 Many Prenatal Multivitamins Lack Necessary Iodine
Source: Eflux Media by Anna Boyd Date: 02/27/2009
Most US prenatal multivitamin brands appear to lack iodine or the actual dose of iodine they contain does not match values on the labeling, according to a letter
posted in the February 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Iodine
nutrition is critically important in pregnancy. Women who are deficient
in pregnancy have children often with lower IQs or neurocognitive
delays. Iodine deficiency is the leading cause of preventable mental
retardation in the world,” explained Dr. Elizabeth Pearce, co-author of
the letter and an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University
Medical Center.
Pearce and
colleagues tested the iodine content of 60 multivitamins with iodine
and found that only 28 percent contained the full amount stated on the
label.
According to the
American Thyroid Association, pregnant and lactating women should take
150 micrograms per day for proper thyroid function. Having enough
iodine during pregnancy is important for fetal brain development. Among
the products tested for iodine which claimed to deliver that amount,
one third had less than half that amount.
“The measured
iodine content of multivitamins with kelp as the iodine source was
extremely variable and often did not match labeled values. Prenatal
multivitamins containing potassium iodine were a more reliable source,”
Dr. Pearce said in a statement issued by the American Thyroid
Association.
Thirty-eight
percent of the world’s population is affected by iodine deficiency,
which is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation. In
developed countries, iodine is added to table salt. On contrary, in
richer countries, iodine levels in food have been declining because
salt is avoided for its damaging effect on blood pressure.
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