Iodized salt is one of the most important food intakes need to be consumed daily. Iodized salt has many health benefits, including preventing thyroid disease as well as maintain the health of pregnant women and fetuses in the womb.
Iodized salt is salt that has been fortified or added mineral iodine. Iodine is used to help the body produce thyroid hormones, which are hormones that play a role in regulating the body's metabolic processes and various organ functions in the body.
Salt sold in the market is divided into two types, namely ordinary sea salt and table salt. These two types of salt have slight differences. Common sea salt is coarser and larger in size, whereas table salt is generally finer with smaller grains.
Various Benefits of Iodized Salt
For those of you who like to mix dishes in the kitchen, of course you are no stranger to table salt. Generally, the manufacture of table salt goes through a longer process than the manufacture of sea salt. This process aims to remove the mineral content that is not needed.
Most table salt sold in the market has added iodine. Iodine is a mineral element that is generally contained in seawater or soil around the oceans.
As an important nutrient for the body, iodine plays a role in:
- Keeps thyroid function stable.
- Supports fetal, infant, and child brain growth.
- Prevent thyroid diseases, such as goiter and hypothyroidism.
- Reduces the risk of thyroid cancer.
Recommended Daily Iodine Intake
Everyone is advised to meet the intake of iodine every day. However, the amount needed for each person varies, depending on his age. The Ministry of Health recommends the following daily intake of iodine:
- Infants: 90-120 micrograms (mcg) of iodine per day.
- Children: 120 mcg of iodine per day.
- Adolescents and adults: 150 mcg of iodine per day.
- Pregnant women: 220 mcg of iodine per day,
- Breastfeeding mothers: 250 mcg of iodine per day.
Iodine intake can be obtained by consuming iodized salt added to food or drinks. However, people with certain diseases, such as hypertension and kidney disease, may need to limit salt intake.
If your doctor advises you to limit salt consumption, you can get iodine intake from foods or drinks that contain lots of this mineral, namely:
- Seafood, such as fish, shellfish, and seaweed.
- Milk and its processed products, such as cheese or yogurt.
- Milk.
- Multivitamins or supplements containing iodine.
Risk bIodine Level in TUnbalanced body
Although it has a variety of good benefits, iodine deficiency or excess can also have a negative impact on the body. Here is the explanation:
Iodine deficiency
Although sources of iodine can be easily found, there are still quite a lot of people in some parts of the world who experience iodine deficiency.
Lack of iodine intake can result in decreased thyroid hormone production. This can lead to an enlarged thyroid gland or a goiter.
In addition, iodine deficiency can also lead to hypothyroidism, which is a condition in which the thyroid gland cannot produce enough thyroid hormone. Symptoms of hypothyroidism that can appear are:
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Constipation or constipation
- Often feel cold or sensitive to cold temperatures
- Dry skin
In pregnant women, iodine deficiency can cause congenital hypothyroidism, which is a condition in which the fetus lacks thyroid hormone. This disease can cause impaired fetal development and learning difficulties in children later in life, and increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and birth defects.
Iodine excess
Not only iodine deficiency can cause harm, excess iodine can also cause health problems, namely hyperthyroidism. The symptoms of the disease are:
- Lose weight even if you're not on a diet
- Shortness of breath or feeling heavy
- pounding chest
- Hand shaking (tremor)
- Frequent sweating
- Very sensitive to hot temperatures
- Tired easily
- Itchy rash
- Menstrual cycle changes
In addition to hyperthyroidism, excess intake of iodine is also associated with an increased risk of developing autoimmune diseases that attack the thyroid gland.
now, now you know the importance of consuming iodized salt, right? In order to prevent diseases due to iodine deficiency or excess, make sure your daily intake of iodine is adequate, according to the recommended amount.
If symptoms of the disease appear due to iodine deficiency or excess, immediately consult a doctor for further examination and treatment.