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Is Iodine a Safe Thyroid Supplement?

Keeping Iodine in its Proper Place

Aug 12, 2009 Jim Lowrance

Iodine is an essential element needed for proper thyroid function. In some thyroid disease cases however, iodine supplementation may be contraindicated (risks involved).

Many companies that manufacture supplements advertised to boost thyroid function often place high levels of iodine content in them or include ingredients that are rich in iodine, such as kelp (seaweed-algae). While reasonable levels of iodine intake is healthy for people with non-diseased thyroid glands, it can have adverse effects in some cases when thyroid disease is present or if other thyroid treatments are already being administered.

Iodine for Treating Hypothyroidism

The only hypothyroid condition, in which iodine is administered as the treatment, is iodine deficiency hypothyroidism. The condition is not common in industrialized countries that have iodized table salt and healthy iodine-rich foods available. Endemic goiters caused by low iodine are a feature of the condition and medical lab testing can also help to identify it.

If hypothyroidism is from any other cause, thyroid hormone replacement will be the prescribed treatment. A diseased thyroid gland or one not properly regulated by the endocrine brain-glands (central hypothyroidism) cannot be restored to normal function through iodine replacement therapy. Thyroid hormone is what is missing in these cases and there is no substitute for replacement hormone therapy.

Iodine Adverse in Combination with Thyroid Hormone Therapy

When thyroid hormone is taken orally, this replaces the thyroid gland’s job in manufacturing thyroid hormone from iodine. It can no longer perform this function due to a disease process in the gland or dysfunction of other endocrine glands that regulate the thyroid as mentioned previously. Taking iodine supplements in addition to a thyroid hormone dose could have adverse effects because a diseased thyroid is unable to absorb the surplus of iodine.

As a result, the levels of added iodine may become abnormally high in the blood stream, causing a toxic reaction in the body. In addition to this, it may also affect the stability of a thyroid hormone dose and cause monitored levels of the hypothyroid therapy to be less accurate on blood retests.

Iodine Toxicity

Iodine a Direct cause of Thyroid Disease?

In medical research studies regarding iodine supplementation, it has been found that abnormally high levels can increase the risk for developing conditions of thyroid autoimmunity (autoimmune thyroiditis). These would be the diseases that cause the immune system to attack the thyroid gland via auto-antibodies that destroy the proteins in the gland responsible for converting iodine into thyroid hormone. It may be that the body detects the risk for thyrotoxicity (hyperthyroidism) from highly elevated iodine levels and as a result, turns against the thyroid gland in attempt to halt the onset of thyroid hormone imbalance.

Additionally, patients scheduled for radioactive iodine uptake scans or who are hyperthyroid and scheduled for radioactive iodine ablation of their thyroid glands (removal by tissue destruction) are asked to remove all iodine from their diets. This no-iodine or in some cases low-iodine (reduced but not eliminated) diet recommendation prescribed by treating doctors depends on each individual thyroid disease case. This, points to the importance in thyroid patients discussing with their doctors what role iodine plays in their particular case and in also informing their doctors about any supplement they may be taking that contains iodine, even if it is only trace amounts found in a multi-vitamin.

Linking Iodine with Autoimmune Thyroiditis-PubMed

The copyright of the article Is Iodine a Safe Thyroid Supplement? in General Medicine is owned by Jim Lowrance. Permission to republish Is Iodine a Safe Thyroid Supplement? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Iodine