LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Iodine: Iodine Deficiency Disorders
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Iodine is an essential nutrient for normal body function and the thyroid gland which is essential for normal growth and development. A lack of iodine in diet can result in an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre) and other iodine deficiency disorders.
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Iodine deficiency can ... result in serious irreversible disorders and, as of May 2000, is considered a major global health problem by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). According to the International Council on Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders (ICCIDD), IDDs are the most common cause of preventable brain damage and mental retardation worldwide. IDD results in cretinism (a form of stunted growth) and problems in movement, speech, and hearing. A pregnant woman with an iodine deficiency risks miscarriage, stillbirth, and mental retardation of her baby. As of 1999, the WHO called IDD a significant public health problem in 130 countries. The ICCIDD reported 1.6 billion people worldwide at risk for IDDs, and 50 million children suffering from some degree of IDD.
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Iodine deficiency is now accepted as the most common cause of preventable brain damage in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) affect 740 million people throughout the world, and nearly 50 million people suffer from some degree of IDD-related brain damage. The spectrum of IDD includes mental retardation, hypothyroidism, goiter, and varying degrees of other growth and developmental abnormalities (1, 4). It is estimated that over 35% of the world's population (almost 2 billion people) has insufficient iodine intake as measured by urinary iodine excretion below 100 µg/L (5); urinary iodine is an indicator of iodine status. Moreover, this analysis estimated that 36.5% of school-age children (6-12 years old) worldwide (285 million total children) has insufficient iodine intake (5). Major international efforts have produced dramatic improvements in the correction of iodine deficiency in the 1990's, mainly through the use of iodized salt and iodized vegetable oil in iodine-deficient countries (6).
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Iodine is thinly distributed in the earth's crust, and much of the human population lives in regions that have marginal or insufficient iodine. Mountainous regions, flood-plains, and regions where there has been extensive leaching of iodine from the soil may not provide sufficient iodine for human needs. The result is the appearance of iodine deficiency disorders, which include neurological damage, goiter, increased fetal and infant mortality, deafness, and diminished human energy and resulting economic underproductivity. Iodine deficiency is a major public health problem for a large fraction of the world's population.
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Iodine is found in dairy products, seafood, kelp, eggs, some vegetables and iodised salt. It is important for essential hormone development in the human body. If you don’t have enough iodine in your diet, it can lead to an enlarged thyroid gland (goitre) or other iodine deficiency disorders. Iodine deficiency is the world’s leading cause of mental retardation in children.
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Iodine deficiency disorders (IDDs) are preventable, but not curable, by ensuring adequate iodine intake. Only a small amount of iodine is required over the human life span. The body... does not store iodine for long periods so the intake must be regular. Too little iodine intake can result in cold feet, fatigue, insomnia , problems with skin, nails, and hair, and weight gain. Goiter can result from iodine deficiency. Certain substances called goitrogens can also induce goiter by interfering with thyroid functioning. Some foods have goitrogenic tendencies, as do certain drugs, for example, thiourea, sulfonamides, and antipyrine.
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Iodine Deficiency Disorders