History of Iodine

FDSC 214 Mallori Lawson, Caroline Lodge, Katelyn Henry, Christopher Link, Paul Leonard April 11th, 2013

How Iodine Originated

Discovered by French chemist, Bernard Courtois in 1811 due to a fortuitous accident. Courtois was extracting sodium (Na) and potassium (K) from seaweed ash in an effort to make gunpowder for Napoleon's army. After they were removed, he added too much sulfuric acid to the ash and a violent eruption occurred. The gas from the eruption condensed only metal objects in the room and created solid iodine (I).

Medicinal History of Iodine

Further research showed that iodine had antiseptic qualities due to its water soluble component. Dr. Jean Frances Condet discovered that iodine could be used to reduce goiters (enlarge thyroids) Iodines medical use took off from there Today iodine is obtained from deposits of sodium iodate and sodium periodate in Chile and Bolivia.

Why is Iodine Intake Important?

Iodine is essential for hormone development in the thyroid gland - Metabolism control - Development of the brain Leading cause of preventable intellectual diseases include mental retardation in children, stunted growth, and hearing problems. - One study has shown that low levels of iodine in pregnant women decreases a childs IQ by as much as 10 to 15 points

Which Foods Contain Iodine?

Composition of Iodine in Foods

Proper Intake Levels of Iodine

Upper Intake Level (UL) for Iodine Age Group UL (mcg/day) Infants 0-12 months Not possible to establish* Children 1-3 years 200 mcg/day Children 4-8 years 300 mcg/day Children 9-13 years 600 mcg/day Adolescents 14-18 years 900 mcg/day Adults 19 years and older 1,100 mcg/day (1.1 mg/day)

Iodized Salt vs. Sea Salt

Iodized salt (table salt) is most commonly used and is extracted from mines. Iodized salt serves as an iodine supplement if you are not absorbing the proper amount in your diet. Sea salt is more natural and its source is the ocean, but only has trace amounts of iodine. Which ever the salt type, use it in moderation!

Iodine Improves Cognitive Function in Children

Double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in New Zealand involving almost 200 10-13 year old children Each child took a daily tablet but only some contained 150 micrograms of iodine, the others were placebos. For 28 weeks, cognitive performance was tested using 4 subtests

Results of the Study

Iodine Supplementation improved scores for two of the four cognitive subtests Perceptual reasoning was greatly improved through an increase in iodine consumption Concern: mild iodine deficiencies can prevent kids from obtaining their full intellectual potential

Questions

1. True or False: Iodine can be found in milk. 2. True or False: Iodine consumption has no significant role in a childs intellectual ability. 3. True or False: Iodine was first discovered in 1811. 4. True or False: Iodine is obtained from Africa and South Carolina. 5. True or False: The Iodine study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

References
1. Gagnon, Steve. "The Element Iodine." It's Elemental -. Thomas Jefferson National
Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013. 2. Gordon, Rosie C. "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." Iodine Supplementation Improves Cognition in Mildly Iodine-deficient

Children. N.p., 2 Sept. 2009. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. 3. "Iodine." Health Professional Fact Sheet. N.p., 24 June 2011. Web. 13 Mar. 2013. 4. Weil, Andres, M.D. "Q & A Library." Why Buy Iodized Salt? N.p., 8 Feb. 2011. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.