Iodine in the body is extremely important, only children may not know this. In everyday life, we have no time to think about what we have and what is not. Tired - a cup of coffee, we can’t sleep - sleeping pills. And, for the time being, it passes. But only for the time being, therefore, one should not disregard such seemingly familiar symptoms as fatigue, irritability, and poor sleep. Maybe this is due to a lack of iodine in the body, the symptoms of which are very different.
Test for iodine deficiency.
It is clear that it is easier to drink something quickly than to be examined, but the role of iodine in the body is extremely large, so it’s worthwhile to conduct at least a home test for a lack or excess of iodine. The test is quite simple. Make yourself an iodine grid in the evening and look at the result. If there is a lack of iodine in the body, the symptoms will be as follows: after 2 - 3 hours nothing will remain from the net, and if traces of the net are visible in the morning, then there is nothing to worry about.
Why do we need iodine?
This micronutrient, as doctors sometimes call it, is necessary for our thyroid gland to function properly. And what does this gland do? It produces thyroid hormones, on which depends how effective metabolic processes in the body. In turn, our well-being depends on them, because if the metabolism in the body slows down , diseases begin to adhere one after another.
Global problem.
The problem of iodine deficiency in the human body was called global by the WHO (World Health Organization), because ignoring the fact that there is a lack of iodine in the body, ignoring the symptoms, you can reach the last point, that is, it is deadly. And statistics around the world are pretty sad. If there are 6 billion people in the world, then every sixth is at risk, that is, more than 15%. Unfortunately, almost all CIS countries are in this risk zone, except for those areas that are located in close proximity to the sea. But it turns out that an excess of iodine is no less dangerous, and maybe more harmful, just hyperthyroidism is less common, and less is said about it.
Excess iodine.
If there is an excess of iodine in the body, the symptoms may be as follows: a person will often have diarrhea, muscle weakness. One of the possible signs is frequent fever in the absence of inflammatory diseases, as a result of increased sweating. Very often, annoyed over nothing, we think that this is the result of endless stress at work and at home. In fact, with a high degree of probability, this may be a sign of an excess of iodine.
Lack of iodine in the body, symptoms.
This disease affects about 200 million people worldwide. Most of them are women. This is especially dangerous for pregnant women, because it can affect the health of the future baby, mainly on mental abilities. The only thing that comforts me a bit is that the symptoms indicating iodine deficiency in the body quickly become visible to the naked eye. The thyroid gland noticeably increases in size, and in severe cases, the so-called endemic goiter grows, or, as they say, bazedova disease appears . Russian statistics are sad, claiming that 20% of the entire population suffers from it in various forms.
What to do?
Iodine enters the body only from the outside, the normal amount is called 100 micrograms per day. You can increase the consumption of iodine medically (there are special preparations containing microdoses of this element and are often prescribed for preventive purposes) or try to add iodine-rich foods to your diet. These are seafood, especially cod liver and kelp - record holders for iodine content. In stores, iodized salt is sold , consuming which instead of ordinary salt, we also help our body to the best of our ability.