Iodine source apportionment in the Malawian diet.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to characterise nutritional-I status in Malawi. Dietary-I intakes were assessed using new datasets of crop, fish, salt and water-I concentrations, while I status was assessed for 60 women living on each of calcareous and non-calcareous soils as defined by urinary iodine concentration (UIC). Iodine concentration in staple foods was low, with median concentrations of 0.01 mg kg(-1) in maize grain, 0.008 mg kg(-1) in roots and tubers, but 0.155 mg kg(-1) in leafy vegetables. Freshwater fish is a good source of dietary-I with a median concentration of 0.51 mg kg(-1). Mean Malawian dietary-Iodine intake from food, excluding salt, was just 7.8 μg d(-1) compared to an adult requirement of 150 μg d(-1). Despite low dietary-I intake from food, median UICs were 203 μg L(-1)

SUBMITTER: Watts MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4621511 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature