Last Friday, I was feeling so sick, and boy was I glad to have Devon volunteer to do this month's grocery shopping. He did a really good job, I have to say. However, I was unpacking and came across the salt:- Non-iodized salt. Usually, and especially because I am a vegetarian, I always buy salt with iodine. Iodine most commonly occurs in fish. I asked him about it, and as it turns out, he could not find the salt with the iodine and bought this one, after he had done research on other plant-based sources of iodine. This motivated me to do my own research on iodine.
Why is iodine so important in the first place?
Iodine is important for healthy hormone development. It is one of the chief causes of mental retardation in children. Iodine deficiency can lead to goitre, which is an enlarged thyroid. A healthy functioning thyroid is important, because it is from our thyroid that our metabolism is regulated. Other symptoms include dry skin, depression, weight gain, hair loss, fatigue and slowed reflexes. Lack of iodine is a major problem in developing countries and is considered to be the world's number one cause of preventable intellectual disability in children
PLANT-BASED SOURCES OF IODINE
Vegetarians are at an increased risk of Iodine deficiency, since we do not eat seafood. Other sources include:-
Iodised salt
Seaweed
Egg
Dairy products
Breastmilk is the best source of iodine for newborns
Baked potato with the peel
For vegetarians, the highest source of iodine is seaweed, then iodised salt. I've heard that seaweed is a great snack, especially for toddlers,so next on the agenda, is finding out where I can get some.
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