This article was last updated 22 November 2011
If you attempt to stick to a healthy diet and cut back upon salt, dairy, meat as well as eggs, you're on the right track. Right? Well, sounds like a good strategy however it might set you up to have an iodine deficiency. however you can do an iodine test.
Iodine is really a mineral required by the thyroid to produce hormones that regulate all major metabolic features, so it is good to do regular iodine test. In addition to thyroid hormone, iodine is also required for production of other hormones and supports a healthy immune system. It is not really produced by the body and should be derived from dietary sources or supplements. Signs of iodine deficiency might include a goiter, weight obtain, cold intolerance, fatigue, miscarriage or even mental retardation, but this can be prevented by iodine test.
Iodine is found in the soil and ocean water and in meals grown in iodine wealthy soil or harvested from the sea, such as seaweed, shellfish as well as saltwater fish. It is also contained in meat, poultry, eggs and dairy derived from animals who have given on plants grown in iodine-containing soil. In 1924, the U. S. government started to supplement regular table salt with iodine to cures the incidence of iodine deficiency and the effect was to substantially eliminate the incidence of goiter in the U. S.
However, today Dr. David Brownstein, author of Iodine, Why You need It, Why You Cannot Live Without It, believes there is an undiagnosed epidemic associated with iodine deficiency. He arbitrarily tested 5, 000 patients and found that 96% had low iodine levels and the vast majority of those were severely lacking. In addition, a study by the National Health and Nourishment Examination Survey showed that between 1970 and 1990, iodine levels in the U. S. population dropped by a lot more than 50% due to dietary recommendations to limit egg and salt consumption and because of the reduced use of iodized salt in some packaged foods.
It is possible to get a urine test through your doctor to determine in case you are iodine deficient. It is also possible, however to iodine tes tyourself in your own home. Here's how. Get a bottle associated with 2% iodine tincture at the drugstore. With a Q-tip cotton swab, paint a 2-inch square on the medial side your forearm just beneath the elbow. Let the patch dry. Don't bathe or swim till the patch fades. If the iodine patch fades away in less than 10-12 hours, it indicates a requirement for increased iodine.
When you fail the test and also have other symptoms, consult your medical provider .