Can you drink iodine

Read on to learn more about the uses and side effects of iodine, plus recommended daily amounts by age. Iodine is considered an essential mineral for our bodies. Iodine plays a vital role in thyroid health. Your thyroid gland , which is located at the base of the front of your neck, helps regulate hormone production. These hormones control your metabolism, heart health, and more. To make thyroid hormones, your thyroid takes up iodine in small amounts.

Without iodine, thyroid hormone production can decrease. You can get enough iodine from your diet by eating dairy products, fortified foods, and salt water fish. Iodine is also available in plant foods that grow in naturally iodine-rich soil. You also can get the mineral by seasoning your food with iodized salt. While iodine promotes overall thyroid health, too much iodine can have a negative effect on the thyroid gland.

A goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland. Your thyroid may become enlarged as a result from either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism is an overactive thyroid gland. Non-cancerous thyroid nodules cysts can also cause thyroid gland enlargement. Sometimes a goiter develops as a direct response to iodine deficiency. Your doctor may recommend a special type of iodine called radioactive iodine to treat an overactive thyroid gland.

Also called radioiodine, this medication is taken by mouth. The risk with radioactive iodine is that it can destroy too many thyroid cells. This can decrease the amount of hormone production, leading to hypothyroidism.

For this reason, radioactive iodine is usually only recommended after anti-thyroid drugs have failed. Radioactive iodine is not the same thing as iodine supplements. You should never take iodine supplements for hyperthyroidism.

Radioiodine may also be a possible treatment option for thyroid cancer. Children who eat a whole bottle of vitamin pills or adults with kidney failure who use supplements may not be able to properly eliminate excess iodine. Symptoms can include stomach upset, vomiting, and diarrhea. Allergies and sensitivities to iodine have been reported. There are three types of iodine reactions: skin sensitivity, an allergy to ingested iodine, and an allergy to injected iodine. Iodine is added to table salt, which is labeled as "iodized salt.

Pregnant women need higher amounts to support the developing baby. The United States Institute of Medicine produced a recommendation for the amount of iodine a person should ingest on a daily basis. Iodine levels are not measured in the blood, but they can be measured in the urine.

Urine measures of iodine are considered a reflection of iodine intake. Normal urinary iodine concentrations range between and micrograms per liter.

Values lower than 20 micrograms per liter are suggestive of inadequate iodine intake. Common sources of iodine include:. As a medical treatment, radioactive iodine is used for several purposes, including for treatment of thyroid cancer or goiter. Radioactive iodine is often used to destroy overactive thyroid tissue or thyroid cancer. This treatment comes as a prescription pill and requires preparation with a special low iodine diet several weeks before starting treatment.

Radioactive iodine can be harmful to others, and there are precautions that you would need to take to protect other people, including covering your neck for the duration of your treatment. Over-the-counter and prescription forms of iodine solution are often used to prevent infections. The mineral is often added to topical antiseptics and is believed to destroy infectious microorganisms with minimal risk of side effects.

Iodine is also used for pre-surgical care. It is a component of povidone-iodine, which is one of the preparations used for surgical procedures to prevent infections. In rare instances, a nuclear emergency associated with a radioactive iodine leak can pose serious health threats to the public. In these instances, potassium iodide can be used to prevent thyroid gland damage. Because salt is enriched with iodine and is naturally found in some foods, it is not recommended to use iodine supplements unless you have a deficiency that is diagnosed by your healthcare provider.

In fact, with a thyroid disorder, a low iodine diet is often recommended. If you have to follow a very low salt diet due to other health issues, you may need iodine supplementation. If you need iodine supplements, your healthcare provider will give you a prescription. You might be able to use an over-the-counter supplement, and if so, be sure to verify that the dose is exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Iodine deficiency can affect your thyroid hormone levels, causing low energy.

However, iodine deficiency does not affect energy levels independently of thyroid hormones. You can have your thyroid levels checked if you have low energy or other symptoms of thyroid disease. If you have a tendency to eat salty foods, your body will eliminate the excess iodine.

Food alone should not cause toxicity—consuming excess supplements, however, is not safe. Iodine deficiency is rare in countries where iodized salt is regularly used. If you have a thyroid problem, you may have been instructed to maintain a low iodine diet or to supplement your diet with iodine. If you have had an iodine deficiency in the past, regular monitoring of your thyroid hormone levels is considered the best way to know whether you are getting enough iodine.

Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. American Thyroid Association. Medically reviewed by Natalie Olsen, R. Recommended intake and sources Deficiency Health risks Other uses Iodine is a mineral that is needed in the diet to ensure that the thyroid works properly. Recommended intake and sources.

Share on Pinterest Iodine is beneficial for health, and a deficiency of iodine can create health problems. Share on Pinterest Seaweed is a packed natural source of iodine. Potential health risks. Share on Pinterest An iodine deficiency can lead to thyroid problems. Other uses. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals.

Costs associated with obesity may account for 3. Related Coverage. What is an iodine intolerance? Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. What are the signs of iodine deficiency. What are thyroid nodules? Iodine is a mineral found in some foods. The body needs iodine to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control the body's metabolism and many other important functions. The body also needs thyroid hormones for proper bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy. Getting enough iodine is important for everyone, especially infants and women who are pregnant.

The amount of iodine you need each day depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts are listed below in micrograms mcg. Iodine is found naturally in some foods and is also added to salt that is labeled as "iodized". You can get recommended amounts of iodine by eating a variety of foods, including the following:. In addition, specialty salts, such as sea salt, kosher salt, Himalayan salt, and fleur de sel, are not usually iodized.

Iodine is available in dietary supplements, usually in the form of potassium iodide or sodium iodide. Many multivitamin-mineral supplements contain iodine. Dietary supplements of iodine-containing kelp a seaweed are also available. Most people in the United States get enough iodine from foods and beverages.

However, certain groups of people are more likely than others to have trouble getting enough iodine:. Iodine deficiency is uncommon in the United States and Canada. People who don't get enough iodine cannot make sufficient amounts of thyroid hormone.

This can cause many problems. In pregnant women, severe iodine deficiency can permanently harm the fetus by causing stunted growth , intellectual disability, and delayed sexual development. Less severe iodine deficiency can cause lower-than-average IQ in infants and children and decrease adults' ability to work and think clearly.