Show WHAT TO EAT AND WHY e. e u I i tn tJ Discusses the lj NEED FOR IODINE Key Substance of the Thyroid Gland Tells Gland Tells How to A Avoid void Iodine Starvation By C. C HOUSTON GOUDISS 6 East St. St New Nev York Vork City HE discovery of our vital need for iodine is one of the T THE JL most thrilling chapters chapter in the long history of scientific research Many investigators contributed to our understanding of but credit is due to Dr David Marine and hi d his workers co-workers and to to Dr E. E C. C Kendall of the Mayo Clinics at Rochester Minn Today we know that although although although al al- al- al though it constitutes only about one part in three million million million mil mil- lion parts of the body weight iodine is so essential that its absence from the diet may have the gravest conse conse- Thyroid Thyroid The The Gland of Glands Iodine is necessary for the normal normal normal nor nor- mal functioning of the thyroid gland situated in the front part of the neck The thyroid is so important important im im- un- un that it is often orten regarded as the throttle which governs the human locomotive and when it fails to function normally the body machinery may be thrown out of balance Thyroid disturbance during childhood may affect mental and physical development and many children have been accused of laziness who are suffering from thyroid deficiency Thyroid disorder disorder disorder der may be a complicating factor in obesity and specialists have found that it is associated with many stubborn skin diseases It Itis Itis Itis is also claimed that iodine starvation starvation starvation tion influences mental up make-up and emotional tendencies J i 1 Disfiguring Goiter Simple goiter is a common disorder disorder disorder dis dis- dis- dis order of the thyroid gland At Atone Atone Atone one time the very mention of this disease terrified girls and women who feared the unsightly lump in inthe inthe inthe the neck which disfigures the vic vic- tim Now thanks to dramatic ex experiments experiments experiments ex- ex we know that simple goiter is an iodine deficiency dis dis- dis- dis ease Animal Experiments Point the Way In 1916 it was estimated that a million young pigs died annually in Wisconsin Investigation disclosed disclosed dis dis- closed that their thyroid glands were abnormally large and abnormally abnormally abnormally ab ab- ab- ab normally low in iodine When iodine iodine iodine io io- io- io dine was administered to the mothers the young pigs were born normal Scientists reasoned that if goiter could be prevented in animals it could be prevented in humans and undertook the now famous census in Akron Ohio A study was made of the thyroid glands of all school girls from the fifth to the twelfth grades Almost 50 per percent percent percent cent were found to have enlarged thyroid glands The girls were given small smal doses of sodium iodide dissolved in drinking water at given periods over 2 fe 2 years At the end o of that time investigators found that thai I of 2000 pupils only 5 developed I thyroid enlargement Of the same number not treated showed enlargement j Danger Periods This demonstration aroused the interest of the scientific world anc and gave impetus to additional experiments experiments experiments ments which increased our knowledge knowl knowl- edge dge of the iodine requirement The great danger periods are during pregnancy childhood and adolescence The diet of the expectant expectant ex- ex mother must include an adequate supply to protect herself and nd avoid the early development of f simple goiter in the child It is also essential to provide sufficient iodine for growing children children chil- chil dren ren as the incidence of the disease dis- dis ease ase increases steadily up to the eighteenth year in girls in boys it reaches its peak at twelve Some investigators also claim that lat one way to enhance the acion action action ac- ac tion ion of the glands after middle life and nd so prolong youth is to include in n the daily diet some foods with a high ligh iodine content Natures Nature's Storehouse of Iodine It is the duty of every homemaker homemaker homemaker home- home maker to learn where the necessary necessary sary ary iodine can be obtained and to include rich iodine-rich foods in the daily ally diet but it is especially important im- im for those living in the goiter belt This area stretches along long the Appalachian mountains as far north as Vermont westward westward west- west I ward vard through the basin of the Great Lakes to the state of Washington and southward over the he Rocky Mountain and Pacific states J L i Rich Iodine-Rich Foods The sea is the great storehouse of iodine and hence the most abundant sources are arc sea food including including including in in- salmon cod crabmeat and oysters cod liver oil and salt alt Fruits and vegetables grown near the sea contain varying amounts of iodine depending upon the water and soil and the season the iodine content being at a maximum maximum maximum max max- in the autumn and winter In general it may be said that the leaves of plants contain more iodine than the roots and that leafy vegetables and legumes store more than fruits with the exception of cranberries which are a good source When the soil is rich in iodine watercress becomes becomes becomes be be- comes a fine source of this sub sub- stance A Iodized Salt Saif One of the most satisfactory methods for adding iodine to the diet especially in regions regions regions re re- re- re gions is through the use of iodized salt In Detroit a wide city-wide test of iodized salt reduced the prevalence prevalence prevalence preva preva- lence of simple goiter from 36 per percent percent percent cent to 2 per cent Similar figures figures figures fig fig- ures have been cited for other lo lo- Iodized salt costs no nomore nomore more than ordinary table salt and andis andis andis is an excellent safeguard against simple goiter Iodine In Drinking Wafer Water Even in early times it was believed believed believed be be- that there was some relation relation relation rela rela- tion between goiter and drinking water and recent evidence has disclosed that there was a sound basis for this belief Two investigators investigators investigators gators found that the water in a large arge part of the northern half of the United States falls into a low- low iodine classification Several communities have given consideration to the prevention of goiter by the addition of iodine to the water supply This method is commendable but it must be borne in mind that wherever io iodine iodine iodine io- io dine is taken in forms other than food careful supervision by the physician or the public health authorities authorities authorities au au- au- au is necessary To those homemakers interested in planning the best possible diet for their families I shall gladly send lists showing which foods arc are rich in iodine and which are poor in this substance |