Iodine can also be found in plant foods, such as cereals and grains, but the levels vary depending on the amount of iodine is iodine fat soluble the soil where the plants are grown. How much iodine do I need?

Most people should be able to get all the iodine they need by eating a varied and balanced diet. If you are following a strict vegan diet and do not eat any fish, eggs, cows’ milk or other dairy products, then you may want to consider foods fortified with iodine or consider taking an iodine supplement. Check the label to see if it includes iodine. If you are considering taking a supplement seek advice from a healthcare professional. What happens if I take too much iodine? Taking high doses of iodine for long periods of time could change the way your thyroid gland works. This can lead to a wide range of different symptoms, such as weight gain.

If you take iodine supplements, do not take too much as this could be harmful. 5mg or less a day of iodine supplements is unlikely to cause any harm. What does the Department of Health and Social Care advise? You should be able to get all the iodine you need by eating a varied and balanced diet. Iodine is a violet vapor or blue-black solid. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.

Iodine comes from the Greek word iodes, which means violet. The element was discovered in 1811 by French chemist Bernard Courtois. Courtois discovered iodine by accident while he was making saltpeter for use in the Napoleonic Wars. Many isotopes of iodine are known. All of them are radioactive except for I-127, which is the only isotope found in nature. Solid iodine is blue-black in color, with a metallic sheen.

At ordinary temperatures and pressures, iodine sublimates into its violet gas, so the liquid form is not seen. The color of iodine follows a trend seen in the halogens: they appear progressively darker as you move down the group of the periodic table. Iodine is a halogen, which is a type of non-metal. It is located beneath fluorine, chlorine, and bromine on the periodic table, making it the heaviest stable element in the halogen group.

The thyroid gland uses iodine to make the hormones thyroxine and triiodotyronine. Insufficient iodine leads to development of a goiter, which is a swelling of the thyroid gland. Iodine occurs in compounds and as the diatomic molecule I2. Iodine is used extensively in medicine. However, some people develop a chemical sensitivity to iodine. Sensitive individuals may develop a rash when swabbed with tincture of iodine. In rare cases, anaphylactic shock has resulted from medical exposure to iodine.

Natural food sources of iodine are seafood, kelp and plants grown in iodine-rich soil. Potassium iodide often is added to table salt to produce iodized salt. Commercially, iodine is mined in Chile and extracted from iodine-rich brine, notably from the oilfields in the US and Japan. Prior to this, iodine was extracted from kelp. Some Experiments and Observations on a New Substance Which Becomes a Violet Coloured Gas by Heat”.