The iodine cycle (including 'Iodine uptake by plants for human and livestock health')

Iodine is an important mineral for the health of both human and non-human animals. The main contributors to iodine intake for humans are milk, seafood and bread (fortified with iodised salt). However, many of these animal-based or processed products are inaccessible for much of the world’s population and a move to a more unprocessed, plant-based diet has been suggested for both human and planetary health (e.g the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet). Furthermore, many important livestock are exclusively herbivorous, and therefore their health and productivity are highly linked to the nutritional composition of the plants they eat. Therefore, understanding what affects soil availability and plant uptake of iodine is of vital importance.