Iodine is an important element in the body, the first task of
which is to take part in the production of thyroid hormones. When the intake of
iodine is insufficient, the production of thyroid hormones is disrupted, and a disease
called goiter occurs. Goiter is the overgrowth of the thyroid gland located in
the front of the neck. Approximately 40% of the world's population is at risk
of iodine deficiency.
Since pregnancy is an anabolic condition, the production of
thyroid hormones increases during pregnancy and indirectly increases the need
for iodine.
Which foods
contain plenty of iodine?
- Cheese
- Yoghurt
- Cow milk
- Ice Cream
- Egg
- Fish (Saltwater fish)
- shellfish
- Iodized table salt
Iodine is abundant in soil and sea water. Depending on the
amount of iodine contained in the soil in the region where the food is grown,
the same food may contain very different amounts of iodine because it grows in
different places. For this reason, it is not always easy to determine how much
iodine each food contains and to write this in the product packages sold.
Diagnosis
of iodine deficiency:
The diagnosis of iodine deficiency is not only personal, but
issues for certain societies. Iodine deficiency is common in certain regions of
the world. Iodine deficiency is a condition that can be specific to certain
regions in this way because the nutrients of that region cause it. Since iodine
is an element excreted in the urine from the body, the diagnosis of iodine
deficiency is made by looking at the amount of iodine excreted in the urine.
Symptoms
and diseases in iodine deficiency:
Goiter: In case of iodine deficiency, the thyroid gland has
to grow more than normal in order to hold enough iodine and goiter disease
characterized by swelling in front of the neck.
- Hypothyroidism: Hypothyroidism is the inability to produce
enough of thyroid hormones and the most common cause in the world is iodine
deficiency.
Although goiter and hypothyroidism are diseases that can be
seen in both women and men, if iodine deficiency is seen in pregnancy, it may
have side effects specific to pregnancy and the baby that will be born.
Congenital hypothyroidism due to iodine deficiency is the
most common cause of preventable mental retardation in the world.
Treatment
of iodine deficiency:
There is no test to find out if the amount of iodine is
missing in a person's body, but the level of intake can be estimated by looking
at the amount of iodine excreted in the urine. However, this is not a routine
examination. If a patient has goitre or similar diseases due to iodine
deficiency, this disease is treated directly with thyroid hormone drugs, iodine
is not usually given from the outside. Instead, iodine deficiency is prevented
by adding iodine to foods such as salt, bread and drinking water in the
communities where iodine deficiency is detected.
Prevention
of iodine deficiency:
The world health organization has done a lot of work in the
past 50 years to prevent iodine deficiency in the world. The most important of
these studies is to expand the sale of iodized salt and make it mandatory.
Iodine can be impaired by light. For this reason, the salt
must be stored in non-transparent salt shakers and in a dark environment.
Iodized
salt - Iodized salt:
It is advantageous that the iodization of salt is simple and
does not cause taste, odor and color change, and therefore iodine is the most
preferred salt among the foods added.
Use of iodized salt may be inconvenient in some types of
goiter and some hyperthyroid patients.
Too much iodine:
Taking large amounts of iodine supplements can cause
problems, especially in people with thyroid diseases (nodules,
hyperthyroidism), and thyroid functions may be impaired. In the normal
population, an excess of iodine usually does not cause a problem or poisoning.
-IODINE DEFICIENCY IN PREGNANCY
-STOMACH ULCER AND GASTRITIS IN PREGNANCY
-HEREDITARY THROMBOPHILIA AND PREGNANCY
-PREEKLAMPSY IN PREGNANCY
