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Iodine is an essential component of two hormones produced by your thyroid: thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Without consuming enough iodine in your diet, your thyroid will be unable to produce enough of either hormone and you will experience symptoms related to hypothyroidism, or the under-functioning of your thyroid.

Causes

There are certain groups that are more at risk of developing iodine deficiency. These risk factors include people who:

Do not consume iodized salt

Live in an area that has iodine-deficient soil (mountainous areas and areas that are prone to flooding)

Do not meet dietary iodine requirements while also consuming foods high in goitrogens (substances that reduce the intake of iodine in the thyroid such as soy, cabbage, and broccoli)

Are pregnant

Daily Requirements

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the amount of iodine you need to consume changes according to your age as well as if you are pregnant and/or lactating.

The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has a slightly different recommendation that is a little higher for infants and toddlers:

• 0 to 6 months old: 110 mcg

• 7 to 12 months old: 130 mcg

• 1 to 8 years old: 90 mcg

• 9 to 13 years old: 120 mcg

• 14 years old and above: 150 mcg

• Pregnant women: 220 mcg

• Lactating women: 290 mcg

Foods With Iodine

While iodine can be consumed in iodized salt, you can also get adequate amounts of iodine in the foods that you consume. These types of food include:

Saltwater fish

Seaweed

Shrimp and other seafood

Dairy products (in the United States)

Breads and cereals (in the United States)

Fruits and vegetables (only if they come from soil rich in iodine)

Dairy products as well as breads and cereals can be sources of iodine in the United States due to manufacturing or cleaning techniques that are used. You may also find multi-vitamins that provide iodine if they contain potassium iodide or sodium iodide.

Symptoms

One of the most common findings related to iodine deficiency is the presence a lump on your neck. This lump, also known as a goiter, is not usually a problem and is mostly a cosmetic nuisance.

However, if the lump becomes big enough, it may cause you to cough, have difficulty swallowing, or have difficulty with breathing.

Diagnosis:

Serum thyroglobulin concentration is a blood test that can help confirm the long-term severity of the deficiency, as it is a protein that is produced by the thyroid.

Treatment

In uncomplicated iodine deficiency, correcting nutritional intake of iodine is the only treatment necessary. If you are suffering from a goiter, nutritional correction may reduce the size of the goiter somewhat. Depending on the size of the goiter, your doctor may recommend taking levothyroxine (thyroid hormone replacement medication) as well as increasing your iodine intake.

However, older children and adults may not have a large reduction in goiter size with these options. Radioactive iodine may be used in some cases to treat multiple goiters causing hyperthyroidism; however, the resulting effects of this treatment may lead to hypothyroidism.

If you have a goiter that is causing pain, difficulty swallowing, or difficulty breathing, then surgery is the recommended option. Following surgery, your doctor may need to have you take thyroid hormone replacement therapy depending on how much of your thyroid was removed.

Sources:

https://www.verywellhealth.com/iodine-deficiency-overview-4582557