Biology

Iodine Deficiency Disorder

Severe internal brain cell injury and inadequate mental developments are the main complications caused from the intake of insufficient iodine or lack of adequate iodine concentration in body. Along with these disorders endemic goiter, muscular disorder, dwarfism, cretinism, spontaneous abortions and still birth are the disorders which can affect human health. Moreover iodine deficiency not only affects a person’s health individually but also the entire community. It was reported by ICCIDD that, IDD is the main reason for low IQ level of an entire community and in iodine deficient community the average IQ level is 13.5 point less compared to other community.

As a result of this the socio economic developments are seen less in iodine deficient community. Lack of innovation, difficulty in learning and difficulty in adopting new technologies toward productive economy is the main reason for this less socio economic development (Verma et al, 2001; WHO, UNICEF, ICCIDD, 2007).

 

Causes of Iodine Deficiency

Human body does not have the ability to produce iodine itself, so iodine is supplied into human body as diet. So iodine deficiency can be raised by not having sufficient amount of iodine as diet (American Thyroid Association, 2007). Action of deforestations, aged old ancient farming methods and soil erosions are the main reasons of mineral depletion from the soils and this lead to iodine deficient crops. Moreover, toxic chemicals like halides affect the uptake of iodine by bodily tissues into human body. This group of halides consists of bromide, chloride, fluoride and iodide. Among these chemicals only iodide has the therapeutic effect on human body. Rest chemicals compete for iodine receptors and bind with iodine receptors as they have similar chemical structure like iodine and iodine receptors failed to recognize them individually which results less or no absorb of iodine by body tissue and expose the human health at the risk of IDD.

Bromine causes breast cancer. The risk of IDD was increased tremendously when iodine was replaced by bromine as an ingredient of bread dough in 1980. This single change caused bromide toxicity which exposed the human health into cancerous diseases, thyroid disorder, thyroid cancer and deficiency of iodine caused other disorders. Our toothpaste, water and pharmaceutical products contain chloride and fluoride and these chemicals block the iodine receptors by binding with them. Halides binding with iodine receptor in human body can be prevented by maintaining iodine saturation level in bodily tissue.