9 IN 10 WOMEN need more energyboosting iodine

“Today’s average woman gets less than half the iodine she would have gotten 50 years ago,” says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., author of From

Fatigued to Fantastic! The reason? Iodine is added to fewer foods today, and many women don’t eat enough of the foods that do contain it, like seaweed and seafood. Plus, many women limit salt, a major source of iodine, or use sea salt, which doesn’t contain the mineral. But Dr. Teitelbaum says shortfalls are almost always missed, likely because doctors don’t look for them.

“Low iodine causes poor thyroid function,” says Dr. Teitelbaum. The result? Fatigue, weight gain and brain fog.

An easy at-home test can identify a shortfall. To do: Before bed, paint a 3" square of tincture of iodine (available at drugstores) on your inner forearm; let dry so it doesn’t stain the sheets. (Don’t consume this type of iodine—it’s toxic if ingested.) If the color disappears or is extremely faded in the morning, your body is crying out for more iodine and you’d likely benefit from the steps below.

Supplements boost iodine levels.

Dr. Teitelbaum suggests taking Terry Naturally Tri-Iodine 6.25 mg ($22 for 90 capsules, iHerb.com) daily for 3 months, then switching to a multivitamin with

200 mcg of iodine. But you can get too much iodine, so he advises supplementing under a doctor’s supervision.

Avoiding fluoride and bromine, which drain iodine stores, can help, says Kent Holtorf, M.D., medical director at Holtorf Medical Group. Choose fluoride-free toothpaste, sip filtered water and avoid foods that contain bromine (bread and citrus drinks are top sources); scan labels for the aliases

potassium bromate and bromated flour. Also smart: eating iodine-rich eggs, fish and seaweed.