As nutritionists, we know that an excessive intake of one mineral can affect the absorption of another. For example, magnesium and calcium compete for absorption, as does iron and zinc; so when considering supplement dosages we need to consider the right balance. Many people are not aware that fluoride and iodine intakes affect each other too; so if you’re drinking fluoridated tap water, please read on and discover what you need to check.
Iodine is an important mineral that helps your thyroid gland function, and helps determine how fast your metabolism runs. It also helps build hormones. In food, iodine is available in seafood, seaweed (kelp), and in Celtic (‘grey’ or ‘macrobiotic’) salt. In some countries iodine is added to table salt in an attempt to address widespread iodine deficiencies in the population. I’ve written separately in this blog about Celtic salt, look under the 'minerals' tag.
Iodine deficiency y is particularly common in areas of Australia where the water is fluoridated, although the subject of fluoridated water is particularly controversial, with strong feelings on both sides of the argument. I don’t intend to wade into the argument, but I’d like to give you information so you can decide what action to take.
If you’ve been drinking fluoridated water for a while, it would be beneficial to check your iodine status. You can arrange this simple and inexpensive urine test with your local naturopath. As your body holds on to only 5% of the iodine you take in, the test results will tell you whether you’re deficient in iodine, and to what degree.
Don’t just start taking kelp or iodine supplements ‘just in case’, as this may be dangerous. Potentially wasteful too if you’re not deficient in iodine after all. Find out the scientific way and act on the evidence.
Another alternative is to install a ceramic or multi-stage filter on your drinking water. That will filter out the added fluoride, leaving you with just pure water. Problem solved.
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