Melania Rizzoli
In Italian pharmacies, after the attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and the escalation of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, the demand for iodine-based tablets has increased dramatically, the administration of which is part of the international health strategy to reduce the effects adverse health effects for people exposed to radiation. The scientific community, however, calls for caution, first because prophylaxis against any damage from radiation at this moment in Italy is not absolutely necessary, and then because the indiscriminate use of this substance, without a precise medical and pathological indication, can also have consequences. serious on health. Iodine, or potassium iodide (KI), is an essential micronutrient, that is indispensable, which is introduced into our body regularly with the diet and which is concentrated exclusively in the thyroid to allow the normal functioning of vital chemical reactions, such as protein synthesis. , enzymatic and metabolic, as well as general hormonal coordination and the normal development of the skeleton and central nervous system in the fetus and early childhood.
HOW DOES IT WORK
In fact, iodine deficiency has harmful effects on growth and development, is the main cause of mental retardation in the world (cretinism), and disorders resulting from insufficient production of thyroid hormones can cause irreversible damage, such as the appearance of goiter as well as reduced capacity mental and physical. Excess iodine, on the other hand, can lead to hyperthyroidism, with inhibition of hormonal synthesis and the whole procession of serious symptoms that derive from it. In healthy patients, with an excessive intake of iodine, mechanisms of elimination of excesses are set in motion, but prolonged intakes increase the risk of adverse reactions, since they interfere with other functions and drugs. In the absence of radioactivity, therefore, it is absolutely inappropriate and not recommended to take iodine tablets for preventive purposes because it can lead to serious health risks, including functional blockage of the thyroid gland, especially underestimating important factors such as age, concomitant diseases, pregnancy, lactation and thyroid immune syndromes, and there is no evidence of efficacy as a prophylaxis. The rush to buy iodine is emotionally motivated by the memory of Chernobyl in 1986, when this stable, i.e. non-radioactive, iodine salt was used in the Ukrainian population as it was able to block the absorption of radioactive iodine, potentially carcinogenic, by of the thyroid gland, but few know that in these cases this therapy must be implemented promptly, within the first 6-8 hours of exposure and up to 2 hours after the expected start of the radioactive contamination, because administering or taking stable iodine after 24 hours after exposure, it can cause more harm than good, prolonging the biological half-life of radioactive iodine that has already accumulated in the thyroid, promoting its oncological risk.
SALT
Unfortunately, for weeks thousands of people have been running to buy it without even knowing how to use it, because they prefer to have it at home at hand in case of nuclear risk, without evaluating that iodine in tablets protects only from radioactive iodine, in particular from iodine 131, but not from other radionuclides emitted by nuclear plants, such as cesium and strontium. In Italy, the domestic use of iodized salt, or salt enriched with iodine, is widespread, a simple procedure that has greatly contributed to reducing cases of hypothyroidism due to insufficient intake of this essential element, which is also recommended for the preparation and storage of foods, while the do-it-yourself use of this substance can have negative consequences on the organism, including the functional and total blockage of the thyroid gland, a vital gland whose failure or absence of its action can easily lead to death. The main source of iodine is represented by food and the foods richest in this precious element are algae, fish products (fish and crustaceans), eggs, milk and dairy products, partly meat and vegetables, and the necessary intake is integrated with the iodized salt used by most of the world‘s population (the one labeled as “marine” does not contain iodine except in negligible quantities), which should be used raw on food, in order not to disperse the iodine with heat cooking.
EYE TO SUPPLEMENTS
Particular caution must be exercised in using food supplements containing high amounts of iodine, such as those based on algae for example (the main source of iodine), as well as many body creams that contain this vegetable, such as those for cellulite , again because excessive exposure to high quantities can be very poorly tolerated, and cause disorders, which, at a first clinical examination, are often difficult to diagnose. Iodine, present in food in ionic form (iodide), is easily absorbed in the stomach and immediately taken up by the thyroid which takes the necessary quantity, favoring the elimination of excess through the urine. But when the iodide dose exceeds the tolerance levels, in addition to the onset of hyperthyroidism, serious side effects such as tachycardia, arrhythmias, exophthalmos, low fertility, loss of muscle mass etc. occur. Sea water is rich in iodine but, unlike what is believed, the iodine present in the brackish air is poorly absorbable even if inhaled and does not affect the daily requirement, because to be absorbed iodine must be introduced with the nutrition, as iodine cannot be breathed but eaten. After the boom in requests, reported by pharmacies, for stable iodine pills, a rush to purchase caused by the fear of possible diffusion of radioactive iodine in the air in the event of a nuclear attack, the Regions are monitoring the availability of the drug in the case, to date only theoretical, of its urgent need. The indiscriminate and unconscious use of this precious product is therefore not recommended both for preventive purposes and for therapeutic purposes, without a clear and precise indication and under medical supervision, to avoid consequences that are sometimes more serious than those of nuclear radiation.
