Iodine deficiency disorder preventive care by means of food

Author: Ushanskaya E.Y.

Iodine deficiency is one of the typical examples of micronutrient deficiency which appears in whole set of iodine deficiency disorders. Iodine deficiency in soil and water and thus its lack in local food products is the reason of chronic iodine deficiency which heavily affects the health of population, children and teenagers in particular. In Kazakhstan the iodine deficiency in soil, water and food products is found on half of its territory, and origins of hypothyroidism are registered in 11 out of 14 regions which is 1580000 sq.m

Iodine – is the microelement necessary for normal growth and development of people and animals. About 80% (15-20mg) of iodine in the body is concentrated in thyroid body. It is necessary for synthesis of thyroid hormones of thyroid body. These hormones play the important role in man’s activity at any age. Especially it is important to note its role during pregnancy, when brain cortex of future baby is being formed and developed.

Hormones of thyroid body perform the following functions in human body:

Manage the disbursements of protein, fat and carbohydrate;

Regulate the brain and nervous system activity;

Regulate the activity of reproductive and lacteal glands;

Determine the growth and development of the body;

Necessary to maintain the temperature and energy exchange;

Necessary to form the brain cells.

Deficiency of iodine containing hormones can be appeared in following diseases (WHO, 2001):

Fetal life Abortions, dead birth, congenital abnormalities, rise of mortinality, child mortality, neurologic cretinism: mental handicap, deaf-dumbness, squinty eye. Myxedema cretinism (hypotheriosis, dwarfism), psychomotor impairment

Newborn Congenital goiter, infantile hypothyroidism

Children and teenagers Goiter, juvenile hypotheriosis, mental growth insufficiency, delayed mental development, physical development disorder

Adults Goiter, hypotheriosis, mental impairment, iodine thyrotoxicosis

At any age Goiter, hypotheriosis, cognitive function disorder, increase of radioiodine absorption during nuclear catastrophes

The man needs only 1 tea spoon of iodine for 75 years of life!

Daily according to WHO recommendations the need of iodine is:

50 mkg for infants during first 12 life months;

90 mkg for children from 1 to 7 years;

120 mkg for children aged 7-12;

150 mkg for adults and children from 12 and above;

200 mkg for pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Main ways of iodine deficiency disorder prevention are:

Prescription of medicine: water and oil based iodine for oral use or intramuscular injections of iodine.

Elimination of iodine deficiency with the help of food products that is rich of iodine.

The man receives iodine only from outside: 90% from food, the rest – with water and air. Therefore, the best way to get the iodine is to use the iodized salt and eat products which are rich with iodine.

Main food sources of iodine:

Seafood – fish, cod liver oil, sea cabbage, shrimps, mussel;

Vegetables – beat, salad, spinach, tomatoes, carrot, common onion, frigole, garlic;

Fruits – date-plum, apples, grapes, cherry, plum, apricot, strawberry, walnuts, pine nuts;

Cereal – buckwheat, millet;

Milk products – cheese, cottage cheese, milk.

While cooking, the iodine is better saved, if:

To poor the water so that it covers the food inside just a little bit;

During boiling of vegetables to put it as a whole to the boiling water, and better to steam them, strongly closing the saucepan cover;

When it is boiled strong, 50% of iodine is destroyed in meat and fish, 30% - in vegetables and fruits;

Milk if to boil for long – loses 25% of it;

Intensive usage of sea and ocean food guarantees the provision of iodine needs; however, it is important to note that during long storage of such products the loss of iodine can be 33-65%.

The easiest and most effective way to prevent the iodine deficiency is using iodized salt. Choice of salt as object of iodification comparing to other food products (bread, milk, butter, etc) is due to the following:

Salt – is a cheap product which is accessible to the whole population;

Salt is used practically everywhere by various population categories;

Salt iodization is a simple mixture which does not require complicated equipment, and easily operated and serviced;

Salt cannot be over iodized. Adding the iodine to the salt does not change the color, taste or sense of the food products while cooking;

It is easy to render the quality control of iodized salt;

The price of iodized salt does not exceed 31 tenge per person a year. And the positive effect of its constant use is enormous.

Salt iodization is very important, effective and massive intervention purposed to prevent the iodine deficiency disorders. And it is important to use it with knowledge.

Rules of iodized salt usage:

During the temperature increase the iodine almost fully disappears, thus it is better to put salt right before the eating.

Iodized salt preserves its healing powers only during -4 months after manufacture, therefore it is very important to pay attention to the fates indicated on package.

Such salt shall be kept in a closed jar, since if it is in an open jar for a long time, the iodine disappears.

It is preferable that the jar for salt shall be dark or kept in the dark shelf, since the part of iodine can be destroyed under the sun light.

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Fetal life	Abortions, dead birth, congenital abnormalities, rise of mortinality, child mortality, neurologic cretinism: mental handicap, deaf-dumbness, squinty eye. Myxedema cretinism (hypotheriosis, dwarfism), psychomotor impairment
Newborn	Congenital goiter, infantile hypothyroidism
Children and teenagers	Goiter, juvenile hypotheriosis, mental growth insufficiency, delayed mental development, physical development disorder
Adults	Goiter, hypotheriosis, mental impairment, iodine thyrotoxicosis
At any age	Goiter, hypotheriosis, cognitive function disorder, increase of radioiodine absorption during nuclear catastrophes