You probably know that pregnant women are encouraged to take additional vitamins and minerals for the sake of their baby’s development. Folic acid, calcium, and iron have long been considered the holy trinity of prenatal wellness. But here’s one you may not be so familiar with: iodine.
Iodine is Necessary for Good Health
Though its health benefits have long been known, new research is now indicating that iodine deficiency in pregnant women can have significant negative effects on unborn children’s brain development. [1] [2]
Iodine is an important mineral necessary for making thyroid hormones [3] — the hormones that regulate growth and development. According to the National Institutes of Health, thyroid hormones, and thus iodine, are also necessary for adequate bone and brain development from pregnancy through infancy. [4]
New Findings Suggest Many Pregnant Women Are Deficient
According to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), approximately one third of pregnant women are at least mildly deficient in iodine. [5] This deficiency can be dangerous to the unborn baby and could negatively affect the child’s metabolism, leading to impairments in his or her motor skill and cognitive functions and, sometimes, irreversible mental damage. According to the journal Nutrients, “Iodine deficiency can be defined as the world’s greatest single cause of preventable brain damage.” [6]
The Rise of Supplements
Inspired by the findings of this study, news sources that have historically discouraged supplement use, such as Reuters and AAP’s own Pediatrics journal, are now encouraging pregnant and nursing women to take iodine supplements. [7] They suggest that pregnant and nursing women ingest at least 290 micrograms of iodine each day.
Pediatricians maintain that women should only use supplements in addition to, not as replacements for, an iodine-rich diet. AAP still recommends that pregnant and nursing women ingest iodine naturally as much as possible. However, the primary sources of dietary iodine — dairy, seafood, and iodized salt — may not be appropriate for everyone, including vegans and those who wish to avoid hormone additives, toxic metals, and other chemicals found in those food sources; making supplemental iodine even more important.
SEE ALSO Iodine – Bringing Back the Universal Medicine
The best way, however, to get the required amount of iodine into your body is a nascent iodine supplement. The body absorbs it faster and more efficiently than sodium and potassium iodide. If you need a high-quality, organic nascent iodine supplement, try Detoxadine®. Detoxadine is a premium-quality, deep-earth sourced nascent iodine supplement that helps support thyroid health, the immune system, and more.
SEE ALSO about Iodine Medicine
Your Story
Have you experienced iodine deficiency? Have you experienced any postpartum side effects related to iodine? Has an iodine supplement helped you? We’d love to hear about your iodine experience. Tell us your story in the comments section below.
References (13)
- National Institutes of Health. “Iodine.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nih.gov. 2011. Accessed 13 Feb. 2018.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. “3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase deficiency.” Genetics Home Reference. Nih.gov. Accessed 13 Feb. 2018.
- del Ghianda S, et al. “Thyroid and menopause.” Climacteric. 2014;17(3), 225-34. Accessed 13 Feb. 2018.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.” MedlinePlus. Medlineplus.gov. Accessed 13 Feb. 2018.
- Hartmann L, et al. “Benign breast disease and the risk of breast cancer.” N Engl J Med. 2005;353(3), 229-37. Accessed 13 Feb 2018.
- Smyth P. “The thyroid, iodine and breast cancer.” Breast Cancer Res. 2003; 5(5), 235–238. Accessed 14 Feb 2018.
- Murcia M, et al. “Effect of iodine supplementation during pregnancy on infant neurodevelopment at 1 year of age.” Am J Epidemiol. 2011;173(7), 804-12. Accessed 14 Feb 2018.
- Laurberg P, et al. “Evaluating iodine deficiency in pregnant women and young infants-complex physiology with a risk of misinterpretation.” Public Health Nutr. 2007;10(12A), 1547-52; discussion 1553. Accessed 14 Feb. 2018.
- Erick M, et al. “Breast milk is conditionally perfect. Med Hypotheses.” Med Hypotheses. 2018;111:82-89. Accessed 14 Feb. 2018.
- Azizi F, et al. “Breastfeeding and maternal and infant iodine nutrition.” Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2009;70(5), 803-9. Accessed 14 Feb. 2018.
- Ross DS, et al. “2016 American Thyroid Association guidelines for diagnosis and management of hyperthyroidism and other causes of thyrotoxicosis.” Thyroid. 2016;26(10), 1343-1421. Accessed 14 Feb. 2018.
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Hyperthyroidism.” MedlinePlus. medlineplus.gov. Accessed 14 Feb. 2018.
- Mahapatra D, et al. “Biphasic action of iodine in excess at different doses on ovary in adult rats.” J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2017;39, 210-220. Accessed 14 Feb. 2018.
Dr. Eddy Bettermann MD 
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