Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Burak Can gave important information on the subject.Iodine is an essential element for life. Thyroid hormone is an essential hormone for our survival and is produced from iodine. Iodine can be taken orally through foods containing only iodine or with added iodine. Almost all (>90%) of dietary iodine is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and duodenum.
Approximately 30% of the world's population lives in iodine-poor regions. If people living in these regions do not receive iodine supplements, disorders due to iodine deficiency will occur. In iodine deficiency, infertility, miscarriage, and congenital anomalies may develop in the child. In addition, patients who develop hypothyroidism due to iodine deficiency will have complaints related to hypothyroidism: weakness, dry skin, hair loss, thickening of the skin, constipation, intolerance to cold, menstrual irregularities, hair and nail breakage, weight gain, edema due to hypothyroidism, forgetfulness, difficulty in concentration, depression, mood swings.
Thyroid hormones are very important for the brain development of the baby in the womb. Low IQ is observed in children of mothers with moderate iodine deficiency. In children of mothers with severe iodine deficiency, a condition called cretinism accompanied by mental retardation and additional disorders may occur. The most important cause of preventable mental retardation in the world is iodine deficiency.
How is iodine deficiency detected?
Iodine deficiency should be screened in society, not in individuals. Measurement of urinary iodine content in a large population is the most appropriate method. In community screenings (consisting of at least 500 people), a single urine iodine sample taken randomly may be sufficient.
To determine the iodine status of an individual person, more than one urine iodine sample (12 or more taken on different days) is needed.
Iodine deficiency is considered if the urine iodine amount is <150 microgram/L in pregnant women and <100 microgram/L in the non-pregnant population. Due to the changes that occur during pregnancy, the need for iodine increases.
What is the way to eliminate iodine deficiency in a society?
The most effective method currently recommended in the world to prevent iodine is iodization of table salt. In our country, the Ministry of Health launched the "Prevention of Iodine Deficiency Diseases and Iodization of Salt Program" in cooperation with UNICEF in 1994. With the mandatory iodization of table salt, the problem has been significantly solved in urban centers, but the problem is thought to persist, especially in rural areas.
Which foods are rich in iodine?
Cheese, cow's milk, egg yolk, tuna, cod, shrimp, prunes.
Iodized salt: Using 2 grams of iodized salt a day meets your daily need. Care should be taken to store salt in cool, non-humid environments, in dark, closed glass containers that are protected from light, sun and air, and add it after cooking.
Yogurt : One cup of plain yogurt provides more than half of the daily recommended amount.
Seaweeds (sea beans): Seaweed is one of the best natural sources of iodine. However, the amount it contains can vary significantly depending on its type, the region where it grows, and its preparation.
Is iodine a cure for everything? Should it be taken in high amounts?
Recently, there has been propaganda on social media about the use of high doses of iodine. It is said that iodine is good for almost all diseases. It is decided whether you have iodine deficiency by checking the urine iodine level only once, and people are recommended to drink Lugol's solution every day. Paracelsus, who is considered one of the founders of modern medicine and modern pharmacology, said, “Every substance is poison. There is no substance that is not poisonous; It is the dose that separates poison from medicine.” We must not forget his words. Just as iodine deficiency causes some disorders, iodine excess also causes some disorders. Excess iodine disrupts the functioning of the thyroid gland. Excessive iodine exposure increases autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In regions such as Istanbul, where the average urine iodine amount approaches 200 µg/L (above 100 is normal), attention should be paid to the iodine used in food enrichment and unnecessary iodine supplements should not be made.
Dr.Burak Can said, “Iodine deficiency is a world problem and is followed by international organizations such as the World Health Organization, ICCIDD and IGN. Our Ministry of Health is working on this public health problem. The use of iodized salt, which is accepted all over the world, is also applied in our country. In studies conducted in our country after the use of iodized salt, the amount of urinary iodine increased. Although iodine deficiency has decreased significantly in city centers, iodine deficiency continues in rural areas. We should take iodine as much as we need; "No more, no less..." he said.