More than 50 percent of Taiwanese fail to consume sufficient amounts of iodine, which could lead to a slow metabolism, weight gain, fatigue and thyroid goiter, a study published by the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) yesterday showed.
The research, which analyzed the urine of 1,185 individuals aged six and older, found that the country’s median urinary iodine levels stood at 96 micrograms per liter (μg/L) and that the urinary iodine concentrations of about 51.9 percent of the participants were below the minimal concentration of 100μg/L set by the WHO.
“Iodine is an essential mineral for thyroid function, which is responsible for the secretion of thyroid hormones that can stimulate metabolism and tissue growth. The lack of it could cause weight gain and goiter, and even impede young children’s mental development,” HPA Community Health Division interim director Chen Miao-hsin (陳妙心) said.
Chen said the insufficient consumption of iodine is often caused by people’s inability to get enough iodine from their diets, forcing them to rely on other sources.
Salt iodization was mandatory until 2004, when the nation lifted its salt import ban and moved toward voluntary salt iodization, which could be one of the reasons behind Taiwanese’s low iodine intake, Chen said.
“Adults aged 19 or older are recommended to consume 140 micrograms of iodine [per day], an amount that can easily be reached by eating five grams of salt containing iodine content at a level of 20 parts per million,” Chen said.
In addition to opting for iodized salt, Chen also encouraged people to increase their consumption of iodine-rich foods, such as seaweed, sea sedge, fish and shellfish.
However, as the iodine in salt and natural foods can be lost during cooking, people are urged to avoid pan-frying, boiling and deep-frying the foods for too long, ideally steaming them before putting iodized salt on top.
However, people with iodide goiter or who are undergoing radiotherapy with radioactive iodine-131 for certain thyroid diseases should choose non-iodized salt and refrain from eating too much iodine-rich foods, she added.
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