The baseline of any healthy diet is balancing your intake to cover all the essential nutrients your body needs to function. Of course, it’s common to focus on the major vitamins and minerals like vitamin D and calcium. But even if you think you’re getting everything you need, there are still vital nutrients you could miss out on. Now, reports say iodine deficiency is becoming more common in the U.S., and some experts are trying to raise awareness about the increasing risk.
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Iodine is essential for thyroid function.
While it might not have the same cache as vitamin C or iron, iodine is an essential nutrient. According to Cleveland Clinic, the mineral helps the thyroid glands function at full capacity as part of the body’s endocrine system. This includes basic hormonal functions like regulating your metabolism, keeping the body warm, and determining how the body uses energy throughout the day.
Unfortunately, as the mineral is found in seawater, there are few ways to naturally incorporate iodine into a diet outside of seafood, shrimp, and seaweed. Historically, this created serious public health problems for populations living farther from the coasts, with many children developing goiters—or an enlarging of the neck due to enflamed and overworked thyroid glands—as a result of iodine deficiency.
Developing a deficiency at a young age can also create developmental problems in children, including intellectual impairment, slowing down physical growth, and other lifelong issues, per the AP.
A century-long solution for iodine deficiency is losing its effectiveness.
To counter this problem, food manufacturers began fortifying table salt with iodine beginning in 1924, nt the AP. Other dietary staples, including some bread and dairy products, soon began adding the mineral as well. The change helped to successfully decrease iodine deficiency throughout the U.S., making it a relative rarity decades later.
However, a change in American diets has made it less likely the public will get enough iodine in their diets as processed foods take up an increasing share of what’s consumed. Many are made with non-iodized salt, as are plant-based dairy alternatives. And the vital mineral isn’t added to kosher or sea salt, which is quickly becoming the go-to seasoning in kitchens and at the table, per Cleveland Clinic.
Moreover, as The Washington Post reported last year, "the iodine content of foods isn’t usually listed on the nutrition facts label, so it can be a challenge to know how much you’re getting."
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Now, some doctors warn of an increase in iodine deficiency cases.
The shift in eating patterns is already having an effect on public nutrition. One study published in 1998 had already found that iodine levels in surveyed Americans were halved from the 1970s to the 1990s.
However, there has also been a considerable change among those who are pregnant. A 2021 study conducted by the University of Michigan found that out of roughly 460 expectant mothers, 23 percent were found to be iodine deficient. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this carries potentially serious complications, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and other birth defects.
While still relatively rare, some experts say the trend could be a growing problem.
"We’re concerned this may be increasing, especially in patients with restricted diets," Monica Serrano-Gonzalez, MD, an endocrinologist at Brown University who has treated patients with iodine deficiency, told the AP.
Iodine deficiency symptoms:
Those not getting enough iodine might notice their deficiency after developing health issues. Most notably, this includes developing a goiter in your throat that can increase your risk of choking and create difficulty swallowing or breathing, per Cleveland Clinic. However, it can also cause:
- Fertility issues
- Puffy skin
- Hoarse voice
- Confusion or difficulty concentrating
- Dry or scaly skin
- Thinning hair
While each person has different dietary needs, adults typically need at least 150 micrograms of iodine daily, while those who are pregnant or breastfeeding need 250 micrograms, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Besides supplements and some prenatal vitamins, iodine is also found in fish such as cod and tuna, shrimp, and seaweed, as well as dairy products such as yogurt, milk, and cheese. Doctors can also diagnose a deficiency with a simple blood test, which can often be treated using hormone supplements.
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The takeaway.
Some doctors fear that iodine deficiency is making a resurgence in the U.S. Even though the problem was once largely eradicated thanks to manufacturing changes that added the essential mineral to staples like table salt and bread, dietary and process changes mean fewer people are getting the amount they need daily.
Those who don’t get enough iodine in their diet could see issues develop with their thyroid, which includes developing a goiter as the gland swells. It’s also particularly dangerous for children and those who are pregnant, as iodine deficiency can create long-term developmental health issues if not addressed quickly.
"This needs to be on people’s radar," Serrano-Gonzalez told the AP.
