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List of Foods Rich in Iodine

Iodine is unique among minerals as it is an essential ingredient in hormones. It acts on the hormones of the thyroid gland, which control the body's activity rate, growth and development and the healthiness of skin and hair.

Iodine's role is confined to producing the hormone thyroxine. About two-thirds of the body's iodine is in the thyroid gland, while the remainder is in the hormone itself. If there is too much thyroxine the body's activity rate - its basal metabolism - speeds up; if there is too little, the body's activity rate slows down. If we do not get enough iodine in our diet, the thyroid gland becomes swollen and the swelling appears just below the jaw. The enlargement of the gland is called goitre, and is common in areas where the soil is iodine-deficient.

A List of Rich Sources of Iodine

Iodine Rich Foods List ug Portion
Haddock up to 300 100
Cod 90+ 100
Condensed milk up to 70 100
Trifle 60 100
Eggs 50+ 100
Mayonnaise 35 100
Jaffa cakes 32+ 100
Cheddar cheese 40 100
Malt bread 9 100
Naan Bread 28 100
Yorkshire pudding 26 100
Cheese cake 24 100
Sea kelp High ** 100
Seaweed High ** 100
Sea foods High ** 100
Most Fresh fish
Fish oils
Sea salt
Iodized salt

** high for the amounts consumed!

The RNI* for iodine is about 140ug daily for adults.

What if you're not getting the mineral Iodine from rich foods?

A deficiency of iodine will lead to goitre; this is the condition tends to appear during puberty or pregnancy. People with goitre become lethargic and sensitive to cold; they tend to gain weight and their skin becomes course. When there are inadequate thyroxine levels, a condition called hypothyroidism occurs. Symptoms here are puffiness around the eyes, sparse and course hair, course and dry skin and memory impairment.
Who Needs Iodine?

Everyone needs iodine to produce thyroxine, but the signs of deficiency are easy to spot and treatment can be given. Those more at risk are women at puberty, pregnant women and children. There has been a suggestion that women in low iodine areas, are more prone to womb cancer. Some foods contain excessive levels of the minerals manganese and cobalt which interfere with the thyroid gland, extracting iodine. If you are in the habit of eating large amounts of raw cabbage you must ensure you are also getting sufficient iodine.

Some dieters believe that they struggle with their body weight because of an under active thyroid gland, this is possible, however, in most cases it has been found that they were simply ingesting too many calories and not active enough!

From: http://www.weightlossforall.com/foods-rich-iodine.htm