Physiological Functions of Iodine
Physiological Functions of Iodine
Physiological Functions of Iodine
Himalaya, alps and andes and from areas with frequent flooding,
are particularly likely to be iodine deficient. The problem is
aggravated by accelerated deforestation and soil erosion. The
food grown in iodine deficient regions can never provide enough
iodine to the population and live-stock living there. Unlike
nutrients such as iron, calcium or vitamins, iodine does not occur
naturally in specific foods; rather, it is present in the soil and is
ingested through foods grown on that soil. Iodine deficiency
result when there is lack of iodine on the earths crust. Living on
the sea coast does not guarantee iodine sufficiency and
significant pockets of iodine deficiency have been reported from
costal regions in different parts of the world.
Iodine deficiency thus results mainly from geological rather than
social and economic condition. It can not be eliminated by
changing dietary habits or by eating specific kinds of foods grown
in the same area. Besides nutritional iodine deficiency, a variety
of other environmental, social-cultural and economics factor
operate to aggravate iodine deficiency and related thyroid
dysfunction. These include poverty related protein-energy
malnutrition, ingestion of goitrogens through unusual diets
( particularly by the poor), bacteriologically contamined drinking
water, as well as bulky, high residue diets, which interfere with
the intestinal absorbtion of iodine.
Several environmental and genetic factors interfere with the
processes of thyroxin synthesis leading to goiter formation. The
genetic factors, which are rare, mainly affect the enzymes
involved in thyroxin synthesis. Environmental factors are
amongst the most common factors that interfere in thyroxin
synthesis and lead to goiter formation. The most important
environmental factors are (i) environmental iodine deficiency and
(ii) goitrogens. The most frequent cause of goiter in india and
other countries is environmental iodine deficiency. However,
there is emerging evidence in different countries of world that
goitrogens may play a secondary role in several endemic foci.
Goitrogens are chemical substances that occur primarily in plant
food. They can occasionally be present in contaminated drinking
water. Goitrogen interfere in thyroxin synthesis by inhibiting the
enzymes involved in the synthesis of thyroxin.
There is also evidence to show that intensive cropping, resulting
in large scale removal of biomass from the soil, as well as
widespread use of alkaline fertilizers, rapidly deplete the soil of
its iodine content. Since both intensive cropping and use of