Iodine is an important trace mineral, which is required in sufficient quantities for the proper mental and physical growth of the body. Iodine is required in small amount for the synthesis of thyroid hormone. It is also required for strengthening the immune system. Most of the iodine content in the body exists in the thyroid gland and the rest of it gets dispersed to other locations in the body, such as, blood, salivary glands, mammary glands, etc.
Iodine deficiency is caused due to lack of intake of iodine through diet. Iodine deficiency symptoms include hypothyroidism, goiter, retarded mental and physical growth etc. Therefore to avoid all these symptoms, it is necessary to intake iodine rich vegetables and fruits in our diet.
There are some foods contain abundance of iodine such as iodized salt, cereals and breads, meat, vegetables, fruits, haddock, malt bread, haddock, trifle, mayonnaise, cod, boiled egg, low fat yogurt, strawberries, kelp, cow milk, gouda cheese, raw oyster, ice cream, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, etc. apart from these foodstuffs, some other IODINE rich foods include dulse, kombu, wakame, hijike, nori, etc.