Iodine deficiency among people in Iceland is a fact and the situation is serious. Especially iodine deficiency and its consequences for pregnant women.
According to Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir, professor of nutrition at the University of Iceland. The consequences of iodine deficiency are also very serious, as it can have a major impact on the cognitive development of children.
According to new research in Iceland, iodine deficiency has become so common in Iceland that the matter has been brought to the table by the Directorate of Health.
"Iodine deficiency in pregnant women can cause developmental disabilities in children, and nutritionists are concerned about the situation.
Nutrients consumed by women of this age that are important for fetal development are scarce. Iodine, which comes primarily from white fish, is one of the highest, but also iron and folate. The latest research has found that about 80% of Icelandic women probably do not get enough iodine."
"In large part, this is explained by the fact that they are not eating fish as much and they especially need to eat white fish to get iodine. And they're not drinking as much dairy and we're also getting iodine from milk. We haven't usually had to worry about this nutrient deficiency here in Iceland, but we are seeing it now for the first time. This trend needs to be reversed immediately," says Jóhanna Eyrún Torfadóttir.
The consequences of iodine deficiency in pregnant women can have a major impact on children's cognitive development. Babies score even lower on developmental scales than other babies if their mother doesn't get enough iodine during pregnancy. Nutritionists encourage pregnant women to be informed about the importance of iodine intake, for example in antenatal care."
IODINE INTAKE IN THE FORM OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS MAY BE OF CONCERN
When ingesting iodine through dietary supplements, there are two main points to consider. That the product does not exceed the recommended daily intake as well as where and how the product is absorbed by the body. Because of this, we at AHI make every effort to bring supplements where uptake in the body is as normal as it is in general food. In addition to never releasing products that are not studied and ensuring that the amount of active substances does not exceed the recommended daily intake.
