Kelp and thyroxine levothyroxine

Due to the high iodine content, supplements containing kelp should be taken with the supervision of a physician and with monitoring of thyroid function. Iodine is an essential trace element for synthesis of thyroid hormones and normal brain development requiresthyroxine (T4). Iodine deficiency (ID) may cause hypothyroidism which results in severe developmental delay ininfants and stillbirth in pregnant women (1). In iodine deficient areas,which are distributed in fifty-four countries of the world, iodine supplementation programs using iodized salthave been implemented (2,3,4,5). The iodine content of kelp products can vary considerably, even within products of the same brand.

This can often yield misleading results when applied to adults, particularly pregnant women, as milk consumption, a major source of dietary iodine, is typically greater in school-aged children 7, 64. Some foods or plants contain high amounts of iodine, especially seaweeds, fish and other marine products. InJapan, being surrounded by the sea, IDD is rare because of people’s frequent consumption of marine products.However, the iodine status of patients receiving long-term TEN depends entirely on the iodine concentration ofthe EN formula. In Table 3, we show the iodine concentrations of ENsolutions available in Japan. When a patient takes 1,500 Cal of these formulae, the daily iodine intakes are farbelow the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) recommendation, that is 40–150 µg for children andadolescents (7, 12).

• Iodization of table salt in Denmark showed a decrease in goitre and hyperthyroidism, mainly toxic nodular goitre, but a small increase in hypothyroidism 45.
• The most common primary cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto’s disease, an autoimmune condition, in which the body’s own immune system attacks the thyroid gland, resulting in damage and an impaired capacity to make and release enough thyroid hormones​1​.
• Other primary causes of hypothyroidism include treatment of hyperthyroidism, iodine deficiency, thyroiditis, and certain medicines that can have an impact on thyroid function, such as lithium and amiodarone​2​.

Under iodine replete conditions, this requirement can usually be met from normal foodstuffs, particularly if salt is iodized. However, as salt iodization is not always mandatory, or even available, additional iodine supplementation may be required, and intake needs to be continuously monitored 6, 7. While promoting increased dietary iodine intake is useful in correcting iodine deficiency, this cannot be an open-ended process as too much iodine can produce deleterious effects on thyroid function 8. In the marine environment, seaweeds − marine algae, form the major supplier of iodine 9.

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• This may include recommendations on adjusting medication dosages, altering the timing of drug administration, or closely monitoring for specific symptoms.
• At that dosage level, you would be getting about 600 percent of your iodine needs, which can result in symptoms like nausea and vomiting, but the symptoms were eventually traced to the arsenic in the supplement.
• The principal causes of hyperthyroidism are Graves’ disease, toxic thyroid adenoma and toxic multinodular goiter.

Healthy individuals with normal thyroid function should be cautioned to avoid kelp or other iodine-rich containing herbal medicines or diets for weight loss. Patients should be advised to avoid kelp ingestion while taking thyroid therapy. Endemic goiter has been reported in communities where seaweed is used as a staple food. It would appear that the iodine content of kelp products varies considerably within products and the effect of the iodine on the thyroid gland is variable. The predominant effect of kelp seems to be inhibition of release of thyroid hormones, although reports of hyperthyroidism have also been reported. Several cases of hypothyroidism have been reported which were reversed upon discontinuation of seaweed (kelp) use.

Patient concerns:

People who take complementary medication containing kelp seaweed should be informed of the risk of developing a thyroid dysfunction even in the absence of pre-existing thyroid disease. Due to the elevated iodine content, complementary medication containing kelp should only be taken under the supervision of a physician with monitoring of thyroid function. After 3 months of antithyroid therapy and without the consumption of kelp – containing tablets, normal thyroid function was regained.

• She recovered normal thyroid function after discontinuing the kelp seaweed supplement and starting antithyroid medication.
• In cases of reversible hypothyroidism, restricting dietary intake of seaweed resulted in normalization of thyroid function .
• The patient has been making a concerted effort to lose weight but is, in fact, gaining weight.
• In our case, the patient discontinued taking the kelp containing tablets and was treated with Methimazole for 3 months.

We also recommend that you learn more about the complexities of supplementing with iodine, in Paloma’s free Iodine Thyroid Guide online. Informed written consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and the accompanying images. The original article on kelp was published August 9, 2009 but we felt that it was important to update you on the latest scientific findings with regard to kelp, iodine and contrast material.

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The patient reported that her dry skin had improved vastly, along with her ability to exercise as she was feeling less fatigued. Unfortunately, her history of PTSD and fibromyalgia along with her commitments as a full-time carer to her autistic son hindered her ability to include more exercise in her lifestyle. The amount of iodine in a particular supplement varies by type, age and growing location of the kelp, as well as harvesting and processing methods. According to a 2007 letter in “Environmental Health Perspectives,” U.S. law caps the maximum dose of kelp to however much provides 225 micrograms of iodine per day — for one supplement, that may be 350 mg, but it may be 200 or 400 mg for another.

About one gram powdered kelp per day, which contains about 200 µgiodine (11), (it is slightly above the MHLW recommendation for childrenand adolescents) was enough to restore ID in our cases. Indeed, powdered kelp contains about ten times theiodine content of iodized salt. Dissolving Konbucha is not so difficult and does not need to be heated (whenheated, iodine is volatilized.).

It is clear that the daily iodine intake of the case study patient exceeded the daily recommended intake synthroid toprol and has adversely affected her thyroid function. Seaweeds can also entrap heavy metals including Al, Cd, Fe, and particularly arsenic (As) 63. While inorganic As compounds are known to be carcinogenic, the majority of As in seaweeds is present as arsenosugars which are much less toxic.

Seaweed-Derived Iodine Intake

As explained in an article published by the Mayo Clinic Health Center in March 2019, the thyroid is a butterfly-shaped endocrine gland found in the front of your neck. If your thyroid produces too little hormone, it results in a health problem called hypothyroidism. If the thyroid starts producing too much hormone, it’s a condition known as hyperthyroidism. Read on to learn more about kelp benefits, safety and the seaweed’s effects on iodine levels, hypothyroidism and other thyroid issues. Endocrine tests revealed thyroid hormones and TSH in the normal range and the absence of antithyroid antibodies. G) Goitrous hypothyroidism was reported in a 44 year-old man who ingested “large amounts of seaweed” (amount unspecified).