{"id":1358,"date":"2018-04-23T09:24:31","date_gmt":"2018-04-23T09:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/besthealth.guide\/?p=1358"},"modified":"2021-10-06T01:03:49","modified_gmt":"2021-10-06T01:03:49","slug":"10-most-common-iodine-deficiency-symptoms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/besthealth.guide\/10-most-common-iodine-deficiency-symptoms\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Most Common Iodine Deficiency Symptoms"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Our body uses a number of different minerals for a variety of purposes. Iodine is among them, and its function in our body is very specific. It is a fundamental component of our thyroid hormones, which help regulate our metabolism. In other words, these hormones control the chemical processes and transformations that happen inside every single cell of our bodies, every second of our lives, and determine how we function. As you can see, a deficiency of iodine can have devastating effects on our health. Of course, those effects will depend on how important our deficiency is, but even a mild deficiency can affect our health. Iodine is present in many aliments, especially seafood and certain salts. When we don’t take enough iodine, we can develop a series of health problems, the 10 most common of which are listed below. If you have some of these symptoms you should consult a nutritionist and\/or endocrinologist.<\/p>\n

1. Goiter<\/h3>\n

A goiter<\/a> is the signature sign of a moderate to severe deficiency in iodine. It is an enlargement of the tissue beneath the skin of the throat, which grows in size and becomes more and more noticeable over time. The anatomic cause of the goiter is an increase in the size of the thyroid, a gland located in our throats which produces hormones that regulate the metabolism of our bodies, such as tyramine and tyrosine.<\/p>\n

Since iodine is a fundamental component of these hormones, a deficiency in said mineral will affect our thyroid function. In order to compensate for the lack of iodine, our thyroid will work harder and as a result, will grow larger in size. This change is dysfunctional and can cause breathing or eating problems if it is too severe because an enlarged thyroid can obstruct our airways or make it more difficult to swallow.<\/p>\n

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2. Increased sensitivity to cold<\/h3>\n

A lack of iodine<\/a> can make it more difficult for us to regulate the temperature of our bodies. Iodine activates brown fat deposits, which are responsible for keeping our body temperature warm enough; wihtout it, it is more difficult for us to regulate our temperature in a cold environment. Also, as stated before, when we have an iodine deficiency, the function of our thyroid gland is affected, and we can’t produce as much thyroid hormones as we need.<\/p>\n

Thyroid hormones regulate the metabolism in our bodies, which is the sum of all chemical reactions that take place inside our cells, and that release the energy that we need for all our functions and internal processes. These chemical reactions release heat as a side product. The less metabolic activity, the less heat, and therefore, the lower our body temperature is, so we can’t fight the cold in the environment.<\/p>\n

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3. Bradycardia<\/h3>\n

Bradychardia is the technical term that refers to a heart rate that is lower than normal. In other words, the heart of people with bradychardia beats less time per minute than it should. Since our heart pumps blood to our body, and insufficient heart rate might have catastrophic consequences in all our vital functions. If our heart doesn’t beat as fast as it should, the blood won’t reach our cells in due time, and the supply of nutrients, water, and oxygen will not be enough for them.<\/p>\n

As a result, people with bradychardia often feel fatigued<\/a>, dizzy, and too weak to perform their daily tasks. In more severe cases, a heart rate that is too low might mean that our brain isn’t getting as much blood as it should, and when that happens, it immediately starts shutting down to save energy for our vital functions, and we faint.<\/p>\n

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5. Fatigue<\/h3>\n

Low heart rate isn’t the only cause of fatigue or tiredness in people with iodine deficiency. Since the main function of iodine in our bodies is a key component of our thyroid<\/a> hormones, people who don’t take enough iodine in their diets will have metabolic problems. Basically, the more thyroid hormone we release, the faster our body burns calories and converts the molecules of the food that we eat and the oxygen that we breathe into useful products for our body, releasing energy.<\/p>\n

This energy will later be used for all the functions of our different systems. When we don’t have enough iodine, we produce fewer thyroid hormones, and the metabolic rate in our body decreases as a result. With less energy released from glucose, fat, and other molecules, we feel more tired and fatigued, even if we do get as much rest as we need at night.<\/p>\n

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6. Cognitive problems<\/h3>\n

The lower rate at which our bodies release energy and process the nutrients that we absorb from food will also negatively affect the function of our brain. As a matter of fact, our brain consumes as much as one-third of the total glucose<\/a> we take from our food because it is constantly burning energy so we can feel, think and respond to our environment.<\/p>\n

Low levels of iodine will slow down the release of energy, so our brain is like a car running on not enough fuel: it cannot go very far. Iodine deficiency is known to decrease our performance in cognitive tasks as well as make it harder for us to remember things and find solutions for problems. It is also associated with a smaller hippocampus, which is the part of our brain that stores memories of the events of our life and our emotions.<\/p>\n

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7. Weight gain<\/h3>\n

Our body weight is the result of the relation between how many calories<\/a> we take when we eat and how many we burn. There are other factors, like bone density or muscular mass, but when discussing weight gain or loss what people usually talk about is how much fat accumulates inside our tissues. We can influence our weight by varying the number of calories that we eat, but also our metabolism plays a big part in the whole picture.<\/p>\n

The more and the faster we burn calories, the less weight we will gain; inversely, if for some reason, say, an iodine deficiency, our metabolism slows down, then we will burn less fat and it will start piling up between our cells, causing weight gain. What is important to point out here is that weight gain caused by an iodine deficiency does not have any correlation with a change in the quantity or quality of the food we eat.<\/p>\n

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8. Thin hair<\/h3>\n

Iodine<\/a> deficiency can also have consequences on the outside of our bodies. If we pay attention, we can detect changes in the way we look and the texture of our hair and our skin; however, these changes are often so progressive and slow that it is difficult to realize we have a deficiency before it has become very significative. In the case of hair, not having enough iodine can slow down or even stop the regeneration of the cells of the hair folicles on our head and body.<\/p>\n

Hair folicles are the sources of hair strands, and the growth of our hair is the result of these cells reproducing and multiplying. A decreased rate of cell multiplication will weaken our hair and make it thinner and more coarse, and even break or fall in more severe cases of deficiency. Once we get enough iodine again, our hair starts growing stronger.<\/p>\n

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9. Dry skin<\/h3>\n

One of the many processes in our bodies that is regulated by thyroid hormones in the production of sweat. When thyroid hormones reach our sweat glands, they stimulate them, and these glands start working at a higher rate. Without enough thyroid hormones in our blood, we will produce less sweat. For this reason, people with iodine deficiency tend to sweat less, for example when the weather is hot or when they are nervous. However, even if there are occasions when we sweat more than usual, we actually produce a small dose of sweat every day which keeps our skin moisturized and flexible.<\/p>\n

If our sweat glands work less than usual, then our skin will become dry and more fragile. Additionally, an insufficiency of iodine will decrease the rate at which the cells of our skin regenerate, and for that reason, it could become flaky and more sensitive.<\/p>\n

Menstrual problems. An iodine deficiency will also affect the dynamics of female sexual hormones. Said hormones do not only develop and maintain the secondary sexual traits of female bodies, but also induce the different stages of the menstrual cycle, including the periods. Women with an iodine deficiency might see their periods altered in a way that is very similar to what happens with hypothyroidism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Insufficiency of iodine will affect the rhythm of the periods, making each cycle be longer or shorter than the previous one, making periods irregular and unpredictable. Moreover, the impact of low iodine on female hormones can also affect the amount of blood lost in every period. Low iodine is associated with heavier periods, lasting for longer and\/or losing more blood in the same amount of days. Heavier periods may increase the risk of anemia, or the debilitating effects that bleeding normally have on the human body.<\/p>\n

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10. Infancy problems<\/h3>\n

Pregnant women are at increased risk of iodine deficiency because not only do they need it for themselves but also for the fetus<\/a> growing inside of them; even after birth, they keep providing the baby with iodine through breastfeeding. The consequences of iodine deficiency in pregnant women, and therefore in their offspring, can be quite devastating. There is an increased risk of pregnancy problems including an early delivery, miscarriages, or stillborn babies when compared with mothers with enough iodine.<\/p>\n

Those who manage to survive and be born, often show severe consequences in their development, especially in their brains. Mothers without enough iodine in their blood when they are pregnant are more likely to bring into this world babies with mental retardation or development disorders. There is a specific condition, called cretinism, that affects babies with severe iodine deprivation, and produces mental retardation as well as other growth problems.<\/p>\n\r\n

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