Background of universal iodine supplementation

China was once the country with the most iodine deficiency

China was once one of the countries with the most serious iodine deficiency in the world, with more than 7 million people lacking iodine, accounting for 4% of the world's iodine deficiency patients. Iodine deficiency in children will lead to mental retardation and short stature, and iodine deficiency in adults will lead to fatigue and edema, leading to endemic goiter, commonly known as "big neck disease"; However, excessive iodine intake will also have side effects on health, and even cause iodine hyperthyroidism and other thyroid diseases.

Therefore, in 1994, the whole people ate iodized salt, which was similar to the family planning policy and was enforced as a national policy in China. At that time, the state promulgated the Regulations on the Administration of Iodized Salt to Eliminate the Harm of Iodine Deficiency. Except for Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Shandong and Henan, there is no need to enforce iodized salt, and all the edible salts in other provinces and cities are compulsory iodized. In fact, some local salt companies sell iodized salt in high iodine areas in pursuit of profits.

Thyroid diseases have increased sharply

In "Eating iodized salt is healthy for the whole family!" With the spread of slogans, the complexity of iodine nutrition in various places has been seriously underestimated. In the whole country, especially in coastal areas, the policy of iodizing salt has been increasingly questioned.

In Tianjin, Shenyang, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Shanghai and other cities, a large number of medical surveys show that thyroid diseases are increasing rapidly every year, and iodine excess is regarded as an important factor.