The World Health Organization estimated that about 30 percent of the world population have inadequate iodine intake. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicates that iodine intake is likely to be sufficient in the United States with the use of iodized salt, but iodine deficiency still occurs. Supplemental iodine, usually in the form of potassium iodide and sodium iodide, are used to treat iodine deficiency and a few other medical conditions.
Iodine Deficiency
Iodine is an element required for the synthesis of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. Inadequate iodine intake lowers the availability of thyroid hormone, which is centrally involved in growth, metabolism and reproductive function. Low thyroid hormone, or hypothyroidism, is a condition of severe iodine deficiency. Hypothyroidism can result in mental and growth retardation in children, goiter, infertility and mental problem in adults and miscarriage in pregnant women. Iodine supplementation can often reverse hypothyroidism and goiter, according to the National Institutes of Health. However, the supplements may not reverse the physical and mental retardation that occurs during fetal and infant development. The American Thyroid Association recommends iodine supplementation of the mother during pregnancy and lactation to prevent these defects.
Cognitive Function in Children
The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) notes that even mild iodine deficiency can impair cognitive function in children, and that iodine supplement improves the cognitive performance in children living in iodine-deficient areas. The areas that show significant improvement after supplementation include perceptual learning, overall cognitive score, physical and mental development, and mortality.
Radiation-Induced Thyroid Cancer
During radiation emergencies, the release of radioactive iodine increases the risk of thyroid cancer in susceptible individuals, especially in children and people who are iodine deficient. Iodine deficiency accentuates the uptake of radioactive iodine into the thyroid gland and increases the susceptibility to thyroid cancer. Potassium iodide supplement is used as a treatment to block the uptake of radioactive iodine during radiation emergencies, according to the ODS. This measure was successfully used in Poland during the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, which prevented the increase of thyroid cancer in children in the area.
Fibrocystic Breast Disease
Breast tissue concentrates iodine. For women with a benign condition known as fibrocystic breast disease with painful and lumpy breast tissue, iodine supplement in the form of molecular iodine significantly reduced pain, according to the studies reviewed by Oregon State University. But the doses used in these studies were 3 to 7 mg of iodine a day, which are much higher than the 1.1 mg tolerable upper limit set by the Institute of Medicine. You should only use this treatment under medical supervision.
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