Iodine Intake Declines as Salt Intake Decreases

As Americans reduce salt consumption, thyroid experts are concerned that some may get too little iodine.
Iodized salt is a key source of dietary iodine in the Stated and across the world.
Iodine is crucial for the synthesis of thyroid hormones and is derived purely via your diet .
Iodine helps to keep thyroid conditions like goiter and neonatal iodine deficiency at bay.
Iodized salt has been on sale in the USA since the early 1920s. However, Americans’ iodine levels have gone down by 50 percent in the last three decades.
Generally speaking Americans still get enough iodine. However, research suggests that a great many pregnant women could be iodine deficient.
Iodine is vital for effective synthesis of thyroid hormones, critical for brain development in infants and to prevent neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral problems.
While experts urge food consumers to reduce their salt consumption to better the health of their hearts, they also urge producers of commercial food, accounting for 70 per cent of salt consumption in the USA, to use iodized salt, something that they are not doing presently.
Pregnant women are recommended to take 150 micrograms of iodine supplements each day during pregnancy and breast feeding, and that all prenatal vitamin /mineral preparations ought to contain 150 micrograms of iodine.

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