Iodine is one of the many mineral nutrients that our bodies need to function. From promoting thyroid function to helping to determine metabolism, iodine plays a key role in numerous tasks in the human body. Unfortunately, not everyone gets enough iodine in their diet. This can be detrimental to health, especially in pregnant women. During pregnancy, it’s absolutely essential that women get enough iodine in their diets.
The Importance of Iodine During Pregnancy
It’s important to remember that a healthy mom has a better chance of having a healthy baby, so it’s crucial for expecting mothers to do everything they can to ensure they’re getting all of the mineral nutrients and vitamins they should be. But what does iodine do exactly? Iodine is essential for a lot of functions in the body: regulating thyroid hormones, stabilizing metabolism and heart rate, as well as helping to control body temperature. Because of how important iodine is for all of these bodily functions, moms-to-be should ensure they’re getting enough iodine.
Sources of Iodine
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways expectant mothers can get the recommend daily amount of iodine. Normally, people should have a dietary intake of 100-150 mcg/day. But because pregnant women are eating for two, they usually need more than that. It’s important for pregnant women to talk to their doctors about how much iodine they should be getting each day.
There are two simple and easy ways for pregnant women to up their iodine intake. First, through the food they eat. There are tons of food items rich in iodine: seafood, yogurt, milk, eggs, cheese, and beans are just a few of the many foods that provide plenty of iodine. But switching up a diet isn’t always enough to increase the amount of mineral nutrients being consumed. Fortunately, there are iodine supplements. Using iodine as a health supplement is an easy and effective way to ensure enough iodine is being consumed. This way, expectant mothers can rest assured that they’re providing their baby with all the iodine they need to grow.
As you can see, iodine is essential for everybody, but especially for pregnant women. With the right amount of iodine, babies can grow properly and be as healthy as their moms.
