Iodine effects on thyroid levels??

[whatnametouse]

i take NDT and am wondering whether the iodine in Dried Wakame Seaweed could affect my thyroid levels? i've been eating around 4 grams (around a 1/3 Cup) with many dinners in a row, and it's just occurred to me the iodine might be a problem?????? Does anyone know?

[SeasideSusie Remembering]

Iodine solution used to be used to treat overactive thyroid before the current radioactive iodine treatment. Therefore it's possible that it can cause hypothyroidism or make hypothyroidism worse.

Here in the UK iodine deficiency isn't common, we can get our daily requirement of iodine from a normal diet that includes milk and other dairy products, plus cod, haddock, scampi, etc.

I suppose, depending on how much you get from your diet - recommended daily amount is 150mcg - and how much iodine is in your seaweed, it's possible you're getting too much. Does the pack say how much iodine?

[whatnametouse in reply to SeasideSusie]

my best guess is 4 grams/serving (the package is 100gms, so i'm guestimating how much i use each time). 1gm = 1,000,000mcg (??) i might eat seafood/fish 2x year although most days have very small amounts of goat yogurt so not much iodine in diet except the seaweed, i guess. i'm not wanting to throw off my fragile balance but i love the seaweed with pasta. your thoughts?

[SeasideSusie Remembering in reply to whatnametouse]

Yes, 1 gram = 1,000,000 mcg but a 4 gram serving doesn't mean that you're getting that amount of iodine.

Sorry but there is not much I can add to my previous reply if you don't know how much iodine you consume from the seaweed.

[greygoose]

You'll also be getting iodine from your NDT. One molecule of T4 contains 4 atoms of iodine which is recycled in the body. So, 100 mcg T4 will give you about 65 mcg iodine.

According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) web page , the range of iodine in a single sheet of Seaweed can vary from 16 to 2984 micrograms per gram.

foodstandards.gov.au/scienc...

So, the amount you get from the seaweed is anyone's guess!

[PavlovaDog]

I think everyone is forgetting it is common to eat seaweed daily in Asian cultures and they are not getting thyroid problems from consuming iodine. It is thought the reason their children are much healthier and more advanced than in US is because they get more iodine in their diet. I don't know about UK, but in the US many people do have iodine deficiency and some doctors tell hypothyroid patients to take Lugol's iodine daily.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to PavlovaDog]

There are several issues there.

First, there is a difference between someone who has always consumed a high level of iodine and those who have not.

Second, the levels of thyroid disorder in Japan are high - despite them also (as a population) consuming relatively high levels of iodine. (Though not as much as some think.)

Third, when it comes to seaweeds (the original question) it is necessary to consider the species, where it grew, how it was harvested, treated, stored, etc. For example, the traditional laver bread of Wales starts out with only a modest level of iodine. The cooking processes then causes much of that to disappear before it is consumed.

Fourth, the seaweed consumption of inland China isn't high. It is a huge country and, while there is a long coastline, there is a massive interior many miles from the sea. With at least relatively low seaweed consumption.

There is, for example, a large British Geological Survey of China identifying a complex pattern of iodine and selenium consumption - quite often seemingly going against the obvious assumptions.

[Poniesrfun]

Doesn't it depend upon if you have a thyroid or not? If you have had a TT or have no thyroid function at all then it shouldn't matter.

Patti in AZ

[whatnametouse]

i appreciate all these thoughts/insights. Thank you. Moderation balanced with your input will surely keep me from the edge of whatever cliffs might be in the area. Thanks again.