MUCH INTAKE THAN REQUIRED: THE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF

CURRENT IODISED SALT INTAKE

BACKGROUND: Iodine is an essential micro nutrient. Its daily requirement for an adult is
about 150 µg/day. This amount is usually accomplished by our daily well balanced diet and
drinking water except in areas where food and water are deficient in iodine. In such areas the
dietary iodine in the form of fortification of table salt with iodine as a public health measure
in the early 20th century eliminated endemic goitre as hypothyroidism in many countries
including US. But superfluity consumption of iodized table salt causes unwanted health
related issues like hypothyroidism, hyper tension and diabetes. KEY FINDINGS: Iodine is
the major co-factor and stimulator for thyroid peroxidase (TPO) enzyme. The acute response
for increasing the TPO is iodine, however excess Iodine consumption through iodized salt
leads to reduce in hormone production and causes the Wolff-Chaikoff effect. More than
adequate and excess exposure to Iodine intake is independent risk factor of hypothyroidism
and also leads to serious ailment like thyroid dysfunction and its associated complications
like hypertension and diabetes. The cross section study was conducted for a period of 9
months and included 120 subjects with hypothyroidism and 399 non-hypothyroidism is
carried out in a multi-speciality hospital located in municipal corporation in an area near
Vijayawada. There was statistically significant association of hypothyroid with excess usage
of iodize salt which intern is in association with hypertension and diabetes. CONCLUSION:
Excess iodine through global iodization of table salts leads to hypothyroidism and is more
association with hypertension and diabetes which are found to be the most common disorders
occurring in our community. So iodine supplement should be restricted to pocket iodine
deficiency only. Authorities should take appropriate measures in order to forbid the
commercial advertisement of consuming iodized salts in areas where it is really not required.
Awareness must be given among the people regarding the serious effects of excess intake of
iodized salts or iodine.

KEYWORDS: Iodised salt, Hypothyroidism, Hypertension, Diabetes, Superfluity.