Vegetarian and vegan diets have become very popular – especially among women and younger people – but there is cause for concern, as these plant-based diets often lack a number of essential nutrients. One of them, iodine, plays an important role in metabolism, estrogen balance, and cancer prevention. According to an article published in Frontiers in Nutrition, women of childbearing age, pregnant women, and children are particularly vulnerable. The authors discuss the health benefits of iodine and how much we actually need.

There is a trending global shift towards vegetarian or vegan diets. However, these diets come with a risk of lacking essential nutrients that are primarily found in animal food sources. According to a large meta-analysis of Western diets, one of them is iodine. Iodine deficiency is a worldwide problem and has serious consequences because of iodine’s vital role in the thyroid function, energy production, estrogen balance, fertility, and healthy pregnancy outcome.