Battle Hypothyroidism, Armed with Iodine

For some people, an iodine deficiency is to blame for weight gain. If you suffer from hypothyroidism (an under active thyroid gland), an insufficient amount of this element could cause you to gain weight. If your thyroid is sluggish, so is your metabolic rate. Also, insufficient iodine in your diet could be responsible for cellulite. It is what everyone's thyroids need in order to function. A lack of sufficient iodine in your diet will actually lead to hypothyroidism, at least perhaps a mild form. You should know, though, that someone with a normally functioning thyroid will not lose weight by increasing iodine intake.

Hypothyroidism might not be easy to spot. Besides weight gain, it does have several other symptoms. However, none of these are exotic enough to immediately attribute to a chemical deficiency. The symptoms include:

Depression
Inability to tolerate cold
Dry hair
Muscle cramps
Fatigue
Dry skin
Swelling of legs

It might also be difficult to spot a lack of this chemical as the cause of these symptoms because it actually makes up only a hundred thousandth of a percent of your body weight!

Don't Drink from the Eye-Dropper!

If you're suffering from hypothyroidism and need to boost your intake of iodine, there are several places to look. Both seaweed and sea salt are great sources, sometimes even called the best sources. Taking Vitamin E will help your thyroid take up more iodine, so it's a good complement to increasing your intake.

Nutritional supplements can also help. Take Vitamin A along with your supplement; your thyroid needs it to absorb the iodine you're consuming. However, supplements should come with a word of caution. By taking a supplement, it's possible for you to wind up with excessive levels of iodine in your body. This is just as dangerous as a deficiency.

Watch Your Veggies!

If you're suffering from a lack of iodine, you should also limit your intake of brassica vegetable. The brassica category of vegetables includes cabbage see more on cabbage soup diet, Chinese leaves, Brussels sprouts, and turnips. Brassica vegetables contain thioglucosides, an excess of which can disrupt thyroid function. If you don't already have low levels, though, brassica vegetables won't be a danger to your thyroid.

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