Iodine is an essential trace element that our bodies do not produce themselves, so we usually get it from food – for instance, 1 glass of milk (250 ml) contains approximately 100 μg of iodine. However, our eating habits vary and not everyone includes seafood, legumes, eggs or dairy products, which are rich sources of iodine in their daily diet; therefore, they choose to take iodine-containing food supplements. Meanwhile, in mountainous areas, where the soil, and, consequently, the food, is very low in iodine, it is added to cooking salt and labelled as iodised salt.

Iodine is required for the production of the thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine (T3), which help in the production of proteins and support enzyme activity, as well as regulate normal metabolism. If there is not enough iodine in the body, these thyroid hormones fail to function properly and can cause under- or overactive functioning of the thyroid gland, leading to a state of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism with various negative side effects in the body.

How to choose an iodine-containing food supplement? You will definitely want to consider various factors before making your choice, which include price, quality, as well as the form and dosage of iodine. Be sure to examine the label of the food supplement you choose. If you want to avoid certain ingredients, for instance, added sugar, products of animal origin, artificial sweeteners, various additives or allergens, always check the list of ingredients before you buy. It is particularly important to assess the dose to prevent the accidental intake of too little or too much iodine, since either of these situations will not be good for your body. The recommended daily intake for an adult amounts to 150-200 µg of iodine.

Iodine occurs in several chemical forms, including the form of sodium and potassium salts, inorganic iodine, iodate and iodide, and reduced iodine. Iodine is rarely found as a pure element, and it mostly occurs as a salt; therefore, it is called iodide rather than iodine. Iodide is rapidly and almost completely absorbed in the stomach and duodenum. Iodate is broken down in the gastrointestinal tract and absorbed as iodide. When iodide enters the bloodstream, the thyroid gland concentrates it in adequate amounts for the synthesis of thyroid hormones, and most of the rest is excreted in the urine. However, there can be differences in how our bodies absorb inorganic iodine and organic iodine.

Potassium iodide is a form of iodine that widely occurs in food supplements and medicinal products. Iodised salt is obtained by adding potassium iodide to sodium chloride. Pharmaceutical forms of potassium iodide are used to reduce the amount of radioactive iodine absorbed in the cases where it has been released into the environment. They are popularly known as “iodine tablets”. It must be remembered that potassium iodide only reduces the effects of radioactive iodine – it cannot be used against other types of radionuclides or against radiation in general.

Sodium iodide is another safe and effective form of obtaining iodine, but many people want to reduce their sodium intake because we usually eat too much salt. To be clear, sodium iodide is a concentrated source of iodine used in food supplements and is different from iodised table salt, which is sodium chloride with added iodine.

Seaweed is one of the richest natural, plant-based sources of iodine. Seaweed has the ability to concentrate iodine from seawater, which is analogous to the iodine in the human thyroid gland that is taken up from the bloodstream. If you prefer food supplements that contain natural and food-like ingredients, this may be a good option.

For insufficient thyroid gland function, or hypothyroidism, we have developed a 100% natural, Latvian-made food supplement THYROKLER. The product, which contains bladderwrack (contains more vitamins and minerals than any other food product, inter alia, it is a natural source of iodine, which is organically included in cell metabolism), the trace elements zinc and selenium and the amino acid L-tyrosine, ensures the normal development of thyroid hormones and thus also the normal functioning of the thyroid gland.

Learn more about the product here: THYROKLER