Menopause Treatment for Mineral Deficiency
Expert’s Name: Robin Pruitt

It’s not unusual for women in menopause to find that their blood pressure is rising. When this happens, the common advice is to cut back on sodium intake. If you’ve dramatically cut back on salt usage to control blood pressure—or if you’ve just switched from common table salt to a natural sea salt—you may inadvertently become low on iodine.

Our culture hasn’t been concerned about iodine deficiency for almost a century due to the widespread use of iodized salt. However, in recent years a number of health practitioners have found that low-level iodine deficiency is very common, especially in older women.

Without adequate sources of iodine, the thyroid gland can’t produce thyroid hormones, which regulate a wide range of essential bodily functions ranging from digestion and assimilation to immune and nervous system functions, and even affect mood and temperature regulation. Low iodine levels can result in a wide range of symptoms including fatigue, slower metabolism and weight gain, mental fuzziness, depression and low sex drive. This closely resembles a list of common menopause symptoms, so it makes sense that maintaining proper iodine levels can help to ease the discomforts of menopause.

How Healthy Trends Can Lead to an Iodine Deficiency

It is ironic that improved dietary practices may have led to a resurgence of iodine deficiency.   In the quest to improve their health, many people have reduced their salt intake to lower their blood pressure or cut back on seafood consumption due to concerns about pollutants in seafood. There is also a current focus on natural salts that aren’t iodized.

And if you’ve followed the advice to increase your consumption of leafy green and cruciferous vegetables, you may be surprised—and frustrated—to learn that many of them can neutralize iodine in the body. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and leafy greens such as collards, kale and mustard greens all contain enzymes known as goitrogens that can block the body’s use of iodine to produce thyroid hormones. This “goitrogenic” effect is more pronounced if large quantities of these vegetables are eaten raw.

Our bodies don’t store iodine, so we must make sure our diets contain adequate sources. It doesn’t take much: iodine is a trace mineral, and the RDA is only 150 micrograms. The most reliable sources of iodine come from the sea.

Here is a balanced approach to getting the required level of iodine while minimizing other health concerns:

-Sea vegetables are excellent sources of iodine. Here are some suggested uses:

o An easy way to add sea vegetables to your diet is to sprinkle a small amount of kelp powder or dulse flakes onto salads and vegetables.

o Add arame or hijiki to soups or salads.

o Make nori rolls by rolling julienned vegetables in nori sheets.

o Add a small piece of dried kombu to bean dishes. This will also make the beans easier to digest.

o Use agar as a thickener or gelling agent instead of cornstarch, wheat or gelatin.

-If you eat fish, have an occasional meal of sardines or other small wild fish to obtain iodine while avoiding concentrated heavy metals and pollutants.

-Cooking significantly decreases the iodine-blocking effect of cruciferous and leafy green vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale and mustard greens.

-If you regularly eat raw cruciferous or leafy green vegetables, it is even more important to supplement your diet with one of the iodine sources listed above.