Low Iodine Levels – The Cause Of Your Weight Gain, Brain Fog & Low Energy?

I recently discovered that I had low iodine levels.

I was presenting with puffiness, brain fog, low energy, low thyroid function, interrupted sleep and fluid retention. I talk more about it in my second book and online program and how it impacted my overall thyroid function.

Iodine is such a vital nutrient. It is important for breast health, thyroid function, hormonal balance, energy, sleep and immune function.

It seems the soils in Australia are low in iodine (and other minerals) – therefore our food may be lacking in this vital nutrient. Further, the brassica family of veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, kale) in large amounts have been linked to leached iodine as they are ‘goitragenic’ and can cause thyroid issues. Finally, from clinical experience and feedback from my community, I’ve noticed that many of us have compromised gut health, meaning we may not be able to absorb the minerals as we should.

If you feel you are gaining weight or not losing it despite doing all the right things, living in a brain fog or suffering from low energy it may be worthwhile to get a spot iodine test done (via urine) to check your levels if you are presenting with any negative symptoms.

Since I found out about my low iodine, I have been supplementing with iodine under the guidance of my doctor and noticed a huge improvement in my energy, sleep and thyroid function.

I think limiting brassica veggies to 3-4x/week and only eating them when very well cooked also helps. I now choose to avoid them at lunch and enjoy at dinner instead.

I do prefer supplementing with iodine in the form of kelp – but this must be under the guidance of a practitioner. As self-diagnosing or supplementing can be problematic and lead to too much iodine, which could also hurt your thyroid. It needs to be just the right balance – and according to how low your levels are. The JSHealth Hair + Energy formula has a therapeutic dose of Iodine but is still under the max so give this a go!

As a nutritionist, I like to see iodine levels above 100 Iu/ml. Your doctor or nutritionist can test for this with ease.

Let me know how you go,

x J