide.
The state of Michigan began
adding iodine to table salt in 1924, when it was
determined that 47% of the state’s population
was affected by goiter. Dramatic improvements
followed and now iodized salt is available in
most places where table salt is sold.
A diet rich in seafoods is a
great way to get ample supplies of iodine. Sea
plants like kelp and those used in Japanese cooking
are good sources, too. Some people rely on sea
salts as natural sources of iodine but salt intake
should be limited to avoid cardiovascular problems.
If you know of an organic farm
where fish, kelp, and other sea plants are used
as fertilizer, the produce grown there is most
likely iodine rich and nutritious in many other
ways, too.
Reference
Prevention’s Guide to Vitamins & Minerals;
Rodale Pres, Inc.; Emmaus, PA; 1995
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