10 Iodine Deficiency Symptoms
Most people associate iodine with table salt. This is neither wrong nor entirely true. Iodine is an essential mineral found in various foods. Its most important role is its use by the thyroid gland to produce thyroid hormones. Thyroid hormones control various body functions, especially metabolism.
Iodine deficiency causes the thyroid gland to enlarge, a condition known as goiter. This eventually leads to mental disorders as a result of hypothyroidism; a condition where the thyroid hormones levels are chronically low and, therefore, can no longer play their roles normally.
Foods rich in iodine include seaweed and other seafood such as cod, tuna and shrimps, eggs, dairy products, prunes, and iodized table salt. Pregnant women, infants, and people with heart conditions are more likely to experience iodine deficiency since they need relatively higher amounts of it. Inadequate iodine intake can lead to the following 10 iodine deficiency symptoms among others.
