Cebu City - Iodine is an essential mineral that is used by the thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones that control many functions in the body including growth and development. The reason why this is an important Kumainment to follow is because our body cannot produce iodine on its own. Therefore, the iodine we need on a day-to-day basis must be taken from food. Getting enough iodine is important for everyone, especially infants and women who are pregnant since it is needed for proper bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy.
Iodine deficiency is a common public health problem that results in goiter (thyroid gland enlargement), hypothyroidism, and weight gain. In pregnancy, iodine deficiency causes brain damage in newborns and infants due to inadequate intake of the mother and of the child.
This incurred intellectual disability has the most harmful consequences which causes irreversible brain and development damage that lasts a lifetime. All the ramifications of iodine deficiency are preventable if the pregnant mother and infant consumes the daily recommended intake of iodine using iodized salt and supplements.
In the Philippines, there are measures put in place to ensure the elimination of iodine deficiencies among the Filipino people. On December 20, 1995, the late former president, Fidel V. Ramos, signed into law RA 8172, also known as the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide or ASIN Law. This law requires the addition of iodine to salt intended for the animal and human consumption to eliminate micronutrient malnutrition in the country.
To increase our intake of iodine, we heavily rely on iodine fortification. An average adult requires 150 micrograms (mcg) of iodine while children require 120 mcg. Iodized salt usually adds 77 mcg to every 1 gram of serving to the diet. Most multivitamin mineral supplements contain 150 micrograms of iodine. With the safe tolerable upper limit of daily iodine intake for children set at 900 and adults set at 1,100 micrograms by the IOM, it is unlikely to hit an excess amount when taking multivitamin and including natural sources of dietary iodine.
It is also important to note that the salt used in processed foods, typically does not contain iodine. In conclusion, dietitians recommend ceasing consumption of sodium from processed goods and focus on getting sodium from iodized salt. // ND II Mary Carmeli Garrovillo, RND
