How Iodine Affects Your Body: Sources and Thyroid Health
Summary
Iodine is a trace mineral the body cannot make and must obtain from food or supplements.Key point:Iodine is an essential component of the thyroid hormones T4 and T3, which the body needs to regulate metabolism, growth, and many cellular processes. Iodine enables the thyroid to produce T4 and T3, hormones that control energy use, body temperature, and heart rate.Key point:Iodine is critical for fetal and infant brain and nervous-system development; inadequate iodine in pregnancy can cause severe and often irreversible developmental problems.Other roles:Supports normal growth, reproductive health, and enzymatic activity across many tissues.
Benefits
Most dietary iodine is present as iodide or iodate and is efficiently absorbed in the stomach and small intestine. The thyroid actively concentrates iodide from the blood via a sodium–iodide transporter. Excess iodine is mainly excreted in urine.Key point:Urinary iodine concentration is the standard indicator of recent iodine intake at a population level.