The body does not need iodine, but what happens if there is too much?

 The body does not need iodine, but what happens if there is too much?

Iodine is needed to produce thyroid hormones in the body. But in small amounts. Generally, 150 micrograms of iodine per day is enough for a person. Adequate amounts of iodine are required for metabolism and healthy functioning of the thyroid gland.

The natural foods obtained from the sea are sailfish, fish, cordfish, etc. and the most iodine is found in the green foods of plants and vegetables found in the sea. But since there is no sea in Nepal, you have to consume salt to get iodine.

In a study conducted by Nepali scientists in the year 2079, it was found that the salt consumed by Nepali people has more iodine than the amount recommended by the World Health Organization. Kathmandu Institute of Applied Science Director Senior Scientist Dr. Vasant Giri's team investigated. The article about this research has been published in the journal Annals of the New York Academy of Science.

Dr. According to Giri, iodine content was analyzed by collecting 2,117 salt samples from kitchens in seven districts of Nepal. According to the research, iodized salt was used in 98 percent of the homes. About one percent of those samples had iodine less than the required amount, 13 percent had enough iodine in the sample and about 84 percent had excessive iodine in the salt sample. Giri says.

Dr. Giri says, "The World Health Organization says that about 15 ppm of iodine in kitchen salt is sufficient. Various studies have shown that consuming too much iodine harms human health.

As the study found that Nepalis are consuming iodine many times more than the requirement, it is necessary for the relevant bodies to take it seriously. Dr. should now review the amount of iodine added to the salt. Giri says.

Various health problems due to high iodine levels

Doctors say that if the amount of iodine in the body is less or more than necessary, it will affect the health.

Dr. Consultant Endocrinologist, who raises the level of thyroid in the body when the amount of iodine is high, such as 'hypothyroidism' appears. Sukanti Shah says.

Dr. Cardiologist, the risk of high blood pressure will also increase with the increase of thyroid level due to increased amount of iodine in the body. Ravi Shahi says.

According to a study, when the amount of iodine in the body is high, there may be problems during menstruation in women. According to the research results, irregular periods may occur if the amount of iodine in the body is high.

It is important to pay attention to the consumption of salt to reduce the amount of iodine

Kalpana Pandit, Public Health Officer of the Nutrition Branch under the Family Welfare Division, says, "Nepalis are consuming 9 grams of salt daily. According to the World Health Organization, an adult needs less than 5 grams of salt per day. Now we are using almost twice as much salt as we need. Excess use of salt increases the risk of non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure.

An adult should consume about 150 micrograms of iodine daily. In Nepal, almost twice as much salt is being consumed per person than what should be consumed, and iodine is also being consumed more. Pandit suggests to reduce the consumption of salt to reduce the amount of iodine.

"If you eat only five grams of salt, but if you eat only iodized salt, the risk of health problems that may occur when the amount of iodine is low or high is reduced," she says.

As iodine easily evaporates, the government has made standards accordingly, assuming that it will reach 30 ppm during packing, transportation, storage and delivery to retailers, and 15 ppm when it reaches the home kitchen and cooking. But lately the consumption of salt is high and the amount of iodine in salt is also found to be a little higher, so the criteria should be reviewed and strictness should be emphasized, says Pandit.

The government has set a standard that the amount of iodine in salt should be minimum. The food technology and quality control department is responsible for regulating standards. But with some recent studies showing that the amount of iodine in salt is high, Mohankrishna Shrestha, the spokesperson of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control, says that it is being discussed to determine the maximum amount of iodine in salt.

In the year 2077, the Ministry of Health and Population said that based on various reports, the matter of adding iodine to salt should be reviewed. But Shrestha says that the minimum and maximum amount of iodine is only being discussed so far but is yet to be implemented.