Iodine is one of the essential elements in our human body. Once lacking, it can cause various diseases in the body, which are also known as iodine deficiency disorders. Iodine deficiency disorders are mainly caused by environmental iodine deficiency and insufficient intake of iodine by the human body. Next, let's learn about the prevention and treatment knowledge of iodine deficiency disorders.
The etiology of iodine deficiency disorders
1. Environmental factors
The reason for its prevalence is the lack of iodine in the soil of most parts of the world, especially in glacier washed areas and flooded plains. Human activities have caused soil damage, indiscriminate logging, soil erosion, and environmental iodine deficiency. There are numerous literature reports on iodine deficiency in mountainous areas, and endemic goiter in China is also mostly distributed in mountainous areas, mainly due to the large slope of mountainous areas, rainwater erosion, and iodine loss from the soil. The iodine deficiency in the Sanjiang Plain of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China may be caused by frequent flooding in history and active movement of groundwater.
2. Fetal iodine deficiency
During pregnancy, if the intake of iodine is insufficient, the concentration of inorganic iodine ions in the plasma decreases, resulting in less T3 and T4 produced by the thyroid gland and a decrease in T3 and T4 in the blood. As a result, the amount of T3 and T4 passing through the placenta decreases, which cannot meet the needs of the fetus. This leads to a series of obstacles in the growth and development of the fetus, with symptoms first appearing in the central nervous system.
3. Dietary factors
About 60% of the human body's iodine supply comes from plant-based foods, and iodine deficiency in soil can lead to insufficient iodine content in plant-based foods. Low protein and low energy can increase the levels of T3 in serum, T4， Plasma protein bound iodine (PBI) decreases, while serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) increases. Low protein and high carbohydrate levels can affect the thyroid's absorption and utilization of iodine.
Prevention methods for iodine deficiency disorder
1. Iodized salt: Sodium iodide or potassium iodide is added to salt at a concentration of 1:10000 to 1:20000.
2. Iodized drinking water: Add potassium iodide to drinking water, and add 1g of potassium iodide to 100000 L of water (i.e. 10 μ g of potassium iodide per liter of water).
3. Iodine oil injection: applicable to areas with low incidence rate and no need for universal iodization.
4. Eat more foods rich in iodine, such as seaweed, seaweed, sea fish and shrimp.
