Iodine - UK experiences/advice page 2

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What kind of problems? How much iodine supplementation will cause these problems? Thanks.

That is the problem. There are no hard and fast guidelines. US recommendations are for 15 mcgs of iodine a day, but since iodine accumulates you don't even need to hit this mark. You can have days where you get none as opposed to days where you eat some seaweed (and that's in the 600-1,000 mcg range) and be just fine.

However, if you're eating seaweed daily, it might be an issue. On the other hand, if you're coming froma state of defficiency, you can expect to be able to handle higher doses of it without problems rather than someone who THINKS they are coming from a deficiency but actually aren't.

This is partly why I think that guessing whether or not to supplement with iodine on your own can be like playing with fire. You might add in an iodine pill once a week to see how you feel and likely do very little harm. But much more than that and I'd be ABSOLUTELY SURE you needed it first.

Too much iodine can lead to hypothyroidism or autoimmune issues with the thyroid. Bottom line is, iodine supplements can be useful, but they are a double-edged sword as well.

[FYI - eggs are a pretty decent source of iodine and us primal folks eat a lot of 'em. ]

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The Iodine Controversy: Too Much vs. Not Enough, and What It Does To Your Thyroid?

[AdamC29]

another quick update.

the Iodine supplementation is still going well. My energy is still good although I am getting quite stiff after exercise. I don't think this is down to Iodine though. Seems to be related to a lack of food. I have been fasting quite a bit recently as a bit of self experimentation. I am sleeping better and my mood is better. I play a lot of sport and I have noticed my reactions seemed to have improved which is a little bonus.

[AdamC29]

BBC News - Iodine deficiency 'may lower UK children's IQ'

a study in the UK just to fire up some debate.

On a serious note it is hard to get iodine when you don't eat dairy or processed foods so supplementation is the only real option for me.