THEY’RE LYING TO YOU ABOUT IODINE!

*image: hand-harvested, cured & dried wild kombu fronds by Origin Seaweed

Welcome to our weekly series investigating iodine consumption: the benefits, cautions, and myths of this crucial mineral concentrated in seaweeds.

Here we will explore current research studies to help us better understand how seaweed can affect our body and nutrition and make informed decisions on what we choose to consume. 

The TLDR: Eat your seaweeds. Global data indicates insufficient iodine intake results in a thyroid dysfunction epidemic with deleterious hypo-thyroid outcomes such as dependency on synthetic pharmaceutical thyroid hormone replacement, behavioral problems in children, lower IQ and cognitive capacity and an increased incidence of breast cancer.

Scary, right?  We think so too, so...eat your seaweeds and keep reading!

The Japanese population consumes approximately 14 to 20 times more iodine than the USDA recommended daily dose.

Deficit iodine intake is the primary factor in thyroid dysfunction. 

Sub-clinical hypothyroidism affects about 15% of the US population, compared to 2.8% of the Japanese population.

What are the real dangers of deficient iodine intake?

The impact of insufficient iodine on behavioral problems, cognitive scores and IQ in children is now well-established by research.  Children in the womb are also at vulnerable to dysfunctional organ and neurological development.

What are the dangers of higher iodine impact in Japan?

• Overall Safety: Despite intakes well above Western averages, the general Japanese population maintains stable thyroid health, as the thyroid gland typically adapts to chronic high iodine loads via the Wolff-Chaikoff effect.
• Antibody Rates: Comparative regional studies suggest that high baseline dietary iodine does not increase the overall population rate of autoimmune thyroid antibody positivity (such as Hashimoto's disease markers).

USDA discourages more than 150mcg/day of iodine with iodized table salt as the primary source, while acknowledging that amounts up to 1100mcg/day are safe.  The USDA just doesn’t think that you need any more than 150mcg. Japanese people, renowned for their good health and longevity consume upwards of 1000-3000mcg/daily.

The USDA primary recommended source of iodine is iodized table salt, a highly refined, mineral-depleted sodium chloride salt with dangerous implications for cardio-vascular health. 

Japanese iodine comes primarily in the form of natural seaweeds which contain a broad buffered spectrum essential minerals and trace elements and powerfully anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compounds, as well as unique anti-obesity and anti-diabetic dietary fibers that support a healthy microbiome.

As the culture with the longest life-expectancy in the world and low rates of cancer, thyroid dysfunction and cardiovascular disease, we believe the Japanese are actually onto something and will keep digging deeper to bring more research to the surface about the health effects of seaweed consumption. You can decide for yourself whether the USDA or Japanese culture is more aligned with your diet and nutrition goals.

Tune in again for the next findings in our Iodine Series!