Asian Scientist (Jul. 2, 2013) – Research shows that iodized salt found in bread is not enough to provide healthy levels of iodine for pregnant women and their unborn children.
Iodine is an essential element which is important for human brain development and thyroid function.
To provide a boost to iodine levels in the community, Australian bread producers began a mandatory program in 2009 to supplement bread with iodine.
The researchers’ aim was to determine if the program was having a positive impact on iodine levels for pregnant women.
In their study, published in the Nutrition Journal, almost 200 South Australian women were tested throughout their pregnancy and six months after giving birth.
“We found that South Australian women are mildly iodine deficient. Despite the inclusion of iodized salt in bread, women who were not taking an iodine supplement during pregnancy were still suffering from iodine deficiency,” said Associate Professor Vicki Clifton, a lead author of the study.
“Those women who were taking a supplement in addition to eating bread with iodized salt were receiving healthy levels of iodine, well within World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.”
The message is simple: pregnant women should take iodine supplements to prevent brain and organ development problems in their babies while maintaining a healthy level of iodine for themselves
The article can be found at: Clifton et al. (2013) The Impact Of Iodine Supplementation And Bread Fortification On Urinary Iodine Concentrations In A Mildly Iodine Deficient Population Of Pregnant Women In South Australia.
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Source: University of Adelaide; Photo: Dave Pullig/Flickr.
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