Iodine is a natural mineral found in the earth's soil and ocean water and it is an essential component of the thyroid hormones.
It performs a number of important functions in the body, such as:
The Recommended Daily Intake of Iodine (RDI) for a human body is age-specific. The daily requirement for different age groups is as follows:
Note: mcg = microgram = 0.000001 grams
Iodine is found in a variety of routine food sources such as:
The levels of Iodine lower than RDI (Recommended Daily Intake) by roughly around Half i.e. 75 mcg/day or even lower than this is considered dangerous.
When your system is deficient in Iodine, the thyroid gland would not produce enough thyroid hormones leading to a condition called Hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroidism causes the thyroid gland to enlarge, sometimes thrice its original size. This can result in a condition called Goitre (A lump or swelling in the neck).
The other signs of the deficiency of Iodine in the system include,
The levels of Iodine higher than RDI (Recommended Daily Intake) by roughly around Double i.e. 300 mcg/day or higher than this (other than pregnant or nursing women) is considered dangerous.
When your system has a surplus amount of Iodine, it leads to a condition called Iodine-induced Hyperthyroidism.
The most common outcome of Hyperthyroidism is Thyroiditis (Thyroid Papillary Cancer).
The other signs of an excess of Iodine in the system include:
Most people in the world get their dietary Iodine from milk.
Iodine is used as a contrast agent to get clearer images of the tissues during X-rays, MRI and CT Scan because it absorbs radiation.
Iodine is an amazing antiseptic.
Liquid Iodine was used to make the first-ever photograph.
Iodine is used as a preservative in water-based paints as it has antifungal properties.
Liquid iodine is used in science labs to test for starch.
Precaution: Never take Iodine Supplements without consulting with a doctor.
Iodine supplements may interact with blood pressure medication and diuretics leading to Hyperkalemia (Potentially fatal accumulation of Potassium in the blood cells).
This list shows food that are top sources of Iodine (I) and the quantity of Iodine (I) in 100g of food