Iodine deficiency

Iodine deficiency
SpecialtyEndocrinology

Iodine deficiency is a lack of the trace element iodine, an essential nutrient in the diet. It may result in metabolic problems such as goiter, sometimes as an endemic goiter as well as congenital iodine deficiency syndrome due to untreated congenital hypothyroidism, which results in developmental delays and other health problems. Iodine deficiency is an important global health issue, especially for fertile and pregnant women. It is also a preventable cause of intellectual disability.

Iodine is an essential dietary mineral for neurodevelopment among children.[1] The thyroid hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine contain iodine. In areas where there is little iodine in the diet, typically remote inland areas where no marine foods are eaten, iodine deficiency is common. It is also common in mountainous regions of the world where food is grown in iodine-poor soil.

Prevention includes adding small amounts of iodine to table salt, a product known as iodized salt. Iodine compounds have also been added to other foodstuffs, such as flour, water and milk, in areas of deficiency.[2] Seafood is also a well known source of iodine.[3]

In the U.S., the use of iodine has decreased over concerns of overdoses since mid-20th century, and the iodine antagonists bromine, perchlorate and fluoride have become more ubiquitous.[4] In particular, around 1980 the practice of using potassium iodate as dough conditioner in bread and baked goods was gradually replaced by the use of other conditioning agents[5] such as bromide.[citation needed]

Iodine deficiency resulting in goiter occurs in 187 million people globally as of 2010 (2.7% of the population).[6] It resulted in 2700 deaths in 2013, up from 2100 deaths in 1990.[7]

  1. ^ "Risiko For Jodmangel i Norge" (PDF). Ernæringsrådet (in Norwegian). June 2016.
  2. ^ Creswell J. Eastman, Michael Zimmermann (12 February 2014). "The Iodine Deficiency Disorders". Thyroid Disease Manager. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
  3. ^ "Iodine in Seaweed". Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2008-01-04.
  4. ^ Meletis CD (2011). "Iodine: Health Implications of Deficiency". Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine. 16 (3): 190–194. doi:10.1177/2156587211414424. ISSN 1533-2101.
  5. ^ K. Smith (24 August 1988). Trace Minerals in Foods. CRC Press. pp. 273–. ISBN 978-0-8247-7835-4.
  6. ^ Vos T, Flaxman AD, Naghavi M, Lozano R, Michaud C, Ezzati M, et al. (Dec 15, 2012). "Years lived with disability (YLDs) for 1160 sequelae of 289 diseases and injuries 1990–2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010". Lancet. 380 (9859): 2163–96. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61729-2. PMC 6350784. PMID 23245607.
  7. ^ Murray PC (17 December 2014). "Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013". Lancet. 385 (9963): 117–171. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61682-2. PMC 4340604. PMID 25530442.