Iodine deficiency

In the world

The iodine deficiency affects an important segment of the world population, including a not negligible percentage of Italians. It is estimated that at a global level about two billion people suffer from iodine deficiencies, of which about a third in school age (World Health Organization, 2007).

The incidence of iodic deficiencies is not uniform, being correlated not only to the socio-economic level of the population, but also to the richness of the mineral in the subsoil, in water and in food.

Italian situation

In Italy, iodine deficits still represent a major health problem; in some areas of the Italian territory, in fact, iodine is present in such small quantities in the environment and in foods that the minimum daily requirement cannot be satisfied through the common diet. To minimize the incidence of iodine deficiencies and related disorders, law n ° 55 of March 21st 2005 was promulgated ("Provisions aimed at the prevention of endemic goiter and other pathologies due to iodine deficiency"). The text of this standard provides for the adoption of measures to promote the consumption of salt enriched with iodine throughout the national territory. The prophylaxis with enriched salt was in fact considered - with reason - the simplest and cheapest method of preventing iodic deficiencies.

Before the entry into force of these rules, in Italy about 6 million people suffered from goiter, or more than 10% of the population, so that the economic impact of this disease reached 150 million euros / year. Fortunately, it was and continues to be mostly mild or moderate nutritional deficits, so that the most serious forms of iodine deficiency disorders have now disappeared from our country.

Law 55/2005 key points

the availability of salt fortified with iodine must be ensured in all food salt sales points; the common salt must be supplied only upon specific request of the consumer; use of iodine enriched salt in public catering and food production.

The first data on the efficacy of iodoprophylaxis in Italy were not exciting, although there was a significant percentage decrease (5.49% in 2008 vs 6.25% in 2004) of the neonatal population with TSH values> 5 mIU / L at birth . From these first data it clearly emerges that the national iodoprophylaxis programs need a renewed work of information / awareness of the inhabitants about the benefits deriving from the use of iodized salt.

For more information and more up-to-date data, refer to the website of the body responsible for assessing the efficacy and efficiency of iodine prophylaxis in Italy: //www.iss.it/osnami/

Importance of Iodine

The importance of an adequate nutritional intake of iodine lies in the fact that this element is the essential constituent of thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These play a critical role on cell differentiation, in particular on the development of the central nervous system in the early stages of life, and contribute to the maintenance of metabolic homeostasis during adulthood.

The nutritional deficiency of iodine compromises the thyroid function and results in morbid conditions whose manifestations vary according to the period of life concerned makes this deficit. Although insufficient intake of iodine can cause problems in all periods of life, it is extremely important that pregnant and lactating women, and children under the age of 3, take sufficient quantities of this element.

This is because a serious deficiency of iodine during fetal and infant development leads to irreversible damage to the brain and central nervous system, consequently to a permanent mental retardation. Even slight iodine deficiencies, such as those found in our country, if left untreated can lead to minor intellectual deficits. The hypothyroid goiter represents the most widespread manifestation of the nutritional deficiency of iodine in our territory.

Little salt, but iodine

The best way to increase the amount of iodine we introduce every day is to use, in a varied and balanced diet, salt enriched with iodine instead of common salt. In addition to that already supplied with the diet, each gram of enriched salt provides us with 30 micrograms of extra iodine (that is, in the case of an adult, 1/5 of what is needed every day). At the same time, however, it is necessary to reduce habitual salt consumption, since high sodium intake increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, mainly through the increase in blood pressure.

The best thing to do is to always use salt enriched with iodine, bearing in mind that we should halve our salt consumption (which currently corresponds on average to about 10 g per day) to reach a compromise between satisfying the taste, the prevention of risks related to excess sodium and effective prevention of iodine deficiencies.