What Are the Top Sources of Iodine?
#1 Kelp granules – 81,650 mcg per serving
Seaweed, AKA sea vegetables are the densest sources of dietary iodine by far. If this top 13 list was a simple ranking, every entry would have been a sea vegetable.
#2 Sherbet – 1480 mcg per serving
#3 Hard candy – 680 mcg per serving
There are many processed foods that have much more iodine than would be expected. Iodine can come from flavors, color enhancers, and texturizers. Researchers have noted that there are no consistent clues from ingredient lists that show which are high in iodine.
#4 White bread, enriched – 610 mcg per serving
#5 Wheat bread, enriched – 530 mcg per serving
Before I said that gluten doesn’t hurt the thyroid. Yet many people find that their thyroid does better after they cut it out. Here is why – commercial grain products are often full of iodine! Yet flour does not have any. Whole grain products or things you bake at home are fine. But bread from a store is likely to be unsafe. Also consider the same to be true for bagels, rolls, biscuits, cookies, cakes, and donuts.
#6 Cod, pacific – 315 mcg per serving
#7 Haddock – 227 mcg per serving
Bummer because seafood is good. Thankfully there are a lot of low iodine options like trout, shrimp, and scallops.
#8 Eggs – 250 mcg per serving
Iodine is in egg yolks yet there is none in the whites. The exact amount from egg to egg can vary significantly but nearly all egg yolks contain more iodine than your thyroid needs. Thankfully you can use egg whites for nearly any recipe that calls for whole eggs.
#9 Skim milk – 360 mcg per serving
#10 Yogurt, low fat – 150 mcg per serving
#11 Swiss cheese – 150 mcg per serving
#12 Cottage cheese, 2% fat 72 mcg per serving
Dairy products are also sources of excessive iodine. Many find that avoiding bread and dairy helps their thyroid – and this is likely the reason. Other types of cheese and yogurt are not too different with the exception of plant-based milks and cheeses. These are low in iodine except for the few remaining brands that use carrageenan as a texturizer.
#13 Bacon – 59 mcg per serving
#14 Bologna – 43 mcg per serving
Processed meats have plenty of strikes against them. They elevate the risk for heart disease and stomach cancer, and they are usually too high in iodine. Like with bread and other processed foods, there are no ingredients on the label that always relate to iodine. When highly processed foods are made, there are many chemicals used that do not have to be listed. The ingredient lists are usually scary enough – but they are not the full picture.