Iodine is an essential mineral. It is considered essential because our body doesn’t generate iodine. It id beneficial for hair, skin, thyroid gland and also improves the metabolism. Iodine deficiency is the root cause of mental retardedness and intellectual deficiency. In this article, we will discuss the iodine rich foods. but before that let’s have a look at the standard intake of iodine in mcg (microgram unit).
- For a man or a women – 150 mcg.
- For a pregnant woman or during the time of breastfeeding – 220-270 mcg.
- Adolescent – 120mcg.
- For a young child – 90mcg.
The simple and best way to get the required amount of iodine is to enjoy a variety of food. To help you out with iodine rich foods here is a list of such foods containing a high content of iodine.
Iodine Rich Foods (Foods High In Iodine):
1.) Seafood Rich In Iodine
It is said that sea is the greatest stock of minerals and including them in your diet will give you a remarkable amount iodine. A serving of seafood can provide you 750 mcg of iodine per day. This is why seafood tops the list of foods rich in iodine. Add seafood to your diet. You can take foods like kelp, kombu, hiziki, arame, wakame. Here is the list of seafood along with the amount of iodine content per tablespoon in mcg (microgram unit).
- Kale – 2000 mcg.
- Kombu – 1450 mcg.
- Hiziki – 780 mcg.
- Arame – 750 mcg.
- Wakame – 80 mcg.
Amongst this kelp tops the list of iodine rich foods. It is a type of seaweed and a serving of kale gives you 4 times of minimum requirement of iodine for a day. You can have this cooked or you can just sprinkle it on your sauces and soups.
2.) Organic Yogurt Iodine Rich Food
Yogurt is not only a probiotic it is also an iodine rich food. Yogurt helps to maintain metabolism of your body and has great health benefits. A cup of yogurt contains 90 mcg of iodine. So add yogurt in your diet to manage the everyday intake of iodine. The major function of iodine is to help in the proper functioning of thyroid glands. Yogurt iodine content regulates the rate of hormones such as thyroxine produced by thyroid gland. These hormones regulate the rate of metabolism and balance the rate of growth. A daily intake of 150 gram of organic yogurt will provide an approximate 68% of your everyday iodine requirement. Try to take low-fat plain yogurt. For a child above 6 years an intake of 150g of yogurt will provide 85% of the recommended amount of required iodine.
3.) Cranberries for Iodine
Cranberries are fruits rich in antioxidants and is iodine. Cranberries can give you amount of iodine more than you need, an intake of 4 ounces of fresh cranberries contains 400 mcg of iodine. The taste of this fruit is sour, for which it becomes difficult to eat this. The best way to have this fruit is by taking out the juice. You can have the juice you can add a little bit of water. This will help you get the recommended amount of iodine for the day.
4.) Take Organic Potatoes for Iodine
Potatoes are easy to add to your diet. Organic potatoes are one of the top iodine rich foods. The best way to take potatoes for your daily diet of iodine is to have a baked potato. Other potatoes which are found in market absorb pesticides which are harmful to your health. So try to get organic once, a medium-sized baked potato gives you 60mcg of iodine. A cheerfully baked potato is an inexpensive source of iodine.
5.) Organic Strawberries Source of Iodine
Strawberry is a delicious fruit. It is rich in vitamins and minerals. Surprisingly this fruit is one of the iodine rich fruit. This tasty red fruit packs up to 10% of your daily requirement of iodine. Fresh or frozen strawberries give you 13 mcg of iodine. If you want to take strawberries to fulfil your iodine intake go for the fresh once, get them from local farmers or local market as they are organic and will never disappoint you. Don’t cook strawberries, the iodine content gets exhausted in the process of cooking.
6.) Baked Turkey Breast for Iodine
Apart from the vegetarian dishes, iodine rich foods can also be a delight for the non-vegetarians. Turkey breast is a rich source of iodine. This meat is from turkey and usually prepared for thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year eve. Well, you don’t need an eve for having this great dish. You can bake them add the slices of the turkey breast to your sandwich; slow cooked turkey breast is also rich in iodine. Three ounce of baked turkey breast meat provides you about 34 mcg of essential iodine that is 23% of our daily requirement of iodine.
7.) Boiled Eggs Rich Source of Iodine
Add eggs at your breakfast table, it is a rich source of iodine. It also provides other essential minerals, vitamins, zinc, calcium and antioxidants. A hardboiled egg is a versatile pack of your every day requirement. A boiled egg provides you approximately 10% of your daily requirement of iodine. You can have boiled eggs along with a green salad.
8.) Bananas Rich in Iodine
Speaking about iodine rich foods and fruits, banana is a remarkable source of iodine. It is an excellent food for boosting your energy and immune system. A medium size banana provides 3 mcg of iodine that is 2% of your daily requirement of iodine for a day. Some people don’t realise that banana contains iodine and is the best supplement for iodine. So, add this tasty fruit to your diet get the required amount of iodine.
9.) Cod for Iodine
The mild, moist and delicious cod-fish is an iodine rich food. Cod fish is a low-calorie fish packed with essential omega fatty acids, proteins, vitamins and minerals. If you are a seafood lover add this fish to your daily diet and get the recommended amount of iodine. A three-ounce of cod-fish provides you 99 mcg of iodine that is 99% of your daily requirement of this mineral. It is the best option for non-vegetarian amongst the iodine rich foods.
10.) Use Fortified Iodized Salts for Iodine
Iodized salt is a combination of various element of iodine. It is a table salt and the most common supplement of iodine. Iodine is a micronutrient and dietary mineral present naturally in food. Fortified iodized salt is most commonly confused with salt. Salt are classified as crystals and is a composition of sodium and chloride. You will find many brands of salt fortified with iodine. You should take a moderate amount of this salt to enjoy a healthy lifestyle.
11.) Organic Navy Beans Best Iodine Food
Beans are a great source of iodine. Navy beans is the healthiest one and is considered as one of the versatile foods on earth. It contains protein, copper, potassium, folate and essential mineral like iodine. Add this to your diet and fight back iodine deficiency and get the recommended amount of iodine. A cup of these beans provide 32mcg of iodine.
12.) Take Lobsters for Iodine
As we know sea is the storehouse of minerals. Sea foods are powerful pack of iodine. Lobster is a special dish and is usually served on special occasions. But if you are suffering from iodine deficiency make this as an essential part o f your diet. A serving of lobster can boast you with this mineral. A 100 gram of lobster gives you 100mcg of iodine which is approximately two third of your daily requirement of iodine.
