NNC-7 calls public anew to use iodized salt to promote good thyroid health

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The National Nutrition Council (NNC-7)-Central Visayas called on the public anew to use iodized salt to promote the importance and benefits of iodine, an essential micronutrient that enhances good thyroid health.

 This reminder from NNC-7 is timely as the country prepares for the observance of the annual Goiter Awareness Week every fourth week of January.  Mission added that Iodine is a trace mineral commonly found in many saltwater and plant-based food, but it is widely available in iodized salt.

“Our thyroid gland uses iodine to produce thyroid hormones. These hormones significantly assist in repairing tissues, regulating metabolism, promoting proper bone and brain development, and many other important functions,” NNC-7 Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator Dr. Parolita Mission said.

The World Health Organization recommends the consumption of less than five grams or one teaspoon of iodized salt per day however, excessive intake of iodized salt can also be dangerous to one’s health.

Mission encourages and recommends the eating of iodine-rich food, such as seafood shellfish and seaweed, bread, eggs, meat, and dairy products.

She explained that Iodine essentially combats iodine deficiency disorders (IDD), a broad spectrum of deficiencies resulting from lack of iodine in the diet. They may manifest as goiter, thyroid malignancy, mental deficiency, physical deformities, congenital hypothyroidism, cretinism, and reproductive failure.

Mission went on that during pregnancy, women need more iodine, which is linked to brain development in fetuses. This neurological benefit may also extend to healthy brain function during childhood.

The National Nutrition Survey 2003 and 2008 by the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) show that the iodine situation in the country has improved, with levels that no longer suggest a public health problem or nutrition challenge, Mission bared.

The prevalence of thyroid function abnormalities in the Philippines is 8.53 percent among the adult population. Goiter is the most common among thyroid disorders with a prevalence rate of 10.12 percent, according to the 2012 Philippine Thyroid Diseases Study.

“However, there continues to be a prevalence of iodine deficiencies among children, 6-12 years old. Iodine deficiency among pregnant women also remains a serious concern. Surveys also reveal an increase of households with low iodine content in their household salt,” Mission noted.

She revealed that the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2011-2016 aims for the elimination of IDD. This is reflected in the series of institutional and collaborative activities geared toward widespread public information and education and the government’s salt iodization program. (Photos: NNC7)