A: Generally, I aim for about 200 micrograms up to 300 micrograms in a day. That's safe and is the amount that can be found in most multivitamins. Generally, anywhere from 150 micrograms to 300 micrograms has been found to be safe and potentially even helpful in people with Hashimoto's who are taking thyroid medications. Anything above that can be problematic.
Dr. Alan Christianson has recently written a book about the thyroid reset diet, where he talks about a low iodine diet and has people looking at the iodine contained in some personal care products. This can be an issue for some people, as iodine can be absorbed topically through the skin. Therefore, our personal care products could be another source of iodine. I’ve had some people who have been iodine restricted whenever they've had too much of it, and it has been helpful to lower their overall inflammation.
Generally, I don't recommend iodized salt, and I don't recommend sea vegetables for this reason because they can have high amounts of iodine.
I have a chart in my book, Hashimoto’s: The Root Cause, and I also have an article on iodine on my Thyroid Pharmacist website that has some information about the general recommendations about iodine: how much is too much, how much is okay, which types of foods have the most, and some of the foods I recommend avoiding or eating strictly in moderation.