Iodine Deficiency More Common in Women, Especially During Pregnancy

Women are more susceptible to iodine deficiency than men are, especially during pregnancy.

Iodine, a chemical the body uses to make thyroid hormones, is critical for thyroid function, metabolism, and fetal brain development. It can be found in dairy, fish, meat, and table salt.

With an increase in plant-based diets, like vegan diets, more people are turning to sea salt, which does not have iodine. Changes in food manufacturing could increase the number of women at risk of developing iodine deficiency.

According to Jonathan D. Rich, D.O., a primary care doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians Downtown in Baltimore, the condition is extremely rare.

“In pregnant women, their thyroid demands increase. The thyroid kind of produces the energy for the body, so as you’re pregnant, you need more thyroid hormone. If you need more thyroid hormone, you need more iodine, which is the building block for the thyroid hormone. So, in pregnant women, it’s something that could be more common, although still very rare in this country,” Dr. Rich said.

Iodine deficiency symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, cold sensitivity, dry skin, and a swollen neck. It can be treated by adding table salt (enriched with iodine) to your diet.

View Mercy primary care physician Dr. Jonathan Rich’s interview regarding iodine deficiency.