Iodine is certainly not a dietary supplement which is used in common supplementation when it comes to our health. However, nothing is more wrong! Especially when we are talking about something very important in the life of every bodybuilder (no matter whether professional or amateur one) - metabolism. In this text, we will take a closer look at how iodine affects our body and why it is so important for its proper functioning.
Iodine and thyroid hormone - why are they related?
At the very beginning, the most important issue - the thyroid hormone is responsible for our metabolism and the development of our body (including brain growth). When we have too little of this hormone in our blood, the brain sends a signal to the thyroid to increase its production. In this case, iodine enters the action because if our diet does not have enough of this mineral, then our gland begins to grow to be able to produce more hormone. In this case, we are talking about the creation of the nodules. In the case of long-term absence of iodine in the body appear more serious diseases, as:
- hair loss
- fatigue
- drying of the skin
- lack of energy
Where can we find iodine?
Fortunately, iodine is very easy to find in many products, like
- milk products
- seafood
- seaweed
- eggs
- bread
- vegetables
- iodized salt
Of particular interest here is bread, because in some situations the normally added salt has been replaced with iodized one which boosts iodine content.
In the case of adult men and women, the daily, recommended dose of iodine in micrograms is the same - 150 mcg.
In the case of dietary deficiencies, an important option may be widely available in dietary supplements. However, it is worth remembering that a varied diet full of vegetables should be enough for many people to maintain an adequate level of iodine in the body.
Summary
The lack of iodine in the body may end up being quite serious for many people, which is why a proper diet is obligatory here. If we want to be sure that our metabolism works in an optimal way, then certainly we need to be interested in how much iodine we eat during the day and whether we do not need to change our way of feeding or eat some dietary supplements.
