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Increased risk of iodine deficiency with vegetarian nutrition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Thomas Remer ,
Annette Neubert  and
Friedrich Manz
Thomas Remer*
Affiliation:
Research Institute of Child Nutrition, Heinstück 11, 44225 Dortmund, Germany
Annette Neubert
Affiliation:
Research Institute of Child Nutrition, Heinstück 11, 44225 Dortmund, Germany
Friedrich Manz
Affiliation:
Research Institute of Child Nutrition, Heinstück 11, 44225 Dortmund, Germany
*
*Corresponding author: fax +49 231 711581, email remer@fke.uni-dortmund.de
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Abstract

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Observational studies primarily based on diet questionnaires or food records have reported that vegetarians can have a very low I intake. However, analytically ascertained data on the possible degree of I deficiency with this form of diet is lacking. Six healthy adult volunteers participated in the present controlled experimental diet study carried out in four separate 5 d diet periods. The study diets, normal, protein-rich, lactovegetarian, and repeat of the initial normal diet, were almost isoenergetic and contained no fish, sea food, iodized salt or processed foods fortified with I. During the last 48 h of each diet period two 24 h urine samples were obtained from each subject. I analyses were performed in the urine samples and in representative samples taken from all ingested diets. Urinary I excretion was significantly lower with the lactovegetarian diet (36·6 (sd 8·8) μg/d) than with the normal and the protein-rich diets (50·2 (sd 14·0) and 61·0 (sd 8·0) μg/d respectively). Accordingly, a markedly reduced I intake was confirmed analytically for the lactovegetarian diet (15·6 μg/d v. 35·2 and 44·5 μg/d respectively). Our results provide experimental confirmation of literature findings indicating that I supply is higher with non-vegetarian than with vegetarian diets. Specifically, the extremely low intake and urinary output of I as analytically determined for one exemplary vegetarian diet, demonstrate that dietary I may be limiting when strict forms of vegetarian dietary practices (no iodized salt, no I supplements) are followed. The present study is, therefore, the first diet-experiment-based pointer to the potential danger of I deficiency disorders due to strict forms of vegetarian nutrition, especially when fruits and vegetables grown in soils with low I levels are ingested.

Keywords

IodineVegetariansMicronutrients
Type
Short communication
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 81 , Issue 1 , January 1999 , pp. 45 - 49
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1999

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