Cebu City – The celebration of the Goiter Awareness Week (GAW) every fourth week of January is mandated by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1188. The 2023 observance follows the theme, “Leeg Kapain, Goiter Sugpuin: Isip ay Patalinuhin, Iodized Salt ay Gamitin.” The yearly celebration stands true to its vision to continue spreading awareness on the importance of mineral Iodine in the prevention of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), primarily goiter, through information dissemination and nutrition education.

Goiter is a health condition that is characterized by the enlargement of the thyroid gland, as evidenced by the formation of a lump in front of the neck. Although goiters don’t usually produce symptoms, when they do, the patient may experience symptoms such as coughing, hoarseness of the voice, and swallowing problems. A lot of factors can contribute to the cause of goiter including autoimmune diseases (like Grave's disease), smoking, hyperthyroidism, and deficiency of iodine in the diet. 

The theme of this year’s GAW also promotes the importance of adding iodine to the diet. IDD can also manifest as thyroid malignancy and congenital hypothyroidism, neurodevelopmental deficits, and growth retardation among others.

At present, IDD continues to be one of the country's public health problems. As an intervention to this prevailing problem, Republic Act No. 8172 or the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN) Law was signed ingo law. The decree aims to promote the use of iodized salt to address the lack of micronutrients in the country. It also requires all salt manufacturers to iodize the salts they produce and distribute.

The National Nutrition Council Region VII strongly reminds the public to follow Kumainment #7: Use Iodized Salt, as one of the interventions to combat IDD. In addition to using Iodized salt, the following are foods that are rich sources of Iodine which you can include in your diet:

Seaweed. In Cebuano, this comes in the form of lato, guso, and lukot. Seaweed is a rich source of Iodine, thanks to its ability to absorb the concentrated Iodine content from the ocean. However, the Iodine content significantly depends on the type of seaweed, from the region in which it grew and to how it is prepared for consumption.

Shellfish. Crustaceans, particularly crabs and shrimps are great sources of mineral Iodine.  Both crustaceans are also low in calories, protein-rich and a good source of vitamin B12, zinc and selenium. Just like seaweed, these contain high amounts of minerals because of the concentrated Iodine from the ocean.

Saltwater Fish. Tuna (Tulingan), and cod (bakalaw) are among the common saltwater fish that are rich sources of Iodine. Higher amounts of iodine are found in fish that are lower in fat content compared to more fatty types. In this case, a leaner fish like cod can provide up to 66% of the daily value. However, tuna is still considered a great source of Iodine, and omega-3 fatty acids which is good for heart health.

According to John Wooden, “Little things make big things happen.” Following the same principle in Nutrition Promotion and Education, little by little we can promote positive behavioral changes if we continue to persist and influence the public. We all must start somewhere– through furthering the message of the Goiter Awareness Week celebration, we can make a difference and create a ripple of change to advocate for the importance of iodine in our diets. // DMO II Patricia B. Dalan, RND