When it comes to selecting an iodine supplement for your patients, it may seem anything but straightforward. Some contain iodine, while others have iodide or a combination of the two. And the dosages can be vastly different.

Yet one thing is certain — iodine is vital to the body. Its best-known role is in thyroid health, but the mineral is found in every tissue of the body. (1)

Many people don’t get enough of this essential mineral. In fact, iodine intake in the United States has significantly decreased since the 1970s. (2)

Furthermore, toxins may interfere with the cells’ ability to take in or use iodine. These toxins include bromide and fluoride found in the environment, food, and water.

Iodine Essentials

Iodine is a naturally-occurring trace mineral vital to health. But people need relatively small amounts compared to major minerals like calcium and magnesium since it is a trace mineral. (3, 4)

Iodine is sometimes referred to as a halogen, a non-metallic element in the same group as bromine, chlorine, and fluorine. Some everyday places people encounter halogens include light bulbs, salt, and water. (5)

Halogens can join with certain elements to form a halide, which is a salt. For example, when iodine joins with potassium, it forms potassium iodide. The “ide” ending indicates the salt form. Potassium iodide is a salt commonly used to fortify table salt with iodine. (6)

Quite possibly, your patients are not getting plenty of iodine from salt in their diet. Only 15% of daily salt intake is from table salt. The rest comes from processed foods and restaurant foods. This salt is often non-iodized because some food producers don’t like the way iodine makes food taste. (2)

On top of that, the mineral isn’t abundant in many foods. 

People can get iodine from eggs, milk, seafood, and seaweed. But some individuals may be restricted from these items due to food allergies or intolerances. And seafood carries concerns of toxic heavy metal contamination. (2)

Therefore, supplementation may be helpful for people to take in more iodine and increase their overall health. However, how the body receives iodine depends on multiple factors.

Iodine and the Body

Many roles of iodine are intertwined with the thyroid gland because the mineral is needed to make thyroid hormones. About 70–80% of iodine is stored in the thyroid gland. This butterfly-shaped structure in the neck helps regulate many body functions, including body temperature and calorie burning. (4, 7) 

T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine) thyroid hormones are numbers that indicate the atoms of iodine. In other words, T3 has three iodine atoms, and T4 has four iodine atoms. T3 is the active form made by removing an iodine atom from T4. (8, 9)

Most organ systems in the body are influenced by thyroid hormones — either directly or indirectly. Thyroid hormones help regulate cells and tissues throughout the body. For example, they can affect the function of the brain, gut, heart, kidneys, liver, and muscles. They’re also involved in regulating the mitochondria. (10)

In short, because thyroid hormones help regulate so many vital processes, a variety of symptoms can appear if your patients are low in iodine. These include: (7, 10, 11, 12, 13)

  • Constipation
  • Excessive hair loss
  • Fatigue
  • Goiter 
  • Heart disease and abnormal heart rate
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Impaired development in infants
  • Intolerance to cold temperatures
  • Poor concentration and learning
  • Poor mitochondrial function
  • Skin dryness
  • Weight gain

Clearly, iodine deficiency and thyroid dysfunction could have far-reaching effects. And scientists are continuing to study other ways iodine could benefit health.

Iodine also has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-supportive properties. This may be particularly true when patients take daily doses of at least 3 milligrams (mg). (14, 15) 

The thyroid gland is not only what takes up iodine. The mineral is also found in the eyes, mammary (milk-producing) glands, salivary glands, stomach lining, and other organs and tissues. Plus, animal research suggests iodine may help the immune system guard against parasites. (4, 14) 

Lastly, taking supplemental iodine (as potassium iodide) is considered protective in nuclear accidents. Filling the thyroid gland with iodide limits how much radioactive iodine the gland can absorb from the atmosphere. (16, 17)

For these reasons, this often-overlooked mineral should be a cornerstone of your patient’s wellness protocol.

Amount of Iodine Needed

Dosages listed on iodine supplement labels tend to cluster around either 150 micrograms (mcg) or 12.5 mg. That’s a big range, considering that 1 mg = 1,000 mcg. (12)

So, how much iodine do individuals actually need?

The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for iodine is set at 150 mcg. But the RDI is not the amount needed to support optimal health throughout the body. (18) 

In short, the RDI is the amount needed to avoid overt disease — like a goiter. (2)

Scientists have also set a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for iodine. The UL for iodine is 1,100 mcg, which is equivalent to 1.1 mg. (19)

By definition, the UL is: “The highest average daily nutrient intake level that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population. As intake increases above the UL, the potential risk of adverse effects may increase.” (19)

That said, people exceed the UL for iodine in moderately high doses without harm. The thyroid gland has regulatory mechanisms that control thyroid hormone production. This helps it adapt to wide variances in how much iodine is available. Plus, taking in amounts beyond the RDI could provide additional benefits. (15, 20) 

For example, in one study, women with normal thyroid health but monthly breast pain took 6 mg of iodine daily for six months. About 50% of them had a significant reduction in breast pain related to their monthly cycles. (21)

And in Japan, iodine intake from seaweed is estimated to be as high as 20 mg daily. Seaweed intake has been linked with a lower risk of premature death from any cause. Also, people in Japan have a lower cancer rate and a low rate of fibrocystic breast disease. Though this research can’t prove cause and effect, it’s intriguing. (22, 23) 

The work of the French physician Jean Lugol nearly two centuries ago is also key. He developed a liquid supplement with 5 mg of iodine and 7.5 mg of iodide. That provided a total of 12.5 mg of iodine per dose. This was commonly recommended in pharmacy reference books. (24)

Today, the amount of iodine and the ratio of different forms of iodine in Lugol’s formulation are guides used by some functional medicine practitioners.

Difference Between Iodide and Iodine

The terms “iodide” and “iodine” are often used interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same. 

As mentioned earlier, iodide is the salt form of iodine. Commonly, this is an iodine atom bound to a potassium atom to form potassium iodide. (25, 26)

Another difference between iodine and iodide is how they enter cells. Iodine can diffuse into the cells, but iodide needs help to be transported into cells. This help comes from symporters that help the iodide move through cell membranes. (27)

Also, some tissues of the body may preferentially store different forms of iodine. So iodine versus iodide (and vice versa) may be more effective for supporting particular tissues and organs. Studies suggest the following preferences for different forms of iodine:

  • Breasts — Human research suggests iodine may be superior to iodide for helping fibrocystic breasts and breast pain during women’s monthly cycles. Animal research suggests iodine may support breast cancer prevention. More studies are needed in this area. (21, 28, 29, 30)
  • Pituitary gland — Iodine may be the preferred form. Still, the pituitary gland will take up some iodide. The pituitary gland releases hormones into the bloodstream, including thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). That signals the thyroid gland to release thyroid hormones. (29)
  • Prostate gland — The best form of iodine might depend on the health of the cells. A lab study found that healthy prostate cells responded well to iodide. But cancerous prostate cells responded best to iodine. Further research is needed to clarify potential benefits in this area. (31) 
  • Thyroid gland — Iodide may be the preferred form. In a study of iodine-deficient rodents, iodide was more effective at restoring thyroid health than iodine. (24, 27, 32)

Given the evidence at this time, patients will get broader support when they supplement with both forms of iodine. Just keep in mind that sometimes the term “iodine” is used as a blanket term for both forms of the mineral. But a distinction between the two is often made on supplement labels.

Getting both forms of iodine isn’t all that you should consider when supplementing patients with the nutrient. Other factors can support the effectiveness of iodine supplements.

Maximizing the Effectiveness of Iodine Supplements

It’s not hard to find supplements with both iodine and iodide in them. Still, some experts say the distinction between the two forms is unnecessary. They explain that the iodine people take is mostly converted to iodide in the gut. (33)

But here’s the caveat: whether iodine is converted into iodide can depend on how the supplement is formulated.

There’s a way to protect the iodine in the gut and keep it from being converted to iodide. That’s by using Carbon Technology, which contains specialized extracts of fulvic acid.

Iodine can be folded into these carbons to shield and protect it in the gut. This way, iodine can be absorbed into the bloodstream and routed to organs and tissues that prefer that form of the mineral. (34, 35, 36)

The effectiveness of an iodine supplement also depends on whether your patients cells can take in the iodine. In this case, toxins can be a detriment. The thyroid gland has binding sites for iodine, but toxins often occupy these binding sites. So, patients need to be able to remove the toxins and put iodine in their place before other toxins enter into the binding sites. (37)

Carbon Technology can also bind toxins and adhere to them, carrying them all the way out of the body. This enables iodine to fill the binding sites on the thyroid. The same scenario is true for other tissues and organs of the body. (38)

Toxic Halogens and Iodine Status

One significant type of toxin that is dangerous in the body is other halogens. Some halogens compete with iodine (or iodide) for the same receptors in the cells, and some halogen compounds can interfere with iodine transport across cell membranes.

Here are the halogens that could interfere with your patient’s iodine levels.

Bromine

Bromine or bromide can displace iodide in the thyroid gland and increase its excretion via the kidneys. This is particularly true if individuals don’t consume enough iodine and are exposed to a lot of bromine. (38, 39, 40)

People can be exposed to bromine by breathing, ingesting, or touching it, which happens often because the chemical is present in many everyday places. (41)

Some ways patients could be exposed to bromine include:

  • Bromated flour, commonly used in foodservice baking (42)
  • Citrus-flavored soda, to keep ingredients suspended (43)
  • Dyes, such as cosmetics and tattoo ink (44)
  • Farming chemicals, such as fertilizers (41, 45)
  • Flame retardants, such as on mattresses and upholstered furniture (46, 47)
  • New electronics, such as computer equipment and televisions (41, 48)
  • Rubber products, such as tires (41)
  • Seafood and seawater (46)
  • Some prescription nasal sprays and inhalers (46)
  • Water disinfectants, such as for pools and hot tubs (41, 49)

Bromine is being phased out of some uses because it depletes the earth’s ozone layer. For example, methyl bromide has long been used on strawberry crops to control fungi and pests. But newer rules are limiting its use. That said, people are still exposed to a ton of bromine. (45)

Chlorine

Chloride is an essential electrolyte in the body. But chlorine competes with iodine for absorption. Public water supplies and swimming pools are commonly treated with chlorine. (2, 50)

Perchlorate is another form of chlorine that is problematic. Perchlorate inhibits the symporters that would transport iodide into the thyroid cells, which could result in reduced production of thyroid hormones. (47) 

Perchlorate is found in cars’ airbag systems, drinking water, fireworks, leather treatment chemicals, and rocket fuel. It’s also in some fertilizers and crops irrigated with contaminated water. (47, 51) 

Unfortunately, perchlorate is allowed in plastic packaging that touches food and beverages. The compound is used to control static electricity but the chemical can transfer into food. (47, 51) 

Food and Drug Administration studies have found perchlorate in the majority of foods tested. That includes baby food, bottled water, cooking oil, dairy products, eggs, fish, fruits, grain products, juice, legumes, meats, poultry, sweets, and vegetables. (52)

Perchlorate also comes from the breakdown of hypochlorite, which is used in household bleach. Hypochlorite is also used as a disinfectant in food processing plants. (52)

Fluorine

This halogen is commonly promoted in dental products. However, fluoride can interfere with the body’s uptake of iodine. As with bromine, this interference is more likely if your patient’s iodine intake is low. (53, 54)

Some ways people could be exposed to fluorine or fluoride include: 

  • Black tea and other teas from the Camellia sinensis plant (55)
  • Drinking water, including bottled water and public water (56)
  • Many medications, including some antifungal and antimalarial drugs (53, 57)
  • Mouthwashes, toothpaste, and other dental products (56)
  • Pesticides, such as cryolite, used on some fruits and vegetables (58)
  • Processed foods and beverages made with fluoridated water (53)

It would be nearly impossible to avoid all these exposures to toxic halogens. Hence why it is essential that your patients get enough iodine. And it’s best if the iodine supplement is formulated with Carbon Technology to help detoxify unwanted halogens and other toxic compounds.

Supportive Nutrients and Iodine Tolerance

As crucial as iodine is, it doesn’t act alone. Other nutrients — including iron, selenium, and zinc — support the work of iodine. (59, 60)

Still, this doesn’t mean your patients need an iodine supplement that contains all these nutrients. They should be getting them as part of a healthy diet. And mineral-rich Carbon Technology can help fill in dietary gaps. (61)

Here’s are the nutrients’ roles in supporting iodine status and thyroid health, along with top food sources:

  • Iron: Is required to initiate the production of thyroid hormones. Common sources of iron include beef, cashews, dark chocolate, legumes, and spinach. (59, 62) 
  • Selenium: Is a vital part of an enzyme that converts the inactive T4 thyroid hormone into the active T3 form. Selenium can be found in Brazil nuts, brown rice, eggs, meat, poultry, and oatmeal. (60, 63)
  • Zinc: Helps regulate both the production and action of thyroid hormones. Some foods that have zinc include meat, poultry, pumpkin seeds, and yogurt. (64, 65, 66) 

Deficiencies of these nutrients can limit the effectiveness of iodine supplements. So, make sure your patients are getting enough. Taking supportive minerals for a month or two before starting iodine supplementation may also help with your patients’ tolerance of iodine. (59)

And if your patient has a thyroid condition, it’s important to start with a low dose of iodine and increase it slowly. It’s also wise to track their symptoms and monitor their thyroid markers.

Lastly, remind your patient that replenishing their body’s iodine stores takes time. It’s like a marathon, not a quick sprint.

Iodide and Iodine for Whole Body Health

At best, your patient’s diet likely only supplies enough iodine to avoid developing a goiter. But every tissue in their body utilizes iodine, so it’s time to think about supplementation because few foods supply much iodine. Plus, bromide, chlorine, and fluoride, can interfere with the cells’ iodine uptake.

Some tissues of the body may respond better to iodine versus iodide and vice versa. So, choose a supplement that supplies both. 

Appropriate supplementation enables your patients to have enough iodine and iodide for their overall health and wellness.