Sea air is a good source of iodine. If you don’t get enough of this nutrient through your diet, breathing it in may be just as good.

New research published in the Irish Medical Journal found that continued exposure to seaweed-rich air is able to supplement an individual’s iodine intake. Iodine has so many vital roles in the body; it is required for proper brain development in children and greatly affects their IQ as adults. Iodine is also necessary for the production of thyroid hormones, which control metabolic rate, energy levels and body temperature. Not getting enough iodine can cause the thyroid gland to enlarge (form a goiter) or cause the development of thyroid nodules.

This finding is based on a two decade study, led by Professor Peter Smyth of the University College Dublin (UCD) and NUI Galway. His research compared the urine samples from schoolchildren and women living in three different environments: 1) the seaweed-rich coastal area of Carna, Co Galway; 2) the coastal cities of Dublin, Galway and Belfast; and 3) the inland areas of Dungannon, Co Tyrone, and Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

The seaweed-rich area of Carna had residents with the highest iodine level of all; 45.6 per cent of school children and 43 per cent of adults had an iodine level above the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation. Only between 2.3 per cent and 16 per cent of the people living in inland and low seaweed coastal areas achieved the World Health Organisation standard. According to Professor Smyth, “The benefits are associated with not just being near the sea, but being able to take a good lungful of air near a seaweed-rich beach.”

A day at the ocean has many benefits. Now you know it also helps your thyroid and your metabolism. Very few people meet their daily iodine requirement because iodine is found in so few foods. Seaweed and non-farmed seafood are good sources but not many people eat these foods regularly enough to obtain sufficient iodine. You can ask your doctor for a urine test to measure your body’s iodine level. If you need more iodine, and you don’t have the luxury of spending time at the beach, you may consider taking a supplement such as Thyroid Health Capsules.

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