Iodine deficiency: Britain’s hidden nutrition crisis

The negative health effects of iodine deficiency on health and human development are well documented.^1,2,

The effects of mild to moderate deficiency, however, are less well known. Recent research has revealed that some UK populations are now mild to moderately iodine deficient^3,4,5,6 and that this level of deficiency may come with risks to child cognitive development.⁷

This article looks at the importance of iodine sufficiency, particularly for pregnant women. It goes through the importance of iodine to our health, the effects of iodine deficiency and the more recent findings that the UK population is at risk of mild to moderate iodine deficiency with subsequent risks to foetal development.