If you have hyperthyroidism, you will certainly be advised by your doctor to change your diet, and one of the things you are often advised to do is to have a low iodine diet, but too much is too little, and a scientific low iodine diet is the key. 1. Dietary principles for hyperthyroidism 1. High protein, high calorie diet, increase the number of meals to reduce the negative nitrogen balance and weight loss. 2. Reduce stimulating foods, such as coffee, tea and alcohol. 3.Supplement multivitamin. 4. Hydrate. Not all hyperthyroid diseases require iodine prohibition or no iodine supplementation, so which hyperthyroid diseases require a low iodine diet? In clinical practice, patients with thyroid diseases, such as toxic diffuse goiter (hyperthyroidism), Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer, often need a “low iodine diet”. How much iodine do hyperthyroidism patients need to consume daily? If hyperthyroidism patients need iodine supplementation, how much supplementation is generally appropriate? According to international organizations such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the International Council for the Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders, an average daily intake of 150 micrograms of iodine is appropriate for normal adults, 90 micrograms for infants, toddlers and preschool children, 120 micrograms for school-age children under 12 years old, and 200 micrograms for pregnant and lactating women. Adults who consume 6-8 grams of standard iodized salt per day can obtain 120-150 micrograms of iodine, which fully meets the physiological needs of most adults. Special reminder: A long-term deliberately low iodine diet can easily lead to recurrence of hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism patients most often ask: “Can I eat iodized salt”, “Can I eat kelp and seafood”. In some cases, women who have suffered from hyperthyroidism still insist on a low iodine diet during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It can be said that most hyperthyroidism patients now deliberately refuse iodized salt. The key is to take effective therapeutic measures to control thyroid function in the long term. Over 90% of hyperthyroidism patients are suffering from “diffuse goiter with hyperthyroidism”. The core problem is not excess iodine, but their own immune dysfunction, resulting in a series of auto-antibodies against the thyroid gland, which cause the thyroid gland to synthesize on its own thyroxine far more than physiological needs. Stress, anger, infection, overwork, and trauma are the main triggers for the development of hyperthyroidism. Iodine nutrition to meet daily physiological requirements is not a trigger for hyperthyroidism. Patients with controlled hyperthyroidism do not need to create their own iodine-deficient environment by not eating iodized salt or seafood for a long time. Once hyperthyroidism is cured and returned to normal diet, the iodine-starved thyroid gland will easily become hyperthyroid again due to its high iodine uptake function. Therefore, a deliberately low iodine diet can easily induce a relapse of hyperthyroidism. In particular, pregnant women who have suffered from hyperthyroidism should not intentionally eat a diet low in iodine, which may cause fetal iodine deficiency and affect mental development.