Abstract
Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones, but excessive iodine intake can lead to thyroid dysfunction. Traditionally, Korean mothers consume brown seaweed soup (miyeokguk), a high source of iodine, after childbirth. There is controversy regarding the effects of excessive postpartum iodine intake on the health of mothers and infants. Thus far, there have been no nationwide large-scale surveys regarding the status of iodine intake among postpartum women in Korea. Therefore, we conducted a nationwide survey of postpartum dietary iodine intake among Korean women. In total, 1054 Korean women aged ≥19 years, at less than 8 weeks postpartum, participated in this survey. Dietary data were collected using self-reported 2-day dietary records, along with before-and-after meal photos. To evaluate the correlation between dietary iodine and urinary iodine excretion (UIE), spot urine, and 24 h urine samples were collected from 98 and 29 participants, respectively. The mean daily iodine intake among all participants was 2945.6 μg, and it gradually decreased over time after childbirth. Dietary iodine intake was significantly correlated with 24 h UIE (r = 0.396, p < 0.05) and spot urine UIE (r = 0.312, p < 0.05). Follow-up studies are required to examine the influence of excessive postpartum iodine intake on thyroid health in mothers and their infants.
Highlights
Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones, such as triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) [1]
Studies conducted in China have shown that excessive iodine intake increases the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism [3,10]
Dietary iodine intake was positively correlated with urinary iodine excretion (UIE) in both 24 h urine samples (r = 0.396, p < 0.05) and spot urine samples (r = 0.312, p < 0.05) (Figure 3). Based on these correlation analysis results, linear regression analyses were conducted to determine whether iodine intake could be estimated from the UIE of 24 h or spot urine samples; the results showed that dietary iodine intake was significantly correlated with UIE in both spot urine samples (β = 0.312, p < 0.05) and 24 h urine samples (β = 0.290, p < 0.05)
Summary
Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones, such as triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) [1]. Both T3 and T4 are essential for nerve and somatic cell development, and they have vital roles in early growth and development [2]. Excessive or insufficient iodine intake can lead to thyroid disease [3]. Iodine deficiency may lead to hypothyroidism [1], maternal goiter [8], and damage to the developing brains of the children [7]. Studies conducted in China have shown that excessive iodine intake increases the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, autoimmune thyroiditis, and hypothyroidism [3,10]. Excessive iodine intake increases the risk of papillary thyroid cancer [11]
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