Database of the iodine content of food and diets populated with data from published literature

A database of results for the iodine content of foods and die ts was prepared for a DFID funded
\nproject looking at "Environmental Controls in Iodine Deficiency Disorders". It was populated
\nwith citations from the literature and contains 732 records. On the basis of these data, the
\ngeometric mean result for the iodine content of foods is 87 μg/kg, from 494 citations.
\nUsing classifications based on food type the following order for levels of iodine is determined:
\nMarine fish (1455.9 μg/kg) > Freshwater fish (102.8 μg/kg) > Leafy vegetables (88.8 μg/kg) > Dairy (83.9 μg/kg) >
\nOther vegetables (80.1 μg/kg) > Meat (68.4 μg/kg) > Cereals (56.0 μg/kg) > Fresh fruit (30.6 μg/kg) > Bread (17.0
\nμg/kg) > Water (6.4 μg/l)
\n(The figure in brackets represents the geometric mean value for each group)
\nThe results show that in general grain crops are poorer sources of iodine than vegetables and that
\nthere is some equivocal evidence to suggest that leafy vegetables contain higher iodine
\nconcentrations than other vegetables but fish and seaweed are by far the greatest natural sources
\nof iodine in foodstuffs.
\nThe geometric mean result for the average daily dietary intake is 161 μg/day, based on 84
\ncitations. It is noted that vegetarian and vegan diets often do not meet the recommended adult
\ndaily intake of 150 μgI/day due to the lack of dairy, meat and fish components. Results also
\nshow that Japanese, USA and Canadian dietary intakes are higher than other countries.
\nIntake depends not only on the iodine content of the food but also on the composition of the diet.
\nResults show that food accounts for over 90% of human iodine exposure in most circumstances
\nwith water and air providing minimal inputs. However, in subsistence populations drinking highiodine
\ngroundwaters, water can contribute more than 20% of the dietary intake. Results of
\ndietary studies show the following general order of percentage daily iodine intake from the main
\nfood groups in Western Countries:
\nDairy (50%) > Cereals (20%) > Fish (9%) > Meat (8%) > Vegetables (7%) > Sweets (5%) > Fruits (1%)
\nThe majority of iodine in Western diets comes from adventitious sources such as iodophors in
\nthe dairy industry, red food colouring and improvers in cereals, bread, meat and sweets.
\nRemoving these components to equate to a developing country diet where people are often
\ndependant on staple grain foodstuffs such as rice shows that intakes fall below 100 μg/day. It is
\nconcluded that without adventitious sources of iodine or a marine foods component, most diets
\nwould fail to provide the recommended daily intake of 150 μg/day.

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