Overview Iodine is an essential element for thyroid hormone synthesis; it cannot be synthesized in the body and must be obtained from food. Iodine is found in a wide variety of foods, as well as in soil and seawater. In China, due to the vastness of the country, the iodine content is not balanced. Coastal areas are rich in iodine, while highland and mountainous areas are iodine-deficient. About 40% of the world’s population is at risk of iodine deficiency. Symptoms: What are the symptoms of iodine deficiency? All iodine deficiencies cause thyroid-related symptoms. Goiter – If iodine deficiency occurs, it can cause the thyroid gland to enlarge (or even develop a goiter) in order to produce enough thyroid hormones for the body to apply. Worldwide, iodine deficiency is the most common cause of goiter. The nodules of goiter will gradually increase in size. Patients with a large goiter may experience airway compression, especially after lying down in a horizontal position, and have difficulty swallowing and breathing. Hypothyroidism – Hypothyroidism occurs when the body’s iodine level decreases because iodine is necessary for the synthesis of thyroid hormones. Iodine deficiency is a common cause of hypothyroidism in China, especially in the northwest. Problems associated with pregnant women – Iodine deficiency is extremely harmful to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Severe iodine deficiency in pregnant women can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm labor, and congenital malformations of the fetus. Iodine deficiency in pregnant women can cause fetal intellectual, growth and developmental, hearing and speech disorders. Even mild iodine deficiency in some pregnant women can lead to mental retardation in the child. Therefore, iodine deficiency and hypothyroidism must be taken seriously during prenatal checkups. Causes: What causes iodine deficiency? Since the body cannot produce iodine, it relies on food for adequate iodine intake. In many parts of the world, there is a wide variety of iodine-rich foods. People in China can get enough iodine through iodized salt in their food (unless they are restricted in their salt intake) and by eating iodine-rich foods, especially dairy products, seafood, meat, bread, eggs, and iodine-containing multivitamins. In the Northwest Territories, due to dietary habits as well as relatively homogenous food and unbalanced iodine content in drinking water. As a result, iodine intake is insufficient and manifestations related to iodine deficiency appear. Diagnosis: How is iodine deficiency diagnosed? The diagnosis of iodine deficiency is made for the population, not for a specific individual. There are no experiments that can prove whether you have enough iodine in your organism. If a large number of people have an iodine deficiency, the best measure is to add iodine to foods that are commonly consumed by people to ensure that they are getting enough iodine. Treatment: How to treat iodine deficiency? For many diseases, prevention is the best treatment. The American Medical Association recommends a dietary allowance of 150ug of iodine per day for adults, which people can meet with iodized salt. A spoonful of iodized salt contains about 400ug of iodine, and most iodine-containing multivitamins contain 150ug of iodine, but only a few varieties of multivitamins contain iodine in China. The American Medical Association (AMA) recommends a dietary iodine content of 220ug per day for pregnant women, the American Medical Association (AMA) recommends a dietary iodine content of 290ug per day for lactating women, and the American Thyroid Association (ATA) recommends that pregnant and lactating women in the U.S. and Canada take a multivitamin containing 150ug of iodine per day.