Micronutrients: Iodine

It's time for more fun with micronutrients! Today's micronutrient is... iodine!What Is It? Iodine is a mineral that you can find in fish, dairy products, and iodized salt.What Does It Do? Your body relies on iodine to make thyroid hormones, which in turn affect your metabolism. Iodine is also vital to brain and bone development. This makes it crucial during pregnancy and a child's infancy.How Much Do I Need? Most adults need 150 micrograms (mcg) of iodine each day. Pregnant and breastfeeding people need roughly 220-290 mcg daily.You can find more detailed information about iodine needs in this handy chart!What Foods Are Rich in this Micronutrient? Lots of table salt is fortified with iodine, so make sure some iodized salt is part of your pantry.Seafood is a great source of naturally-occurring iodine, especially haddock, perch, and sea bass. Seaweed like kelp and nori are great sources too!Many dairy products are also good sources of iodine. Milk, Greek-style yogurt, and Swiss cheese are especially rich in this mineral.Finally, did you know that plants grown in iodine-rich soil can be sources of iodine? How neat is that?And now we've come to the end of our introduction to the amazing micronutrient, iodine. Here's a printable handout that you can download today: Meet Micronutrients: IodineThis is the fifth installment of our Vital Micronutrients series. Here are the others:

• What Are Micronutrients?
• Introduction to Micronutrients
• Micronutrients: Vitamin A
• Micronutrients: Folate

And stay tuned for the next micronutrient on deck: Vitamin D!References:

1. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-Consumer/
2. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002421.htm
3. https://www.ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/beltsville-md-bhnrc/beltsville-human-nutrition-research-center/methods-and-application-of-food-composition-laboratory/mafcl-site-pages/iodine/
4. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/