Iodine For Pregnancy – A Recent Report For The UK

Iodine deficiency treatment

Iodine is key to a healthy diet, but many people – espeicially girls and women – may be living with iodine deficiency. Iodine deficiency symptoms can be serious, and include thyroid enlargement. Swelling, weight-gain and pregnancy-related issues can occur as a result of low iodine levels.

Thankfully, seaweed can act as a natural source of iodine, making it a great option for vegan deficiences and pregnancy health. Let’s take a close look at the recent research.

Iodine for pregnancy

On Wednesday 27^th November, The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology published ‘Iodine and folate—essential for mothers to be’. This short report gives a nice summary of the UK situation. This includes NDNS (National Diet and Nutritional Survey) data on iodine status. The NDNS is designed to assess diet. It highlights the risk of low iodine intake in women. However, that risk is higher in pregnant women. EFSA (European Food Safety Agency) state that the RNI (reference nutrient intake) should be 150 μg/L per day. The recommended intake of iodine for pregnancy is increased to 250 μg/L per day. Despite this, SACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition) only recommend 140 μg/L for both (for the UK).

Where is the data from?

The journal refers to data collected from the most recent NDNS published in 2018. This survey collected data from the UK population from 2014-2015. The data was collected from those aged 1.5 years old and above. The NDNS is jointly funded by Public Health England, an executive agency of the Department of Health, and the UK Food Standards Agency.

What does it show?

The data found that the average urinary concentration for women aged 16-49 years was 102 μg/L. Whereas, 17% of the population had a concentration of less than 50 μg/L. So, what does this mean? The average iodine levels are 48 μg/L less than the reference nutrient intake. Therefore, the data suggests that the average female population is short by 33% and is therefore mildly deficient. The data also suggests that a staggering 50% of neonates (new-born children) could be deficient in iodine. This demonstrates that the UK may need better education regarding intake of iodine for pregnancy.

What does this mean?

Iodine is important for cognitive development and essential for thyroid health. The thyroid relies on iodine to make the hormones that ultimately regulate metabolism. Thus, being deficient in iodine can lead to hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid). This can can cause symptoms such a weight gain, tiredness and fatigue, and a reduction in memory capacity. More importantly, the data is especially worrying for pregnant women and new-born children. Data from UK studied have suggested that a significant reduction in IQ of between 2 and 6 points is associated with sub-optimal iodine status in pregnancy. Uncorrected, this issue could have substantial negative economic and social consequences. In one study, a 1-point IQ drop in the USA has been estimated to cost the economy $20 billion per year.

What is the cause?

Milk has been identified as an important source of iodine for the UK population. However, data shows that milk consumption has reduced over time, especially in the female population. Popular alternatives include almond, rice, and soy milk. Although these are often not fortified with iodine and are not a suitable replacement for pregnant women. Another stand out point from the NDNS was that fish intake was low particularly among young women. This is an issue as fish can be another good source of iodine.

What can we do?

One solution is to fortify table salt with iodine. This has been successfully carried out by over 100 countries. This fortification is known as Universal Salt Iodinisation (USI). Conversely, SACN who are the in charge of setting the UK’s RNI values still have not adopted the practice. In their most recent report in 2014, they stated that they felt the current pool of evidence was insufficient. While they stated that the techniques used to record iodine intake were inadequate. Meanwhile, the UK is in fact, one of only around 10–15 iodine-deficient countries in the world with no USI. Interestingly, the UK and Russia are the only advanced economies with iodine deficiency not to have introduced USI.

The solution?

Despite evidence of the success of that USI, the UK is still taking a cautious approach. Therefore, the best current solution is to obtain sufficient iodine levels through diet. Foods high in iodine are most commonly fish and dairy. Kelp is also high in iodine, but the British Dietetic Association advises against this due to the unknown and often ranging levels. Consuming too much kelp could cause toxicity. One solution could be to take Doctor Seaweed’s Weed & Wonderful Organic Scottish Seaweed Capsules. Our seaweed capsules contain 350 μg per capsule. The seaweed is harvested from pristine Hebridean waters and each batch is scientifically analysed to ensure DNA authentication and consistent iodine levels. Furthermore, our seaweed releases iodine more slowly, with longer retention in the body as compared to artificial sources (potassium iodide) often used in other supplementation. This was demonstrated in independent clinical trials.

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