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Show WHAT TO EAT 1 AND WHY I r f oulton pud 155 Discusses the Ll U NEED FOR IODINE Key Substance of the Thyroid Gland Tells How to Avoid Iodine Starvation By C. HOUSTON GOUDISS 6 East 39th St.. New York City THE discovery of our vital need for iodine is one of the most thrilling chapters in the long history of scientific research. Many investigators contributed to our understanding of iodine hunger, but special credit is due to Dr. David Marine and Vils co-workers; and to Dr. E. C. Kendall of the Mayo Clinics at Rochester, Minn. Today we know that although al-though it constitutes only about one part in three million mil-lion parts of the body weight, iodine is so essential that its absence from the diet may have the gravest consequences. conse-quences. -- Thyroid The Gland of Glands Iodine is necessary for the normal nor-mal functioning of the thyroid gland, situated in the front part of the neck. The thyroid is so important im-portant that it is often 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 disor-der may be a complicating factor in obesity, and specialists have found that it is associated with many stubborn skin diseases. It is also claimed that iodine starvation starva-tion influences mental make-up and emotional tendencies. Goiter Simple goiter is a common disorder dis-order of the thyroid gland. At one time the very mention of this disease terrified girls and women, who feared the unsightly lump in the neck which disfigures the victim. vic-tim. Now, thanks to dramatic experiments, ex-periments, we know that simple goiter is an iodine deficiency disease. dis-ease. -- Animal Experiments Point the Way In 1916, it was estimated that a million young pigs died annually in Wisconsin. Investigation disclosed dis-closed that their thyroid glands were abnormally large and abnormally ab-normally low in iodine. When iodine 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 cent were found to have enlarged thyroid glands. The girls were given small doses of sodium iodide dissolved in drinking water at given periods over 2V2 years. At the end of that time, investigators found that of 2,000 pupils, only 5 developed thyroid enlargement. Of the same number not treated, 500 showed enlargement. -- Danger Periods This demonstration aroused the interest of the scientific world and gave impetus to additional experiments experi-ments which increased our knowledge knowl-edge of the iodine requirement. The great danger periods are during pregnancy, childhood and adolescence. The diet of the expectant ex-pectant mother must include an adequate supply to protect herself and avoid the early development of simple goiter in the child. It is also essential to provide sufficient iodine for growing children, chil-dren, as the incidence of the disease dis-ease increases steadily up to the eighteenth year in girls; in boys it reaches its peak at twelve. Some investigators also claim that one way to enhance the action ac-tion of the glands after middle life, and so prolong youth, is to include in the daily diet some foods with a high iodine content. -- Nature's Storehouse of Iodine It is the duty of every home-maker home-maker to learn where the necessary neces-sary iodine can be obtained and to include iodine-rich foods in the daily diet, but it is especially important im-portant for those living in "the goiter belt." This area -stretches along the Appalachian mountains, as far north as Vermont, westward west-ward through the basin of the Great Lakes to the state of Washington, and southward over the Rocky Mountain and Pacific states. --Iodine-Rich Foods The sea is the great storehouse of iodine and hence, the most abundant sources are sea food, including in-cluding salmon, cod, crabmeat and oysters; cod liver oil; and salt. Fruits and vegetables grown near the sea contain varying amounts of iodine, depending upon Have You a Question? Ask C. Houston Goudiss C. Houston Goudiss has put at the disposal of readers of this newspaper all the facilities of his famous Experimental Ex-perimental Kitchen Laboratory in New York City. He will gladly answer an-swer questions concerning foods and diet. It's not necessary to write a letter unless you desire, for post card inquiries will receive the same careful attention. Address him at 6 East 39lh Street, New York City. the water and soil, and the season, the iodine content being at a maximum max-imum 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 be-comes a fine source of this substance. x Iodized Salt One of the most satisfactory methods for adding iodine to the diet, especially in goiterous regions, re-gions, is through the use of iodized salt. In Detroit, a city-wide test of iodized salt reduced the prevalence preva-lence of simple goiter from 36 per cent to 2 per cent. Similar figures fig-ures have .been cited for other localities. lo-calities. Iodized salt costs no more than ordinary table salt and is an excellent safeguard against simple goiter. -- Iodine in Drinking Water Even in early times, it was believed be-lieved that there was some relation rela-tion between goiter and drinking water, and recent evidence has disclosed that there was a sound basis for this belief. Two investigators investi-gators found that the water in a large part of the northern half of the United States falls into a low-iodine 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 iodine io-dine is taken in forms other than food, careful supervision by the physician or the public health authorities au-thorities is necessary. To those homemakers interested in planning the best possible diet for their families, I shall gladly send lists showing which foods are rich in iodine and which are poor in this substance. |