- Fact Checked
Last Updated: June 30, 2019
Iodine is a trace element found in certain foods and soils which is essential for regulating your metabolism and several other bodily functions.
Any living being with a spinal column needs iodine to survive, so it’s crucial for us vegans and vegetarians to ensure we up our daily intakes of iodine and its mineral friends.
Here we look at some of the best vegan iodine supplements.
Iodine deficiency can cause a debilitating chain reaction in our bodies, mainly because it is essential to regulating our endocrine system.
In fact, unless you live near the seaside or know where to buy iodized salt, you are most likely to need supplementation to meet all your bodily requirements.
Fortunately, I find that Future Kind’s Vegan Iodine solves that problem beautifully.
Not only does the product contain deep-sourced earth nascent iodine, a special form of natural potassium iodine that improves absorption, but I won’t have to go foraging for seaweed in search for this essential mineral.
If you’re tired of lacking concentration and putting up with the dreaded “brain fog”, then this thyroid support product is a good way to get your brain back on track.
Zhou’s product comes infused with iodine, vitamin B12, magnesium, zinc, and a bunch of other beneficial ingredients, so you can ensure that you’re getting your minerals fix without having to shovel seaweed into your mouth by the handful.
In my experience, I felt more energized and sharp when using this vegan iodine supplement, though I didn’t notice a huge difference in my metabolism.
I still recommend this supplement because it stood out among the others. Try it for yourself and let me know in the comments of your experience.
We might have messed up the iodine levels in our soil, but luckily the sea is still packed with vegan sources of iodine, including kelp.
This stuff comes from the North Atlantic Sea and is based solely around iodine. In fact, this product gives you 225 mcg of iodine per serving, which is 150% of the recommended daily intake.
Unlike some other products, this supplement is gentle on the stomach and doesn’t cause adverse reactions, which is nice.
I like to be healthy without having to know where the toilet is at all times when possible.
If you’re having problems with an enlarged thyroid gland or you’re just super into the idea of supporting your thyroid, then this iodine based supplement could work for you.
These capsules are filled with iodine from kelp, the main plant source of iodine, as well as a cornucopia of other beneficial ingredients such as vitamin B12 (which is always good for vegan diets), zinc, copper, magnesium, and a bunch of other stuff I haven’t seen since the periodic table in high school chemistry.
Personally, I found that it reduced my daily brain fog and made me feel more “switched on” throughout the day. It also doesn’t contain any additives which made it more likeable.
Why mess about swallowing tablets or figuring out how to eat more iodine when you could get it all in convenient little drops?
This product from Detoxadine (I assume that’s a portmanteau of “detox” and “iodine”?) contains over 200 servings per bottle according to the manufacturer.
Simply place 3 drops of this stuff in your mouth and swallow with some purified water – it’s that easy.
I won’t lie – the taste of the drops is nothing to write home about, but as someone who’s terrible at swallowing the smallest of tablets, a drop-based iodine supplement is right up my alley.
Life Extension
I know quite a few pregnant women who took these capsules during their pregnancy. The high dosage helps to ensure that both mother and baby get enough iodine in their diets.
Peak Performance’s product is sourced form raw organic kelp, which they claim is better than the synthetic ingredients some manufacturers use.
They also talk about how THEIR products are third-party tested to ensure reliability. Basically, Peak Performance are hell-bent on dragging their competitors through the mud and I’m here for the drama.
Their capsules provide you with 100% of your daily iodine fix housed in a vegan capsule, so what’s not to love?
It may not be as powerful as I expected but yeah, it’s still a decent iodine supplement.
I have tried this supplement for 2 months and felt some slight energy boost throughout the day.
Just when you thought iodine supplements couldn’t get any easier to take, here comes Benevolent with a liquid version of iodine which only requires 1 drop on your tongue per day.
I’ve heard of some people mixing this stuff into their morning coffee or smoothie, but I don’t like the possibility of the iodine being left in the dregs of the drink so I prefer to take this stuff directly.
Each drops contains your daily serving of iodine, and there are an estimated 1,300 servings per bottle.
Yes, you read that right. This bottle could potentially last you for 3 and a half years.
Each serving of this organic products contains iodine (330 mcg), iron (gluconate, 390 mcg), kelp (whole thallus, 600 mg), and sodium (20 mg).
However, they confusingly list their product as “vegetarian” and then say “additional ingredients: gelatin” in their Amazon description.
Other people were confused by this too, but it appears that the product is indeed vegan and whoever uploads stuff to Amazon for Nature’s Way is an idiot.
They also have a typo in the title of the product. Get it together Nature’s Way, jeez.
Once the confusion was cleared up for me I did try the product and it did perform well, shame it took effort to get there though.
Each capsule from Pure Encapsulation contains 225 mcg of iodine, providing you with 150% of your daily needs, which should be more than enough for most people.
The company describes their products as “a line of hypoallergenic, research-based dietary supplements”, so it’s good news if you like your supplements to be backed by thorough scientific research.
One of my gym buddies is allergic to kelp/seaweed, so she struggles to find iodine products that suit her needs.
However, this product is seaweed-free, so it’s been a real godsend for her and other people with marine allergies.
This contains 1,796% of your daily iodine needs per serving, which seems a little excessive perhaps?
The serving size is also 6 drops, which isn’t too convenient, but perhaps you could take less due to the sheer amount of iodine in this.
Nascent iodine is probably the best form of iodine because it holds an electromagnetic charge, so it releases more energy in your body when you consume it. Long story short, your thyroid gland is super into these charged-up iodine droplets.
When I was trying this product, I only took 3 drops per day, which is still 898% of the RDA.
Iodine is essential for regulating the thyroid gland – around 70-80% of iodine is located in the thyroid gland. Iodine helps to prevent enlarged thyroid glands, and taking the right amount can help to avoid thyroid nodules which can become cancerous. (1)
The thyroid needs to work properly in order to produce thyroid hormones which regulate our immune system, bone health, metabolism, and central nervous system.
Learn more about the benefits of iodine here:
Taking too much iodine can actually harm your thyroid, possibly leading to thyroid cancer, so it’s essential that you take the amount recommended by your physicians. (2)
However, even if you’re taking the right amount, there can be side effects including diarrhea, eosinophilia, fever, headache, too much fluid in the lungs, hives, joint pain, thyroid suppression and skin swelling.
What Vegan Foods Are High in Iodine?
Vegan foods high in iodine include seaweed and kelp, as well as plants and cruciferous vegetables grown in iodine-rich soil. Iodine-rich soil tends to be found in fields near the ocean.
There is no easy way of knowing how much iodine is in plant foods. Plant foods (apart from seaweed) may contain a low amount of iodine. The amount of iodine in a plant food varies depending on how much is in the soil the plant is grown in.
– The Vegan Society
Do Vegans Need to Take Need to Take Iodine?
Vegans need to take iodine pills if they are not regularly eating large amounts of marine-based plants like kelp and seaweed or consuming iodized salt. The Vegan Society in the UK recommends that vegans take iodine supplements
Is Vegan Milk a Good Source of Iodine?
Vegan milk is not usually a good source of iodine. Although some brands fortify their vegan milks with iodine, most plant-based milks contain significantly less iodine than dairy milk.
Do Vegans Need Iodized Salt?
Vegans need iodized salt if they are not getting enough iodine in their diet through healthy foods or supplementation. However, bear in mind that American adults are advised to eat less than 2,300 mg of salt per day, so eating lots of iodized salt could be bad for you. (3)
Why Is Iodine Important for Pregnant Vegan Women?
Iodine is important during pregnancy because it ensures healthy brain development for the baby. Vegan and vegetarian women having babies are advised to take supplements of at least 150 mcg per day to ensure healthy baby development in the womb.
If you don’t have access to seaweed and iodized salt (and want to get the most bang for your buck, too), I would strongly suggest Future Kind’s Vegan Iodine.
Essentially, it’s rich in deep-sourced earth nascent iodine that’s safe to use and allows better absorption.
Future Kind’s supplement also contains vitamin B12 and healthy ingredients that vegans cannot typically find in their diet. No alcohol or gas solvents are used during production. Instead, the product is made of water and plant-derived glycerin.
And the thing I appreciate the most about Future Kind’s iodine focused multi-vitamin is that it doesn’t hide behind a proprietary blend.
Future Kind Vegan Iodine
Best Vegan Iodine Supplement
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