by Naweko San-Joyz
Iodine is a trace mineral that regulates thyroid hormones while promoting normal growth and development. It is present in iodized salt, seafood and crops grown in iodine rich soil.
So you”ve read that excessive amounts of iodine can irritate your pores and provoke acne. So what do you do? Avoid excess iodine, right?
But iodine shows up in a motley of unassuming locals as Jean Carper, points out in Food Your Miracle Medicine. For instance, the Recommended Daily Allowance, RDA, of iodine for adults is 150 mcg, but one cup of milk has 88mcg of iodine, that”s over half of the RDA. One egg has 24 mcg and a slice of American cheese carries 16 mcg of iodine. And the content of iodine in some fast food meals has exceeded the RDA by as much as 10 times.
Just because excess iodine may provoke acne does not mean you want to ex it out our your diet. Poor iodine intake can result in Goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland, and Cretinism, which causes dwarfism and mental retardation
Foods that contain large amounts of iodine include:
%B7Iodized salt, sea salt, and salty foods. Because it’s hard to know which restaurants use iodized salt, you might want to avoid eating out during this time
%B7All dairy products (milk, sour cream, cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream)
%B7Margarine
%B7Egg yolks
%B7Seafood (fish, shellfish, seaweed, kelp)
%B7Foods that contain carrageen, agar-agar, algin, or alginate – all of these are made from seaweed
%B7Many prepared and/or cured meats (ham, bacon, sausage, corned beef, etc)
%B7Fresh chicken or turkey with broth or additives injected
%B7Dried fruit
%B7Canned vegetables
%B7Commercial bakery products
%B7Chocolate
%B7Molasses
%B7Soy products (soy sauce, soy milk, tofu)
%B7Any vitamins or supplements that contain iodine
%B7FD%26C red dye %233 – this appears in many foods or pills that are red or brown, including colas
Foods with moderate amounts of iodine include:
%B7Egg whites
%B7Fresh noncured meat from the butcher
%B7Matzoh
%B7Homemade bread made with non-iodized salt and oil (not soy!) instead of butter or milk
%B7Most fresh fruits and vegetables (butnot too much spinach %26 broccoli), washed well
%B7Frozen vegetables that don’t have high-iodine ingredients (like regular salt) added
%B7Canned peaches, pears and pineapples
%B7Natural unsalted peanut butter
%B7Clear sodas
%B7Coffee or tea, as long as it’s made with distilled water. But remember, only non-dairy creamer!
%B7Popcorn popped in vegetable oil or air popped, with non-iodized salt
%B7Sorbet – but remember to check the ingredient list for FD%26C red dye %233!
As with all things, self-knowledge and moderation are the keys to divine health. It”s always good to know what you are eating before it starts eating away at you.
About the Author
Naweko San-Joyz writes health and beauty articles from her home in San Diego. She recently published “Acne Messages: Crack the code of your zits and say goodbye to acne” (ISBN: 0974912204). Naweko is presently working on title called “Skinny Fat Girls, Why we”re still not getting this diet thing” (ISBN: 0974912212) for release in May of 2005. To challenge and verify her research, San-Joyz trains for figure competitions.
