8 Signs Of Iodine Deficiency You Might Not Expect

Health Coach Kait (BSc Nutrition & Exercise) is a certified health and nutrition coach, and today she’s here to talk about iodine—which is important for many of our body functions, from thyroid hormone production to metabolic regulation to heart rate management, as well as more superficial-but-important-too things like our skin and hair.

Kait’s hitlist

Here’s what she recommends we look out for:

• Swollen neck: even a slightly swollen neck might indicate low iodine levels (this is because that’s where the thyroid glands are)
• Hair loss: iodine is needed for healthy hair growth, so a deficiency can lead to hair loss / thinning hair
• Dry and flaky skin: with iodine’s role in our homeostatic system not being covered, our skin can dry out as a result
• Feeling cold all the time: because of iodine’s temperature-regulating activities
• Slow heart rate: A metabolic slump due to iodine deficiency can slow down the heart rate, leading to fatigue and weakness (and worse, if it persists)
• Brain fog: trouble focusing can be a symptom of the same metabolic slump
• Fatigue: this is again more or less the same thing, but she said eight signs, so we’re giving you the eight!
• Irregular period (if you normally have such, of course): because iodine affects reproductive hormones too, an imbalance can disrupt menstrual cycles.

For more on each of these, as well as how to get more iodine in your diet, enjoy:

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Further reading

You might also like to read:

• A Fresh Take On Hypothyroidism
• Foods For Managing Hypothyroidism (incl. Hashimoto’s)
• Eat To Beat Hyperthyroidism!

Take care!