I am 58 years old and eat low salt because of my high blood pressure. How do I get enough iodine to keep my thyroid healthy? Jozo salt (with iodine) is not an option for me. According to the Nutrition Center I should eat six sandwiches a day to get enough iodine, but I eat at most three.
Joris Bartsra, journalist with medical degree:
Don’t worry too much, iodine deficiency is rare in the Netherlands. Almost all our food contains some iodine, so you can always get it together. With those three sandwiches you are already half of what you need on a daily basis. Iodine is naturally present in seawater and via evaporation (rain showers) also ends up in plant foods – and via that ‘route’ also in meat, dairy and eggs.
Daily recommended amount
Good sources of iodine are sea fish, seafood and seaweed, but salt substitutes also contain iodine. If you are nevertheless concerned about an iodine deficiency, a multivitamin preparation will suffice. These vitamins actually all contain the recommended daily amount of iodine. If you have complaints that you think could be the thyroid gland (including fatigue, depression, being cold, dry skin, becoming fat), you can always have the thyroid function checked by your doctor with a blood test
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