Why iodize salt, milk and other foods
The Ministry of Health is not giving up its attempts to introduce iodine-enriched products into production. If its proposals are adopted, the law will come into force as early as September 1 of this year. So far, however, these efforts have come to nothing. For example, the Ministry of Economic Development pointed out that mandatory iodization of products will lead to higher prices and may even cause a shortage of extra-class salt.
More than half of Russia's regions are iodine-deficient, says Kodentseva, a doctor of biological sciences and a leading researcher at the laboratory of vitamins and minerals at the FIC Nutrition and Biotechnology Center. In addition to natural iodine deficiency, there is a growing iodine deficiency caused by low consumption of foods that are sources of iodine (fish and seafood). The actual consumption of iodine by the adult population of Russia from natural products is only 40-80 mcg per day - three times less than the established norm for an adult (150-250 mcg).
As the experience of other countries shows, mandatory iodization of table salt can significantly reduce the prevalence of diseases caused by iodine deficiency. And salt is chosen because it is difficult to overdose it. Iodized salt can be used in home cooking or in the industrial production of products. For example, it can be added when baking bread instead of ordinary bread: 150 g will contain about 50 mcg of iodine - this is 35% of the daily norm for an adult. Iodine can also be added to dry food concentrates of first and second courses. One way to enrich the diet with iodine is to add it or seaweed to animal feed.
100% replacement of ordinary table salt with iodized salt is not envisaged. This would violate the rights of consumers and producers. We should not forget that someone needs to consume iodized food with caution. These are people with diseases associated with increased thyroid function (diffuse toxic goiter, autoimmune thyroiditis, iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis, etc.); with certain forms of nodular goiter; oncological diseases (of the thyroid gland, etc.); Duhring's dermatitis and others.