World Iodine Association

Iodine is an essential nutrient during the first 1000 days of life: it is most critical in the early stages of development, as the fetal brain is extremely dependent on iodine supply. 📌During pregnancy, the body requires more thyroid hormones. However, even healthy pregnant women living in areas with mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency may not have enough of these hormones. 📌In the last decades, thyroid physiology during gestation has been researched. Thyroid hormone receptors have been identified and characterised in placental and embryonic tissues, allowing to elucidate the maternal-fetal transfer of thyroid hormones. 📌Iodine plays a pivotal role in substantially contributing to the development and plasticity of the baby's neural tissues. 📌At EUthyroid2, we work to increase awareness among adolescents and young women about the importance of iodine for their own health and that of their future babies. 📌EUthyroid2 conducts implementation studies and community-based randomised-controlled intervention trials in eight study regions in the educational and ambulatory-care settings. 📌 We aim to improve low awareness with respect to iodine deficiency and iodine-deficiency disorders (IDD). Velasco I, Bath SC, Rayman MP. Iodine as Essential Nutrient during the First 1000 Days of Life. Nutrients. 2018;10(3):290. #iodine #nutrition #youngpeople #interventions #HaDEA #EuropeanUnion

  🌍 Tackling iodine deficiency disorders in Karnataka, INDIA   The north-eastern region of Karnataka in India🇮🇳  remains at high risk of  #IodineDeficiencyDisorders (#IDD).   With over 80,000 cases of #goiter, #hypothyroidism, and #AutoimmuneThyroidDiseases like #Hashimoto’s and #Graves' disease, it’s clear that the lack of iodine is taking a toll, especially on younger women👩🏾. The ripple effects are huge - contributing to pregnancy🤰🏾 complications and rising obesity rates in the region.   🚨 Women in the region bear the brunt of this deficiency, with hypothyroidism posing significant risks during pregnancy. 💡 The good news? Early detection is possible—visible neck swelling is often the first clue, pushing people to seek medical🏥 help. Timely treatment can reduce goiter size, restore normal thyroid function, and help patients regain their health.   The study highlights that raising awareness, promoting iodine supplementation, and ensuring access to quality medical care, can make a lasting impact.   All insights and data from this study can be found on: https://lnkd.in/eUKms6AK

🔬 The critical role of iodine in human health and development   Did you know that #iodine is essential for producing #ThyroidHormones, which regulate metabolism, growth📈, and development?   #IodineDeficiency poses a serious threat to #health🚑, particularly during pregnancy🤰, where it can lead to irreversible brain🧠 damage to the foetus👶.   In a recent study, Dr. Elizabeth Pearce and Dr. Eduardo Pretell, analysed efforts to eliminate #IodineDeficiencyDisorders (#IDD) in the Americas 🌎.   💡In North America, the introduction of #IodizedSalt🧂 in the 1950s successfully eliminated ID.   💡In Latin America, although #SaltIodization laws were passed in the 1950s-60s, initial efforts were less effective due to poor enforcement and inadequate communication💬. However, a renewed focus in the 1970s-80s led to the first successful #SaltIodizationPrograms in the Andean🦙 region.   💡Over the past three decades🗓️, there has been a stronger political commitment to iodine deficiency prevention in Latin America, with 92% of households now consuming adequately iodized salt.   💡Urinary iodine levels📊 in schoolchildren also reflect optimal iodine nutrition across the region.   The study highlights that despite progress, continued efforts are needed. Governments must remain committed to monitoring🔍 iodine status, salt quality, and household🏠 consumption. Special attention is required for pregnant women, who may still be at risk of deficiency even when iodine levels in children are adequate.   Curious in learning more? Access the full study on: https://lnkd.in/ePVizwqQ

Patients with Hashimoto's disease may have low levels of iodine and selenium. Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production and its deficiency causes different disorders: 🔹goitre 🔹hypothyroidism 🔹alteration in growth 🔹impaired neurological development of the baby. Main iodine sources: fish, milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. Using iodised salt is the easiest way to ensure adequate iodine intake: Use less salt, but iodised salt! 📍Remember: 🔹optimal iodine intake is essential but too much iodine intake may result in health complications as well. 🔹achieving and maintaining adequate iodine and selenium levels are important to control thyroid disease, and they may additionally be critical to preventing disease. Duntas LH. The Role of Iodine and Selenium in Autoimmune Thyroiditis. Horm Metab Res. 2015;47(10):721-726. #iodine #nutrition #WorldIodineDeficiencypreventionDay #thyroid

On World Iodine Deficiency Prevention Day, we want to highlight that during pregnancy, the body requires more thyroid hormones. However, even healthy pregnant women living in areas with mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency may not have enough of these hormones. 📍 Maternal hypothyroxinemia during early pregnancy can affect fetal neurodevelopment, even in iodine-sufficient areas. 📍The placenta actively transports iodide from the maternal to the fetal circulation to provide iodide for thyroid hormone synthesis. 📍Compromised transfer of maternal thyroid hormone to the fetus can cause permanent damage to the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. 📍Although many countries have improved their population's iodine status, we are now seeing a new trend where impaired cognitive outcomes are accompanied by various behavioural disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 📍Remember: Iodine: 🔹is crucial during pregnancy for the healthy brain development of the baby. 🔹plays a pivotal role that substantially contributes to postnatal development and plasticity of neural tissues. Velasco I, Bath SC, Rayman MP. Iodine as Essential Nutrient during the First 1000 Days of Life. Nutrients. 2018;10(3):290. #iodine #IDD #PreventionIsKey #pregnancy #EuropeanUnion #HaDEA

⚠️ Concerning new findings on #iodinedeficiency (ID) in pregnant women🤰 with hypertensive disorders.   A recent study from Paraíba, Brazil 🇧🇷, conducted between June 2022 and April 2023), revealed that 74.8% of pregnant women in a maternity hospital🏥 had ID, with the highest rates seen in those with chronic arterial hypertension (27.6%) and gestational hypertension (26.9%).   Notable associations include:   ➖Twinning (OR = 3.26; 95%CI 1.79 to 5.96; p < 0.001) and superimposed preeclampsia (OR = 0.37; 95%CI 0.15 to 0.93; p < 0.001) were statistically associated with iodine deficiency   ➖Chorioamnionitis (OR = 1.32; 95%CI 1.23 to 1.42; p < 0.001) and neonatal jaundice (OR = 1.25; 95%CI 1.07 to 1.44; p = 0.004) were associated with a high risk of iodine deficiency.   ➖Interestingly, superimposed preeclampsia was identified as a protective factor against iodine deficiency compared to other hypertensive disorders.   This study underscores the critical need to monitor iodine levels in pregnant women, especially those with hypertensive disorders, to mitigate risks for both mothers and infants👩🍼.   Full access to article can be found on: https://lnkd.in/gdhvxUZX

New insights into the effectiveness of #saltiodizationprograms🧂 in combating #iodinedeficiency (ID)!   A recent study from Romania🇷🇴 analysed #iodinelevels in neonates👩🍼 and school children👦 by measuring median urinary iodine concentration (mUIC) and household use of #iodizedsalt.   Key findings💡 include:   ➖The mUIC for schoolchildren was 141 µg/L, indicating adequate iodine intake in nearly all regions, with minor variations across counties and between urban🌆 and rural areas⛰️.   ➖Children using iodized salt🧂 had significantly higher mUIC (150 µg/L) compared to those using non-iodized salt (121 µg/L).   ➖62% of households🏠 reported using iodized salt, below the 90% recommended for effective ID prevention.   ➖Despite adequate intake in schoolchildren🏫, neonatal thyroid-stimulating hormone (nTSH) levels suggest mild-to-moderate ID, raising concerns about iodine intake during pregnancy🤰.   This study highlights the importance of raising public awareness about the health risks of ID, particularly its impact on children's cognitive development🧠.     Interested in learning more about this study? Read the full article on https://lnkd.in/gZnqGqZZ

Thank you to all the participants and speakers that attended the 3rd World Iodine Association International Conference on Iodine in #FoodSystems🧂 and #Health🩺 in Baveno 🇮🇹. From 7-8 October, the event gathered global experts from the scientific, academic, medical, and industry communities, along with policymakers, to discuss the critical role of #iodine in human nutrition and health, as well as the latest advances in preventing iodine deficiency disorders worldwide. Next to insightful presentations and debates on the widespread applications of iodine and actionable strategies to address iodine deficiency on a global scale, the conference offered a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, fostering solutions that will benefit both human and environmental health.  For instance, it offered an opportunity to present the findings of the recent joint report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Iodine Global Network (IGN) - "Prevention and control of iodine deficiency in the WHO European Region: Adapting to changes in diet and lifestyle". Moreover, it brought together a range of organisations collaborating on the EU-funded EUthyroid2 project which focusses on improving awareness about iodine deficiency disorders (#IDD) among adolescents, the scientific community, medical professionals, as well as policymakers.   A huge thank you to all participating organisations and our distinguished speakers for their attendance, including: World Health Organization, Iodine Global Network, Thyroid Federation International, EUsalt, SQM, Ajay-SQM Group, IOFINA PLC, Samrat Pharmachem Limited, OMCeO Milano, Unilever, Nestlé, Juan Pablo Bellolio, Prof. Michael Bruce Zimmermann, Prof. Roberto Carlo Rossi, Prof. Andrea Senna, Dr. Lisbeth Dahl, Dr. Katja Hora, Prof. Dr. Pierdomenico Perata, Phd Synnøve Næss Sleire, Petrus Franciscus Lakwijk, Giulia Giombolini, Markus Lanz, Dr. Petra Klassen, Ans Eilander, Adriana Nosewicz, Arnold Timmer, Prof. Dr. MD @Henry Völzke, Linda Henderson, Prof. Dr. Festo Kavishe, Renuka Jayatissa, Dr Izzeldin Sharif Hussein, Prof. Elizabeth Pearce, Joyce Greene, Dr. Maria Andersson, PhD Inger Aakre, Dr. Sarah Bath, Clare Farrand, and Ana Maria HIGA Yamashiro. Picture credit: PRYZM Photo // Video // AV solutions

Iodine leaders and experts from the scientific, academic, and medical communities, along with industry representatives and policymakers, gather in Baveno, Italy, today for the 3rd World Iodine Association International Conference. Follow along for discussions on the latest scientific findings and policy developments in preventing #iodine deficiency disorders.

📌Iodine intake and reducing sodium intake are compatible and need to be optimised: World Health Organization (WHO) promotes programmes to reduce sodium intake and thus decrease the burden of NCDs, and also promotes Universal Salt Iodization (USI) to prevent and control iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). 📌 Policymakers and academics need to bring together: 🔹salt fortification communities and 🔹salt reduction communities 🔹to develop double-duty sodium-related policies, which can have significant public health benefit. 📍WHO recommends: for adults: a daily sodium intake of less than 2 g (equivalent to 5 g or a teaspoon of salt) for children: the level of intake should be adjusted downward based on their energy requirements according to age 📍WHO recommends: 150 μg/day of iodine for adolescents and adults 250 μg/day of iodine for pregnant and lactating women 120 μg/day for children aged 6–12 years old 📍Iodine deficiency can cause functional health impairment, and learning disabilities in children, while severe iodine deficiency can cause brain damage in the baby. 📍WHO recommends that all food-grade salt used in households and food processing should be fortified with iodine as a safe and effective strategy for the prevention and control of IDD. What can policymakers do? 📌creation of policies to enable the adjustment of iodine concentrations considering population sodium intake 📌understand that policies to eliminate IDD through USI and policies to reduce sodium intake to reduce blood pressure and the risk of CVDs are compatible 📌taking immediate action to combine salt reduction and iodine fortification. Universal salt iodization and sodium intake reduction: compatible, cost-effective strategies of great public health benefitWorld Health Organization 2022. #iodinefortification #saltreduction #policy #USI #WHO #HaDEA