Dietary iodine intake for Hashimoto's patients - yes or no?

I've read tons of available research re the above question, and I just want to sum it up to make sure I understand it correctly.

Those who have increased antibodies like me, but whose thyroid hormone levels are normal so they don't take any meds for their thyroid, need 150 micrograms of iodine a day, preferably with their food (in iodized salt or a sheet of nori, or milk, whatever).

My understanding is that this daily low dose of iodine can help lower the antibodies if it's taken with the right amount of selenium (ie one Brazil nut a day).

Are there any endocrinologists in this group who can confirm this?

Thanks.

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Hashhash

150mcg iodine is the recommended daily amount of iodine for an adult irrespective of whether or not they have Hashi's. In the UK this amount is likely to be obtained from a normal diet containing milk, yogurt, cod, haddock, scampi, etc.

Iodine solution used to be used to treat hypERthyroidism before the current radioactive iodine treatment and it can make hypOthyroidism worse. It's particularly not recommended when Hashi's is present and I have not heard that it can loser antibodies.

I have seen that selenium may reduce antibodies and the amount usually mentioned when Hashi's is present is 200mcg in the form of selenium l-selenomethionine or yeast bound selenium.

Brazil nuts only contain selenium when they have been grown in selenium rich soil. Then it depends in which area the nuts were grown in because the amount of selenium in soil varies. Eastern Amazon and Central Brazil have the highest amounts:

honey-guide.com/2012/11/19/...

The packaging needs to say "Grown in selenium rich soil" and preferably the area and possibly the amount of selenium.

Members have been kind enough to give me the following information about where to obtain nuts that have a declared selenium content:

Apparently Sainsburys SO organic brazil nuts contain 50mcg selenium per 30g serving of nuts

sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/pro...

and their Fairtrade ones have 75mcg selenium per 30g serving

sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/pro...

One member has said that M&S Natural Brazil Nuts say "harvested by hand in the Amazon forest and naturally high in selenium".

Also, check out Aldi's "The Foodie Market" Brazil nuts, the packaging is said to show selenium content as 79mcg per 30g serving.

Another one is 'My Garden of Eden' Brazil nuts from Home Bargains.. They say "High in Selenium and high in vitamin E" on the front of the packet and the Nutritional Information says "one serving (25g) gives 63ug of Selenium".

Are there any endocrinologists in this group who can confirm this?

This is a patient to patient group, there are no doctors who respond or give advice.

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

When you say iodine can make Hashimoto's worse, do you mean the recommended daily amount or higher dose? Or do you mean that I should not be eating any iodine at all? I'm eating a plant based diet, so no dairy, eggs, but I use iodized salt or eat nori sheet. Again, I'm not getting any homonal treatment because my hormone levels are fine, only my TPO antibodies are elevated. Thanks.

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to Hidden]

When you say iodine can make Hashimoto's worse, do you mean the recommended daily amount or higher dose?

Taking extra iodine as a supplement.But it might be worth checking your iodine level to see if you are getting enough in your diet.

Genova Diagnostics do an easy Urine Iodine Test, a non-loading test which is the best test for checking current level and for monitoring.

Details of how to order the test and receive results here:

thyroiduk.org/help-and-supp...

[Hidden in reply to SeasideSusie]

Thanks very much.

[userotc in reply to SeasideSusie]

Hi Susie. I think we may have communicated on iodine previously? After significant research on the subject, I must admit that I find it both intriguing and confusing! WHO guidance below indicates up to 200mcg/day is OK (presume even with hashis?) - although in the link's Q&A, at least one person admitted problems with just 150.

Some WHO figures from thyroidpharmacist.com/artic...

100-199 mcg: Low thyroid disease rate.

(NB also also benefits indicated in a study for "low" doses- up to 200mcg).

200-299 mcg: Iodine-induced hyperthyroidism, autoimmune thyroid disease, goiter, hypothyroidism

>300 mcg: Hypothyroidism, goiter, autoimmune thyroid disease

Personally I still supplement (at current rate of ~350mcg every other day ie ~175/dy) because a Genova non-loading test ~18m ago rates me "slight deficit" which appears consistent with an earlier serum test showing low. I am not on thyroid meds and 2 tests show no antibodies of note (TPA, TGA both <10).

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to userotc]

150mcg is the recommended daily amount which hopefully one gets from food, quite easy in the UK.

If you tested and were found to be deficient then of course you need to do something about it which I hope you are with the guidance of an experienced practioner, and I hope that you are regularly monitoring your levels with Genova.

I consider testing when supplementing to be very important as my own experience is of a practioner putting me on a multi supplement containing 150mcg iodine when I presented the Genova test results showing me to have a level of 150 (100-199) and when questioning whether I should take the multi I was told "it's only a small amount, it's fine". That small amount actually raised my level to 250 (100-199) in a very short time. I sacked the practioner and binned the supplement.