Veronika is busy working mum based in Manchester, UK. She has a keen interest in health, nutrition and keeping as active as possible. When not chasing a baby around, she can be found experimenting in the kitchen.
Iodine deficiency and Iodised Salt; Is Iodising Salt a good idea?
Research is suggesting that the UK population is lacking in the mineral Iodine, and that taking a leaf from the US, we should be using iodised salt.
I wasn’t struck by the logic of the idea; basically, iodine is a micronutrient that’s key to the healthy function capacity of the thyroid; it’s also a mineral that contributes to the growth of the brain, particularly during pregnancy and through infanthood.
As we can’t produce Iodine ourselves, we must ensure that we are consuming enough iodine-rich products – such a dairy and fish – to help boost our thyroid operation later in life.
As Professor John Lazarus, Chair of the UK Iodine Group and a specialist in hormone disorders says:
“Even mild to moderately (deficiency) , is enough to put the foetus at serious risk of brain abnormalities and low IQ.”
Worryingly, UK studies show that women in particular are not consuming the recommended intake of Iodine (150 mcg) and, most startlingly, pregnant women appear to be consuming considerably less than their RDA (200 mcg).
Lazarus notes that, “There have been at least five recent surveys of pregnant women living across the UK showing a substantial amount of iodine deficiency in the first trimester of pregnancy.”
With this is mind, a major British salt manufacturer is currently investigating the concept of fortifying salt with iodine in a bid to increase our daily intake; much like the fortification of cereals, flour and some slimming foods.
We know that fortification can have positive results. Folic Acid added to flour and bread in the US saw a promising reduction in the rates of common but severe birth defects. With the UK – albeit voluntarily – following suit, Professor Neena Modi, then president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, stated it was “a gamechanger for fortification”.
However, can the fortification of an already controversial flavouring really be the right way to go?
Over the last decade the UK Government has encouraged us to reduce our salt intake to the recommended 6g per day for adults and sliding scale of between 2-5 g for children up to the age of ten; with one major manufacturer claiming that the UK does not consume enough salt.
Even if questionable ‘commercial’ research points to the recent success on the UK Governments campaign to regulate our daily salt intake, the story is far from celebratory. Further investigation shows that while UK salt consumption is down, from 9.5 in 2003 to 8.00 in 2017, it is yet to hit the golden 6g, with a typical adult consuming a third more.
Dr Alison Tedstone, Chief Nutritionist at PHE, said: “Many manufacturers and retailers have significantly reduced the salt levels in everyday foods. However, more needs to be done, especially by restaurants, cafes and takeaway”.
In my opinion, the idea of encouraging Iodine consumption by hinting that salt could be ‘good’ for us an unacceptable idea – with the fortification of organic milk, or a campaign to encourage Iodine supplements, appearing to be the most logical option.
What do you think – is Iodised Salt a good idea?
