Dr. Olga Ulankina points out that during his life a person consumes 3-5 g of iodine, that is, he needs 90-200 micrograms of this element per day.
But according to her, many people in the world suffer from a deficiency of this important element. What are the consequences of its deficiency and how can it be compensated for?
The doctor points out that the human body gets iodine from food and water. Iodine is essential for the synthesis of thyroxine and triiodothyronine, hormones produced by the thyroid gland. It participates in many important processes that occur in the body - it controls cell renewal, metabolism, body temperature, and affects reproductive function, the work of the heart, liver, brain, and central nervous system. Therefore, its chronic deficiency leads to the thyroid gland not being able to perform its function at the required level, which leads to various diseases, such as hypothyroidism and goiter, and in childhood, its deficiency leads to delayed physical and mental development.
“A woman’s need for iodine increases during pregnancy,” the doctor says. “If a pregnant mother does not get the required amount of this element, the risk of the child developing birth defects and congenital diseases increases. Symptoms of iodine deficiency may not appear for a long time, but laboratory tests allow us to determine the level of this element in the body with high accuracy.”
The doctor points out that people who live on the coasts of seas and oceans are less likely to suffer from iodine deficiency, as this element is found in the soil near the coast, and from there it is transferred to vegetables, grains and herbs. In addition, they get it from algae, fish and seafood, and it is also present in small quantities even in the sea air.
“Spending a vacation at seaside resorts helps to compensate for iodine deficiency, but this does not last long. Fortunately, iodine deficiency can be easily compensated through diet. It is enough to regularly eat fish, seafood, seaweed salads and use iodized salt to compensate for its deficiency. In addition, iodine is found in black plums, wild fruits, white beans and turkey. A balanced diet and iodized salt are enough to completely prevent iodine deficiency,” she says.
The doctor recommends not taking medications and nutritional supplements containing iodine without a doctor’s prescription because iodine is a toxic element that irritates the mucous membrane of the digestive system and causes a skin rash.
“In rare cases, hyperthyroidism develops - a disease in which the thyroid gland produces too many hormones. Because of this, all metabolic processes in the body accelerate, a person feels constantly tired, his mood is disturbed, his body temperature rises, his heartbeat accelerates, his hands begin to shake, and his libido decreases,” she says.