What is the risk of iodine deficiency?
Unfortunately, up to a third of people worldwide are at risk of an iodine deficiency. Iodine is an essential mineral commonly found in seafood. The thyroid gland uses it to make thyroid hormones, which help control growth and repair damaged cells. Iodine deficiency can cause goiter, miscarriages, preterm delivery and congenital abnormalities in the babies whom their mother has severe iodine deficiency.
Those at the highest risk include
- Pregnant women
- People who live in countries where there is very little iodine in the soil. This includes South Asia, Southeast Asia, New Zealand and European countries.
- People who don’t use iodized salt.
- People who follow a vegetarian diet
Signs of iodine deficiency
An iodine deficiency symptoms are very similar to those of hypothyroidism. Since iodine is used to make thyroid hormones, an iodine deficiency means your body can’t make enough of them, leading to hypothyroidism.
- Swelling in the Neck: Swelling in the front of the neck is the most common symptom of an iodine deficiency. This is called a goiter and occurs when the thyroid gland grows too big. When your body is low in iodine, it can’t make enough of them. To compensate, the thyroid gland works harder to try to make more. This causes the cells to grow and multiply, eventually leading to a goiter.
- Unexpected Weight Gain: is another sign of an iodine deficiency.This is because thyroid hormones help control the speed of your metabolism. When your thyroid hormone levels are low, your body burns fewer calories at rest.
- Fatigue and Weakness: Fatigue and weakness are also common symptoms of an iodine deficiency. Some studies have found that nearly 80% of people with low thyroid hormone levels, which occur in cases of iodine deficiency, feel tired and weak.
- Hair loss: Thyroid hormones help control the growth of hair follicles. When your thyroid hormone levels are low, your hair follicles may stop regenerating.
- Dry Skin
- Feeling Colder Than Usual
- Changes in Heart Rate
- Trouble Learning and Remembering
- Heavy or Irregular Periods
How is iodine deficiency treated?
There are no tests to confirm if you have enough iodine in your body. When iodine deficiency is seen in an entire population, it is best managed by ensuring that common foods that people eat contain sufficient levels of iodine.
The Food sources containing iodine
- Seaweed
- Cod
- Yogurt
- Iodized salt
- Shrimp
- Egg
- Tuna, canned
- Dried prunes
** The best way to get enough iodine is to add iodized salt to your meals.
*** Smaller amounts of this mineral are also found in a variety of foods like fish, shellfish, beef, chicken, milk and other dairy products.
Reference:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iodine-deficiency-symptoms
https://www.gbhealthwatch.com/Nutrient-Iodine-Symptoms.php
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3074887/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-Consumer/
