Why Iodized Salt? 

      by  Seethalakshmi Seshabhushan Nagaraja MS BS BE RDN                                                                                          Published on July 25, 2019 | Updated on August 1, 2019

Do you pass the iodized salt or pass on the iodized salt? According to the 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, controlling your consumption of sodium is beneficial for health. The daily recommendations are 1500 mg to 2300 mg of sodium per day. Limit your total daily intake to 1 teaspoon of salt that contains about 2300 mg of sodium. If you have hypertension or high blood pressure, reducing your salt intake to 1500 mg of sodium may help with your blood pressure management. Always consult and follow your doctor’s recommendations on medications and dosage.

There are many varieties of salt and salt alternatives. Iodized salt is a healthy alternative to regular salt. Cooking with iodized salt instead of regular salt does not alter the flavor of foods.

Health benefits and important functions of iodine

Iodine is a trace mineral that is essential for good health -
• Iodine is a necessary component of thyroid hormones
• Iodine is necessary for normal metabolic rate
• Iodine supports optimal utilization of oxygen and thus helps with maintenance of normal basal metabolism.
• Iodine is required for normal regulation of body temperature
• Iodine is required for normal reproduction and healthy pregnancy
• Iodine is vital for normal healthy growth of babies and children
• Iodine supports important physical functions

Energy & metabolism

Your basal metabolism is the amount of energy that you need when you are at complete rest. You need more energy during periods of physical activity or when you are working than when you are at complete rest.

Did you know?

• Iodine is added to foods and vitamins as potassium iodide
• Iodized salt ¼ teaspoon or 1.5 g contains 45% of recommended amount of iodine
• Iodized sea salt ¼ teaspoon or 1.3 g contains 40% of recommended amount of iodine
• Centrum multivitamins formulated for women – 1 tablet contains 150 µg or100% of recommended amount of iodine
• Plants grown in iodine rich soil are a source of iodine for humans and animals.
• Dough conditioners used to make bread contain iodates.

How much iodine?

Recommended Dietary Allowance or RDA is the average daily amount of a nutrient considered adequate to meet the needs of most healthy people.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level or UL represents the estimated maximum daily amount of a nutrient that appears safe for most healthy people to consume on a regular basis.

Iodine Recommendations - RDA & UL

Age yr	Iodine RDA µg/day	Iodine UL µg/day
1 to 3	90	200
4 to 8	90	300
9 to 13	120	600
14 to 18	150	900
19 to 30	150	1100
31 to 50	150	1100
51 to 70	150	1100
> 70	150	1100
Women During Pregnancy
18 and younger	220	900
19 to 30	220	1100
31 to 50	220	1100
Women During Lactation
18 and younger	290	900
19 to 30	290	1100
31 to 50	290	1100

Note
Do not consume more iodine than the recommended upper limit. Always consult with your doctor if you are taking thyroid medications as you may have iodine restrictions.

Are you consuming adequate iodine?

Food Sources of Iodine

Food	Iodine	Sodium
Iodized salt ¼ teaspoon or 1.5 g	68 µg or 45% of daily recommended amount of iodine	590 mg or 26% of daily recommended amount of sodium
Iodized sea salt ¼ teaspoon or 1.3 g	60 µg or 40% of daily recommended amount of iodine	530 mg or 23% of daily recommended amount of sodium
salt, Lite, iodized, Morton 100 g	6500 µg
salt, iodized, Morton 100 g	6500 µg

Food Sources of Iodine

Food	Iodine µg of iodine contained per 100 g of food
Caramels	35
milk chocolate candy	71.5
Sucker	42.4
Brownie, ready-to-eat	21.6
cake, chocolate with chocolate icing, ready-to-eat / frozen	44.8
cake, yellow with white icing, from mix	87.8
cookie, chocolate with crème filling	76
Danish / sweet roll, ready-to-eat / frozen	59.9
doughnut with icing, from doughnut store	31.8
doughnut, cake type, ready-to-eat / frozen	25
ice cream, chocolate	45
ice cream, vanilla	57.7
ice cream, vanilla light	72.3
sherbet, fruit flavor	147
corn flakes	93
American cheese	53.1
cheddar cheese	56.6
cottage cheese, 2% fat	40
cream cheese	45.6
Swiss cheese	115
milk, nonfat	42.6
milk, 2% fat	45.2
milk, whole	45.2
chocolate milk	45.3
half and half cream	41.1
yogurt, 2% fat, plain	33
yogurt, 2% fat, strawberry	20
sour cream	43.9
eggs, soft-boiled	39.9
cod / haddock fillet, baked	116
fish sticks, frozen, heated	60.5
salmon steak / filet, fresh / frozen, baked	21.5
shrimp, breaded and fried, homemade	41
tuna, canned in oil	20
prune dried	30
Bagel	46.2
Bread, cracked wheat	51.2
bread, white	83.1
roll, white, enriched	81
cowpeas, boiled	26
navy beans, boiled	39
meal replacement liquid, ready-to-drink	152

Reference

1. Whitney, Eleanor Noss, and Sharon Rady Rolfes. Understanding Nutrition. Cengage, 2019.
2. Pennington, Jean A. Thompson., and Judith Spungen. Bowes & Church's Food Values of Portions Commonly Used. 19th ed., LWW, 2010.
3. Tørris C, Småstuen MC, Molin M. Nutrients in Fish and Possible Associations with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Metabolic Syndrome. Nutrients. Published 2018 Jul 23.
4. Karmakar N, Datta A, Nag K, Datta SS, Datta S. Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding household consumption of iodized salt among rural women of Tripura, India - A mixed-methods study. J Educ Health Promot. Published 2019 Jan 29.
5. NIH. Health Information. Iodine. ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/. Accessed July 25, 2019.