Why take the Iodine Test?
In order to have enough iodine in your body, you must consume the trace element with your food. Iodine is found in fish, milk and eggs, among other things. However, many people today do not consume enough iodine – partly because the soil in some regions has become low in iodine. The result can be an iodine deficiency, which in turn can lead to hypothyroidism. This is why iodine is often added to table salt.
You can counteract iodine deficiency relatively easily by changing your diet and specifically using iodised salt. However, too much iodine is also harmful and could lead to hyperthyroidism. Therefore, it is recommended that you check your own iodine levels with a test.
Who should take the Iodine Test?
Since iodine deficiency is widespread, it is recommended that everyone checks their own iodine levels.
However, diet, lifestyle and other factors can also contribute to an increased risk of iodine deficiency. At-risk groups include pregnant women, smokers and people who live vegan or vegetarian lifestyles.
How does the Iodine Test work?
With the help of a collection cup and a transfer pipette, collect a small amount of urine. Next, send the urine sample in a sample tube to our certified specialist laboratory. A few days later, you will receive a notification by email that your results are ready. You will then find your personal results report in your cerascreen account by logging in on our website or via the My cerascreen app.
How long does the analysis take in the laboratory?
Once your sample has arrived at the laboratory, it will be analyzed there by specialists. How long the analysis takes depends on the exact measuring method and the processes in the laboratory.
If the sample is sent on the correct days (Sunday to Tuesday), this makes it easier for the laboratory to adhere to the times.
For the Iodine Test, the laboratory analysis is usually completed within 8 working days after the sample is received in the laboratory.
What does the results report tell me?
Your results report tells you the iodine value measured in your urine. For comparison, you will find a table with reference ranges. This way, you can see whether your iodine levels are within the optimal range or whether they are below or above it.
What recommendations will I receive?
In the results report, you will learn how you can counteract iodine deficiency or excess. Diet plays an important role – often, for example, iodine levels that are too low can be treated by consciously using iodised salt.
What is iodine?
Iodine is an essential trace element. This means that we must consume it through the food we eat. Most of the iodine in our body is found in the thyroid gland.
Our thyroid gland needs iodine to work properly. With the help of iodine, it produces important thyroid hormones; these hormones are called T3 and T4, and they play an important role in our nervous system, bone health and energy metabolism, among other things.
How do I provide my body with enough iodine?
Foods with a high iodine content are mainly fish, seafood and dairy products. Some foods, such as cabbage, mustard, onions and garlic, interfere with iodine absorption in our body. You should not eat them together with iodine-rich meals if you are iodine deficient.
Iodised salt makes it possible to cover your iodine requirements very quickly. But be careful – according to recommendations from the World Health Organization, you should not eat more than six grammes of salt per day – a diet that is too salty promotes high blood pressure.
Here are some examples of iodine-rich foods:
- Saltwater fish such as tuna, cod, herring and pollock
- Milk and dairy products
- Eggs
- Iodised table salt
Why do people become deficient in iodine?
Iodine deficiency can be the result of a diet low in iodine. This is more often the case with vegans and vegetarians, for example.
There are also circumstances that lead to our bodies needing more iodine or not optimally absorbing iodine from the food we eat. Possible causes of low iodine levels are:
- Pregnancy, when women should up their iodine consumption
- Smoking
- Gastrointestinal diseases
How do I know I’m deficient in iodine?
Low iodine levels usually only become noticeable when you already have hypothyroidism. The clearest sign of this is a goitre, which is caused by the growing thyroid gland.
Other symptoms of hypothyroidism include:
- Sleep problems, tiredness and depression
- Weight gain
- Skin changes and water retention
- Infertility
What are the symptoms of too much iodine?
Too much iodine in our bodies can lead to hyperthyroidism. If the thyroid gland produces too many hormones, you might experience the following symptoms:
- Gastrointestinal discomfort
- Weight loss
- Acne
- Inner restlessness
Why are children under 18 not allowed to take the test?
Our tests are not suitable for underage children and adolescents under the age of 18. Under 18s cannot activate the tests online and therefore cannot receive a test result. We ask that you do not administer the tests to your children either.
Children and adolescents need much closer supervision and counselling regarding medical tests and their interpretation. Testing with lancets and chemicals is not without risk and would need to be closely supervised by guardians. In addition, the reference values we give are always based on adult data. In the case of children, the risk of misinterpreting the results would be very high.
We want to fulfil our responsibility as a provider of medical products and ensure that children and adolescents are not unsettled by measurement results that are difficult for them to interpret. Since we cannot control whether the minors' legal guardians actually consent to the test being carried out and supervise them, we exclude tests for under 18s altogether.
If you are under 18 and have purchased a test, please contact our customer support.
Why does it take up to a week for the sample to reach the lab?
Please bear in mind that your results will not be analyzed in the UK but in Germany. For that reason, it can take up to a week for the sample to arrive at the lab. This does not affect the stability of the samples, as the method we are using is optimized for long transports.
Initially, your sample is sent to our collection center in the UK. From there, it is shipped to our central sample sorting facility in Germany, which then distributes samples to our partner laboratories. Once your sample is analyzed there, you will receive a notification and can access your result online.
Please check your mailbox regularly. We will notify you as soon as your sample is sent, arrives, or is analyzed.
Why does the test have an expiration date?
The cerascreen® test kits are CE-marked medical devices, which in turn include other certified medical components such as lancets, patches, and alcohol swabs used in blood tests.
Like most medical devices, these components have an expiration date to ensure that they remain safe and effective. Many of our sample carriers – such as dried blood cards or sample tubes – are chemically treated to keep your sample stable and analyzable in our laboratory. Over time, environmental factors can affect this treatment and compromise accuracy.
Our sterile, single-use lancets also carry an expiration date to guarantee sterility and safe use up to that time.
