The Best Form of Iodine

If you’re looking to consume more iodine via your diet, then you could consume more seaweed or fish. But if you’re not a fan of seafood you might want to opt for an iodine supplement. Nascent iodine is a consumable form of iodine. It contains an electromagnetic charge, which means it converts into thyroid hormones (THs) once ingested. The human body recognizes and assimilates nascent iodine easily because of this charge.

Learn more: Why Iodine Supplements Could Be a Godsend for Brits

The 9 Proven Benefits of Nascent Iodine

1. Iodine Promotes Thyroid Health

The thyroid gland needs iodine to produce hormones that regulate the body’s metabolism. Iodine cannot be created in the body, and must be consumed via the diet. Without enough iodine, the thyroid gland can become underactive (hypothyroidism).(1) Taking nascent iodine helps stimulate the thyroid gland to produce more hormones so you have better metabolism control and less weight gain.

Related: Vitamin D Deficiency and Thyroid Health: What’s the Link?

2. Improved Mood

A deficiency in iodine can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability and other mental health problems like bipolar disorder.(2) Taking supplemental iodine reduces these symptoms because it helps restore normal hormone levels in the body. A combination of iodine supplementation and selenium (3) have been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety and depression in some people.

Related: Depressed, Low Immunity, Acne or Cold Sores? You Might Need Zinc

3. Protection From Nuclear Fallout & Radiation-Induced Disease

Iodine also protects against radiation-induced disease (9) by blocking absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland. If your body doesn’t absorb enough non-toxic iodine, like nascent iodine, then it will absorb the radioactive iodine instead. Radioactive iodine is one of the most dangerous components of nuclear fallout. It can cause thyroid cancer, as well as other health problems.

Related: Supplements for protection from 5G and EMF radiation

4. Supporting Your Immune System

Iodine deficiency can lead to immune system dysfunction (4) and an increased risk of certain diseases — like autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Graves disease — because it affects how your body responds to infections. However, getting enough iodine has been shown to improve immune response and reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Learn more: What Vitamins Should You Take to Boost Your Immune System?

5. Neurodevelopment during pregnancy

Iodine is an essential mineral that’s necessary for normal brain development in babies (5) and children. During pregnancy, it’s important for expectant mothers to consume enough iodine so their babies can grow and develop properly. This ensures that the child will be healthy and less likely to develop disorders like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Related: Probiotics During Pregnancy: The Benefits to Mother and Child

6. Reducing Cholesterol Levels

Nascent iodine can help lower your cholesterol levels (7) by increasing your body’s excretion rate of bile acids in the liver. This reduces your risk of developing high cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis and heart attack.

Related: 7 Effective Supplements to Naturally Lower Your Cholesterol

7. Improving Cognitive Function

Nascent iodine is a powerful tool in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. It is also great for improving cognitive function in general.(6) The brain depends on iodine to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is essential for proper brain function. Iodine has also been shown to be required for the production of thyroid hormones T3 and T4, which regulate energy balance, growth, development and body temperature.

Related: Exploring the Heart–Brain Axis and How Stress Kills

8. Essential for Skin Health

Nascent iodine can help prevent acne breakouts. Acne is a common problem for many people due to hormonal imbalances and imbalanced gut flora. If you have acne breakouts and want to try something new to treat them, consider using nascent iodine topically on your skin as an alternative to harsh chemicals like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or sulphates. You can use it diluted as a cleanser or leave-on treatment for best results.

Related: 7 Valuable Nutrients That Help Skin Health from the Inside Out

9. Helps Prevent Infections

Nascent iodine, which is a liquid form of iodine that contains all three of the essential iodine molecules (iodide, iodate and molecular iodine) has been shown to be effective at killing bacteria and viruses. Iodine is a popular topical antimicrobial that has been used in clinical practice since the 1840s.

Dosage & Time of Day To Take Iodine

The recommended daily intake of iodine (8) is 150 micrograms per day for adults and 220 micrograms per day during pregnancy. However, this isn’t always enough to ensure optimal iodine levels. In saying that, it’s important not to underestimate the power of iodine. So don’t exceed recommended daily doses.

Nascent iodine is not just any iodine supplement — it’s arguably the best form of supplemental iodine available today. Nascent iodine has a very high absorption rate and goes directly into your cells without being converted into iodide first like most other forms of supplemental iodine do. The iodine content of nascent iodine is approximately 90% more bioavailable than the iodine found in table salt. This means that you need less nascent iodine to get the same amount of iodine into your body when compared to table salt.

Is Nascent Iodine Safe for Children?

Nascent iodine is safe for children, as long as they are above one year of age. It’s not recommended for babies because their thyroids are still developing. The iodine in nascent iodine supplements is absorbed by the thyroid gland, which helps regulate hormones in the body.

Written by best-selling author and integrative nutrition health coach Rowanna Watson, who has a passion for natural health. Rowanna is an expert in all areas of holistic health, plant-based nutrition, detoxification and personal development. https://rowannawatson.com/

Water for Health Ltd began trading in 2007 with the goal of positively affecting the lives of many. We still retain that mission because we believe that proper hydration and nutrition can make a massive difference to people’s health and quality of life. Click  here  to find out more.

Updated 28.10.24

1. Zimmermann MB, Boelaert K. (2015) Iodine deficiency and thyroid disorders. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2015 Apr;3(4):286-95. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(14)70225-6. Epub 2015 Jan 13. PMID: 25591468. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25591468/

2. Hendrick V, Altshuler L, Whybrow P. (1998) Psychoneuroendocrinology of mood disorders. The hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. Psychiatr Clin North Am. 1998 Jun;21(2):277-92. doi: 10.1016/s0193-953x(05)70005-8. PMID: 9670226.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9670226/

3. Turan E, Karaaslan O. (2020)The Relationship between Iodine and Selenium Levels with Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Euthyroid Nodular Goiter. Oman Med J. 2020 Jul 31;35(4):e161. doi: 10.5001/omj.2020.84. PMID: 32802419; PMCID: PMC7418102. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7418102/

4. Bilal MY, Dambaeva S, Kwak-Kim J, Gilman-Sachs A, Beaman KD. (2017) A Role for Iodide and Thyroglobulin in Modulating the Function of Human Immune Cells. Front Immunol. 2017 Nov 15;8:1573. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01573. PMID: 29187856; PMCID: PMC5694785. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5694785/

5. The American Thyroid Association. (2018). Thyroid and Pregnancy. Clinical Thyroidology for the Public. https://www.thyroid.org/patient-thyroid-information/ct-for-patients/december-2018/vol-11-issue-12-p-5-6/

6. Dugbartey AT. (1998) Neurocognitive aspects of hypothyroidism. Arch Intern Med. 1998 Jul 13;158(13):1413-8. doi: 10.1001/archinte.158.13.1413. PMID: 9665349. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9665349/

7. Herter-Aeberli, Isabelle et al. (2015) Iodine Supplementation Decreases Hypercholesterolemia in Iodine-Deficient, Overweight Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 145, Issue 9, 2067 - 2075. https://jn.nutrition.org/article/S0022-3166(22)08861-7/fulltext

8. National Institues of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Iodine Factsheet for Consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-Consumer/

9. World Health Organization. (2023) Use of potassium iodine for thyroid protection during nuclear or radiological emergencies. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/use-of-potassium-iodine-for-thyroid-protection-during-nuclear-or-radiological-emergencies