Iodine For Weight Loss: Does It Really Work?

Will taking iodine help you lose weight? Probably not.

But will not having enough prevent you from getting to your ideal weight? Now that’s a better question.

And the answer is probably.

Due to its impact on thyroid function (the regulator of your metabolism) and the fact that many people may not be getting enough from their diet, it’s something you need to address if you can’t lose weight.  

But before you run out and take it, here’s what you need to know:

Iodine’s Impact on Metabolism

Your thyroid gland requires iodine to create thyroid hormones like T4 and T3.

If you don’t have enough iodine, then your body’s ability to create them will be compromised.

It’s pretty simple.

When that happens, you may start to experience the symptoms associated with a sluggish thyroid up to and including things like weight gain, the inability to lose weight, fatigue, hair loss, a low body temperature, and more.

The theory behind using iodine for weight loss has to do with this connection.

If taking it will boost thyroid hormone production, then you’ll be burning more calories, and you’re body will effortlessly shed extra pounds.

That’s the theory, anyway.

The reality is not quite the same.

While taking iodine may help improve your thyroid, it’s probably not going to give you the magical weight loss that you’re looking for.

But what is likely to happen, and may be happening in your body right now, is that a lack of iodine may be preventing your body from responding to weight loss treatments.

If you don’t produce enough thyroid hormones, it’s going to be a lot harder to lose weight, even with diet and exercise.

For this reason, it’s absolutely critical that your iodine level is optimized if you want to lose weight.

Why Do Some People Lose Weight When Taking Iodine?

Yes, some people do lose weight when taking iodine, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

And the reason for their response has to do with their iodine status prior to taking it.

For instance, if you are iodine deficient and your thyroid is struggling as a result, then replacing iodine will help you lose weight through these mechanisms:

• A boost to thyroid hormone production – Higher levels of T3 thyroid hormone means a more active metabolism.
• An increase in fat burning – Not only do thyroid hormones impact your metabolism, but they also help your body burn fat as an energy source.
• A reduction in water weight (and stool weight) – When thyroid hormones are low, you end up retaining a lot of extra weight from constipation (a sluggish GI tract) and water retention. Taking iodine may help flush both out.
• An increase in energy – It’s a lot easier to exercise when you aren’t fatigued!

How to Use Iodine as Part of a Weight Loss Strategy

If you landed here hoping to use iodine as a secret weight-loss treatment, you’re going to be disappointed.

But there are still a few simple things you can do (along with taking iodine) that can help you get the weight loss you’re looking for.

Here’s how iodine fits into that strategy:

1. Take Iodine Only If You Need It (And Not Too Much)

Iodine is great if you need it, but taking too much can cause problems.

For that reason, you need to understand some basics about iodine dosing.

For adults, the ideal iodine intake is somewhere between 150 mcg (on the low end) and 1,000 mcg (on the high end).

If you look at standard RDA ranges, you’ll see that range is set to 150-300 mcg per day (1).

And while this is definitely a safe range, there are some arguments to be made for higher doses, even those approaching the 1,000 mcg per day range.

One of those arguments is that the Japanese population consumes much more iodine compared to those who live in the US, and they have a much lower rate of obesity (4-5% compared to our 40% (2)) and fewer thyroid-related problems.

All that said, it’s important to put this higher level of intake into context:

The more iodine you consume, the riskier it gets, as increased iodine consumption is associated with thyroid-related diseases like Hashimoto’s and Graves’ (3).

But taking iodine alongside other nutrients, like selenium, effectively negates this risk.

Unfortunately, testing is not a reliable way to determine if you need more iodine, but there are a few things you can do to get this right.

The first is to keep your intake at the recommended level of 150 to 300 mcg per day.

There’s very little risk in just assuming you need more iodine and taking it within this range.

And the second is to take an estimated stock of your total intake from food and supplement sources.

Iodine is found in small amounts in lots of foods and large amounts in only a few types of foods (usually anything from the sea).

If you find that you don’t eat a lot of sea-based foods, and if you find that you aren’t getting any iodine from supplements, it’s pretty safe to take 150-300 mcg of iodine each day.

2. Use Foods To Get Your Iodine

As far as sources go, your best bet is to get as much iodine from your diet as possible.

This is for several reasons:

The first is that you’re going to want to clean up your diet anyway if you’re interested in weight loss.

And the second is that some incredibly healthy foods also happen to be high in iodine:

• Seaweed (kelp, nori, dulse, wakame)
• Wild-caught fish & shellfish
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Iodized salt

3. Combine Ioine Intake With My 4x 100 Weight Loss Formula

No matter how you get your iodine, you’re going to want to combine it with some lifestyle basics.

I’ve created what I call the 4x 100 thyroid weight loss formula, which is designed to help you lose weight while boosting thyroid function.

And it happens to pair perfectly with iodine.

Here’s how to do it:

• Eat 100 grams of protein DAILY – Protein helps control your appetite and supports the building of lean muscle mass, which triggers a virtuous cycle of thyroid hormone activation (4) and more muscle building.
• Eat 100 grams of carbohydrates DAILY – Your thyroid (and other hormones) thrive on healthy carbohydrates.
• Get 100 minutes of Zone 2 exercise each WEEK – Zone 2 exercise promotes more thyroid function (5) and also serves to help you burn more calories.
• Fast for 100 hours each MONTH – Fasting is the ideal way to reduce your calories without causing harm to your thyroid.

Iodine Supplements for Weight Loss

If you insist on getting your iodine in supplement form (which I can respect), then you might as well make sure you’re getting the right type, form, and dose.

Here’s what I’d recommend:

#1: Thyroid Daily Essentials

Pros:

• Contains iodine at the right dose and form.
• Includes many other thyroid-supporting nutrients.
• Provides the ideal ratio of iodine to selenium, thereby protecting the thyroid gland.

Cons:

• Contains many other nutrients, which you may not want if you are solely looking for iodine.

You can get Thyroid Daily Essentials here.

#2: Lugol’s Solution

Pros:

• Includes iodine in liquid form.
• Comes in a highly concentrated dose (which means it will last a long time).
• Includes iodine as iodine and potassium iodide.

Cons:

• It’s easy to take more than you need (and many people recommend extremely high doses, which can be harmful).
• It’s not very titratable because each drop contains 1,000 mcg of iodine (even at the lowest dose, you’ve already maxed out how much you should take each day).

#3. Kelp or Dulse

Pros:

• Provides a natural, plant-based source of iodine.
• Provides additional minerals like magnesium and calcium.

Cons:

• You don’t have exact control over your dosing.
• It’s easy to take more or less than you need, depending on the source.
• May be contaminated with heavy metals and other compounds.

Signs That Indicate You’re Taking Too Much

When taking iodine for weight loss, pay attention to your symptoms.

If you experience any of the following, it’s probably a sign you are taking too much:

• Thyroid gland inflammation – Swelling or discomfort in the thyroid area (6), which sits at the base of your neck. If this occurs, stop using iodine immediately!
• Hyperthyroid symptoms – Taking iodine may push your thyroid gland to produce too much thyroid hormone. If this happens, you may experience symptoms like heart palpitations, anxiety, a racing heart, sweating, and/or flushing. Again, if this occurs, discontinue use immediately.
• Autoimmune flares – If you have existing thyroid disease, it’s possible that high doses of iodine may trigger a Hashimoto’s or autoimmune flare-up. This isn’t a problem if you take your iodine with selenium, but it can happen if you take iodine supplements without supporting selenium and iodine at very high doses (greater than 1,000 mcg per day).

Bottom line

Don’t use iodine specifically for weight loss, but do make sure your iodine level is optimized if you’re trying to lose weight.

In order of priority, start with food and then go to supplements if needed.

If you are struggling to lose weight and you like the idea of making it easier, then make sure to check out my recommended list of thyroid fat burners.

These supplements have research backing their use and can help you burn fat up to 20% faster.