Seeking Health Optimal Iodine 12.5 mg Review

Iodine helps thyroid health mainly in people who do not get enough of it. This product gives 12.5 milligrams a day, far above the 150 to 400 micrograms used in the helpful studies. In three trials of 1551 pregnant women in iodine-poor areas, supplements cut childhood cretinism by about 73 percent and infant deaths by about 29 percent ^[1]. In 166 people with goitre caused by low iodine, 400 micrograms daily for 8 months shrank the thyroid by about 37 percent, and most of the shrinkage lasted after stopping ^[2]. After salt iodization, goitre in Polish children fell from 35.4 to 6.3 percent, though thyroid antibodies rose in some children ^[3]. A similar drop was seen in Turkish schoolchildren ^[4]. In 365 pregnant women in New York, 150 micrograms daily lowered the risk of iodine deficiency from 39 to 23 percent ^[5]. More is not better: in 55 people recovering from thyroid surgery, 1 milligram daily for 20 weeks delayed recovery, and all who had surgery on both sides were underactive at 6 months versus 38 percent on placebo ^[6]. No study given tested a dose as high as this product. Animal and cell studies are never counted.

The panel is split on iodine, the main ingredient here: four of the ten lean toward recommending it, while the rest are neutral or cautious, and two of the ten did not speak about it at all. Those who like it take it to support thyroid hormone production, with others also citing estrogen balance, breast health, and healthy development in pregnancy. Several prefer getting it from seaweed, kelp, seafood, or iodized salt, and doses mentioned were 100 to 200 micrograms for general thyroid support and 500 to 3,000 micrograms in the morning for therapeutic use, since iodine can be stimulating. Pairing with selenium came up, with a warning against high iodine when selenium is low. The most common caution, from about half the panel, is that high iodine can raise the risk of autoimmune thyroid disease, and one panelist said high doses should not be taken while breastfeeding, so the 12.5 mg amount in this product is far above the doses the panel described.

The review summary is drawn from reviews of a different product, Iodoral, not from reviews of Seeking Health Optimal Iodine, so it must be set aside. Its reviews are set aside, so it is graded on its studies alone. Human studies support Iodine (14 of 45 human studies showed an improvement), but there are not yet enough reviews to confirm it (0).

Combine with: Iodine is a core substrate for thyroid hormone synthesis, so pair it with the other nutrients the thyroid needs. Selenium (100-200 mcg as selenomethionine or selenium glycinate) supports the glutathione peroxidase and deiodinase enzymes that protect the thyroid from oxidative stress and convert T4 to active T3; it is especially important when taking higher-dose iodine. Zinc (15-30 mg) and iron, if ferritin is low, support T4-to-T3 conversion and thyroid peroxidase activity. Tyrosine provides the amino acid backbone of thyroid hormones. Vitamin D, magnesium, and B vitamins (B12, riboflavin) support general endocrine and energy metabolism. At 12.5 mg this is a high dose far above the 150 mcg RDA, so use it only under practitioner guidance with periodic TSH, free T3/T4 and thyroid antibody monitoring. People with Hashimoto's, Graves' disease, or nodules should be especially cautious, because excess iodine can trigger or worsen thyroid dysfunction, and selenium should be in place first.