Small element, big effect! Scientific supplement, "iodine" brightens your life!

May 15

National Iodine Deficiency Prevention Day

Hello everyone, my name is iodine. Everyone knows my name because I am closely related to everyone's life: the "iodine" salt we eat every day, the "iodine tincture" used for skin disinfection, the "silver iodide" used for artificial rainfall, the iodine contrast agent used in clinical diagnosis, etc. Although I am just a trace element, the human body's metabolism and growth and development all require my participation. As for why we need to supplement iodine every day and what are the hazards of iodine deficiency, I think many people don't know much about it. Today, I will introduce myself in detail!

Small amounts can do a lot, but lack of them can cause more harm

The content of me in your body is only 15-20 mg, mainly concentrated in the thyroid gland, and is an important raw material for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones participate in maintaining the normal functioning of all organs in the human body, especially the growth and development of the brain, so I am also called the "wisdom element".

I am active throughout the life cycle of a person, and I am involved from the moment a mother becomes pregnant:

If I am missing during the mother's pregnancy, serious consequences include miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth and congenital malformation of the fetus;

If I am missing during the fetal and infant period, serious cases may result in cretinism (commonly known as cretinism, short stature, slow reaction), hearing impairment, intellectual impairment, etc. (because 1 to 3 years old is the critical period for brain development);

If I am missing during childhood and adolescence, you will have an enlarged thyroid gland (thick neck) and stunted physical development;

Without me as an adult, it could lead to hypothyroidism, fatigue, lack of concentration, and decreased work efficiency.

It can be seen that the human body cannot do without me! However, excessive intake is also not allowed, as it may cause hyperthyroidism, goiter, thyroid nodules and subclinical hypothyroidism, but its harm is far less than iodine deficiency.

Iodine deficiency prevention is the first priority, supplementing with iodized salt is the most effective

I have a characteristic that the human body cannot synthesize me and can only obtain me from food, such as food and drinking water. If you stop taking me, the body's reserve can only last for 3 months at most. Once it is lacking, it may cause iodine deficiency. The simplest, safest and most effective way to prevent iodine deficiency is to eat iodized salt.

In addition to iodized salt, I am also present in a variety of food ingredients, especially algae such as kelp, seaweed, and nori, followed by shrimp and seafood such as dried shrimp and dried shrimp, and fish are second.

There are some things to pay attention to when supplementing iodine. You need to do a good job of "addition and subtraction"

According to the 2022 edition of the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", the recommended amount for adults is 120 micrograms per day, but for special groups such as newborns, infants, preschool and school-age children, pregnant women and lactating women, the needs are different and cannot be generalized.

2022 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents Recommended Daily Iodine Intake for Healthy People

It can be seen that pregnant and lactating women have significantly greater demands for "I" than the general population, and they need to "add" and supplement appropriately in a timely manner.
The thyroid function of infants and young children is immature, and their tolerance to excessive iodine is low. Excessive iodine can easily cause thyroid dysfunction and lead to thyroid disease, so it needs to be avoided. For residents in high-iodine areas and patients with hyperthyroidism, there is no need to supplement "I". Especially for the latter, increased intake is not conducive to disease control. At this time, it is necessary to do a good job of "subtraction", that is, limit iodine intake.

Rumors about salt are not to be trusted. Be scientific and avoid pitfalls
Rumor 1​

Consuming iodized salt increases the risk of thyroid cancer.

—— Analysis by Yaowa——

There is currently no evidence that the occurrence of thyroid cancer is related to iodized salt.

Rumor 2​

Potassium iodate in iodized salt can cause poisoning.

—— Analysis by Yaowa——

The World Health Organization recommends that the safe range of daily iodine intake is 100-1000 micrograms, and the potassium iodate added to iodized salt is very small. After cooking, the oxidizing iodate in potassium iodate will quickly decompose to form iodide ions, and the iodate that actually enters the human body is almost zero, which will not cause poisoning.

Rumor 3​

Eating iodized salt can protect against radiation.

—— Analysis by Yaowa——

The iodine content in iodized salt is very low and does not reach the dose level required for radioactive iodine protection. In addition, excessive intake of iodine and potassium iodide can easily lead to iodine poisoning and even endanger life.

Rumor 4​

There is no need to eat iodized salt if you eat more seafood.

—— Analysis by Yaowa——

Seaweed (such as kelp, laver, etc.) has a high iodine content, but is rarely consumed; although seafood such as marine fish and shrimp are consumed a lot, they have a low iodine content and cannot meet the body's daily iodine needs under normal diet conditions. Therefore, even coastal residents still need to eat iodized salt to ensure daily iodine intake.