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Iodine
Last reviewed: 19.10.2021
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[What do I need to know about iodine for everyone?
The human body contains about 25 grams of iodine. Approximately 15 grams of iodine is in the thyroid gland, and the remaining 10 grams is in different organs of our body. Part of it is contained in the liver cells, a little in the hair and nails, the rest is the amount of iodine concentrated in the kidneys, the prostate gland of men and the ovaries of women.
Iodine can be found in absolutely everything: both in organic compounds and in inorganic compounds. In addition, it is in a volatile state in the air, so during precipitation can fall back into the soil with water.
How much do we need iodine per day?
For each person, it is just necessary to receive about 100-150 μg of iodine per day. Unfortunately, not everyone listens to this advice.
When does the need for iodine increase?
The need for iodine is very high (up to 200-300 μg) in women during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. At greater physical exertion, it is also recommended to increase the daily dose of iodine intake to 300 mcg. If you work in an enterprise where the activity of your thyroid gland can be depressed, you definitely need to consume more seafood and iodized salt.
How to make iodine better digestible?
It is best to digest iodine from foods, not from chemist's collection of minerals. For example, sea kale or coelacanth (scientific language), is perfectly absorbed by the human body and covers all its costs of iodine per day.
Useful effect of iodine on the body
The role of iodine in the human body is simply enormous! Thanks to him in the thyroid gland iodine containing hormones are produced - thyroxine or triiodothyronine. They regulate the development of the body as a whole, "follow" the heat exchange and metabolism. At the cellular level, iodine enhances carbohydrate, protein and fat oxide. Thyroxine and triiodothyronine are very important for the central nervous system, they contribute to the dissolution of cholesterol and thus protect against cardiovascular diseases! Also iodine is a strong biostimulator, stimulates the work of immunity and prevents the formation of blood clots.
What happens when there is a lack of iodine in the body?
When there is a lack of iodine in the body, a person feels very tired, he may have a memory impairment, possibly a deterioration in vision or hearing. He may be tormented by prolonged headaches, constipation and dry mouth. Also, people with iodine deficiency in the body automatically fall into the risk group of overweight people. A sharp drop in pressure, a decrease in the number of heart beats (up to 60-50), a broken menstrual cycle in women, and a loss of sexual desire in men are a clear sign of a shortage of iodine.
Endemic goiter is a consequence of the lack of iodine in the body. This disease occurs in people who live in areas with a low content of iodine in food.
The amount of iodine in vegetable and meat products in such places is 3-7 times lower than normal.
In children, the lack of iodine in the body is manifested by mental and physical lagging, a violation of the nervous system. Excessive salivation, insomnia and a rash are also clear signs of iodine deficiency.
What happens with excess of iodine in the body?
The main symptoms of supersaturation of the body with iodine are increased sweating - hyperhidrosis - and diarrhea. Iodine in the pure state of autumn is toxic! Therefore, with an "overdose" of iodine, a person can die from shock, since all nerve endings are very irritated. Exceeding the level of iodine in the body causes a disease called Graves disease.
What affects the amount of iodine in the products?
Iodine is strongly lost in the heat treatment of products, so when baking bread you lose up to 80% of iodine, when cooking potatoes - up to 32%, when cooking porridge - 65%, when frying meat and fish - up to 50% of iodine. This should be taken into account when calculating the daily dose of iodine.
What are the reasons for the lack of iodine?
The amount of iodine in vegetables and in meat products depends on how much iodine is in the water or soil of the region where these vegetables and animals grow and live. Therefore, if you want to maintain your health and know that the amount of this element you have limited, be sure to stock iodized salt. This will help maintain iodine balance in your body.
Products containing iodine
To products containing iodine, include sea kale, squid, shrimp. The amount of iodine in them varies from 80 to 300 micrograms. Seafood contains a lot of iodine, so hake, pollock, tuna, flounder and other sea fish contain from 50 to 150 mcg of this element. The use of seafood not only helps increase the amount of iodine in the body, but also benefits digestion.