Why and How to Avoid Iodine with Hashimoto's

The views expressed in Hashimoto’s Lifestyle are author opinions and quoted resources. The content here should not be taken as medical advice. Please ensure you are working with a medical professional and consult them about any lifestyle changes.

Today we’re going to be talking about a nutrient that can be confusing when it comes to Hashimoto's: iodine.

This nutrient is necessary for proper thyroid function and over- or under-supplementation can have huge effects. And for most people in the Western world, over-supplementation of iodine is far too common. However, too much iodine can also cause the thyroid to malfunction, and it has been linked to autoimmune thyroiditis in numerous scientific studies.

Iodine Supplementation: Yes or No?

In a western American diet, it is easy to consume an overdose of iodine since there is a lot of it in our general diet. For example, iodine is present in our salt, dairy products, eggs, and seafood.

Interestingly, research shows that low iodine diets have been shown to improve thyroiditis symptoms. So these studies indicate that iodine may exacerbate the symptoms of the disease.

As a result, it is vital to avoid over-supplementation of iodine and be mindful of our iodine intake through our diet. Let’s take a look at some of the ways we can avoid iodine.

Dairy

One significant source of iodine in the American diet is commercial dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and milk. Now, iodine does not necessarily occur in high quantities in milk. We see as much as 50% of the daily recommended amount of iodine in one serving of conventional dairy because of modern farming practices. That’s because commercial dairy cows feed often contains iodine as a nutritional supplement. While this contributes to the high iodine content of dairy, it’s not the leading culprit.

That’s because if a cow has an infected udder, instead of being like oh we don’t need to milk this udder today, they just slather it up with iodine, milk it, and go on their merry way. But of course, a butt load of iodine makes its way into milk when this happens. However, studies show that organic dairy products – especially from facilities that don’t use the “just iodine it up” method, have significantly lower iodine content than commercial dairy.

An additional thing thing to consider when it comes to dairy is that dairy allergies are common and can exacerbate autoimmune symptoms on their own without the iodine component. So switching to dairy-free alternatives like coconut milk or almond milk can be helpful for Hashimoto’s symptoms.

Eggs

Another significant source of iodine in the diet is eggs, especially commercial eggs. Chicken feeders supplement with iodine, and egg yolks contain most of the iodine present in eggs.

It’s common to be allergic to eggs with Hashimoto’s, so it's probably wise to avoid them anyways. But if you aren’t sensitive, egg whites have lower concentrations of iodine, so it’s best to eat those in order to avoid an excess of the nutrient.

Seafood

Seafood is another source of iodine in the diet, particularly shellfish and seaweed. While seafood contains beneficial omega-3s, seaweed has a very high iodine content and should be avoided.

So try to consume seafood in moderation and avoid seaweed as much as possible. And if a doctor tries to "prescribe" seaweed or a seaweed supplement – that might be a red flag.

Processed Foods

Processed foods, including baked goods and snacks, are also high in iodine. That's because iodine is used as a stabilizing agent and antimicrobial agent in these products.

So avoiding processed foods can follow a similar pattern of the effects of avoiding dairy and eggs.  While people who go gluten-free might experience the anti-inflammatory effects of avoiding gluten – avoiding the iodine in processed foods may also be helping their symptoms.  

Supplements – Especially Multivitamins!

People with Hashimoto's are often times nutrient-deficient, and filling in those nutritial gaps can make huge strides to Hashimoto's healing. However, it's important to make sure that the supplements you're taking don't contain iodine.

As mentioned earlier, some thyroid supplement can contain iodine. If this is the case, it's best to avoid these. While it might seem intuitive to supplement with iodine, these supplements can actually make your thyroid condition much worse. Trash!

And while it might seem like a good idea to take a multivitamin, many contain iodine – so check the labels first! The last thing you want to do is work against yourself.

What You Can Do About Iodine

In conclusion, iodine is essential for the thyroid to function properly, but an excess of iodine can worsen the symptoms of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. It is essential to be mindful of our iodine intake through our diet and avoid over-supplementation.

I hope these insights have been helpful. If you have questions or would like to have a topic covered on the podcast, message me on Instagram at Hashimotos_Lifestyle.

In the meantime, get out there and enjoy your Hashimoto’s Lifestyle!