Low Iodine Diet
Dear OncoLink "Ask the Experts,"
I am about to receive radioiodine treatments and I need to follow a low iodine diet. Can you give me any direction?
Thanks
KB
Katrina Claghorn, RD, Oncology Dietitian for The University of Pennsylvania Health System, responds:
The point of a low iodine diet is to deplete the body of it's natural stores of iodine which makes the radioactive iodine treatment more effective. The premise is that when the radioactive iodine is administered the thyroid will "suck" up the iodine because it has been so depleted.
It is very important to note that every institution and physician has their own guidelines. Some require an extremely restricted iodine intake. Some doctors like their patients on this diet for as long as two weeks while others have them on it only a couple of days preceding your diagnostic scanning procedures and treatment. The purposeof thisdiet is to enhance your scanning and treatment. If you receive radioiodine therapy, the diet should be maintained until two days after your treatment.
Iodine is used in the care and feeding of animals, as a stabilizer and/or safety element in food processing, and as a component of red food dyes. Many salt preparations are also supplemented with iodine. Therefore, it may be found in varying amounts in all foods and beverages. The richest sources appear to be iodized salt, dairy products, fish, processed meats, pudding mixes, candies, frozen dinners, "fast" food, and foods containing artificial colorings.
This diet is deficient in calcium because all dairy products must be avoided due to their high iodine content. Calcium supplementation with 1000-1200 mg of calcium carbonate is, therefore, recommended.
Below is the diet recommended at The University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. Again, please check with your physician and/or registered dietitan to make sure the diet is right for you.
| Foods Allowed | Foods to Avoid | |
| Dairy | None allowed | Ice cream Cheese Pudding Milk Yogurt/cottage cheese Evaporated milk Eggnog Sour cream |
| Protein (meat) | Small portions FRESH chicken, turkey, beef, pork, veal | Luncheon meats Bacon Sausage Frankfurters |
| Fish | None allowed | Fish Shellfish Seaweed Kelp Sardines Canned tuna |
| Grains/Starches | Fresh potatoes (no skin) Homemade rice (not enriched or a packaged mix) Pasta (with no salt or eggs) 1-2 slices of bread/day (if total sodium content is less than 20mg per serving) | Egg noodles Pastry/cookies Packaged rice mixes |
| Fruits | Fresh fruit Fresh fruit juices (bottles or cartons of natural fruit juice allowed) | Canned or dried fruit Tang, Hi-C Canned fruit juices |
| Vegetables | All fresh except spinach | Canned or frozen Vegetables with sauces Pickles Sauerkraut No cans or jars of tomato/pasta sauce |
| Miscellaneous | Unsalted peanut butter Unsalted nuts Natural honey Vegetable and olive oils Onion powder Garlic powder Vinegar Fresh herbs | Carnation instant breakfast Meat tenderizers Figurine diet bars Bouillon cubes Carnation slender bars Canned soups Salted peanut butter Butter/margarine Commercial salad dressing Cocoa mix Garlic salt Onion salt Ketchup Mustard Olives Candy |
| Snack Foods | Popcorn popped with vegetable or olive oil and non-iodized salt Rice cakes (no salt added) | Pretzels Salted chips Corn chips Crackers |
| Sample Meal Plan | |
| Breakfast (No eggs or egg substitute allowed) | Any fresh fruit or fresh fruit juices (no canned) 1-2 slices toast (as long as total sodium content per serving is less than 20mg) with natural honey, natural jam (no food coloring) or olive oil Black coffee or clear tea (may use nondairy creamer) Cereal without milk (shredded wheat, puffed rice, raisin bran) |
| Lunch | Homemade vegetable or chicken soup 3-4 oz. fresh poultry, roast beef, lamb, veal, pork Fresh vegetables (no canned, frozen allowed if no added salt) Salad, with homemade oil and vinegar dressing (no store-bought dressing) Fresh potato (without skin) or homemade rice(not enriched or a packaged mix) Coffee, tea or 100% fruit juice (natural, not canned) |
| Dinner | 3-4 oz. fresh poultry, roast beef, lamb, veal, pork Pasta (with no salt or eggs added) with homemade tomato sauce (sauce made from fresh tomatoes, not canned) Fresh vegetables (no canned, frozen allowed if no added salt) Salad, with homemade oil and vinegar dressing (no store-bought dressing) Fresh potato (without skin) or homemade rice (not enriched or a packaged mix) Coffee, tea or 100% fruit juice (natural, not canned) |
| Snacks | Avoid soda (except Sprite, 7-Up) Fresh fruits Fresh vegetables (including salads with homemade dressing, carrot or celery sticks) Popcorn (homemade with non-iodized salt andolive or vegetable oil) Rice cakes (no salt added) with unsalted peanut butter Natural sorbets (no food coloring or added salt) |
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