Iodine deficiency

The thyroid needs iodine to make its hormones. Ukraine has insufficient iodine intake: in a 2021 UNICEF survey only about 21% of households used adequately iodised salt, and salt iodisation was not mandatory. In the UK, mild deficiency has re-emerged in women of reproductive age.

Why the questionnaire does not give iodine a level

There is no test of how much iodine one person gets. Urinary iodine varies from day to day and is only useful for whole populations. So in the result iodine is a diet hint, not a level.

Signs worth knowing

• a swelling at the front of the neck is a reason to see a doctor;
• feeling cold, dry skin, constipation and tiredness are signs of an underactive thyroid, which has many other causes too.

Who is at risk

• the salt you use at home is not iodised (sea, rock or Himalayan salt), or you do not know;
• pregnancy and breastfeeding, when the need for iodine rises.

What to do

• Use iodised salt at home: it tastes the same.
• If there is a swelling at the neck or signs of an underactive thyroid, a doctor will examine the neck and order TSH.

Note: TSH checks how the thyroid works, not how much iodine you get. A normal TSH does not mean your iodine intake is enough.

What not to do

Do not take iodine or kelp products “for the thyroid” on your own. Too much iodine can slow the thyroid down or speed it up, and that can be dangerous.