OBJECTIVE: To prevent iodine-related diseases in Pakistan, baseline analytical data for nutritionally and radiologically important elements in typical Pakistani diets were generated. METHODS: Iodine concentrations of representative Pakistani diets were measured by using epithermal and radiochemical neutron activation analyses. RESULTS: The measured iodine values ranged from 26.56 to 239.48 ng/g (dry weight). The geometric mean by geometric standard deviation of the iodine concentration was 67.6 ng/g x 1.8, which equates to a daily iodine intake of 40.0 microg/d x 1.8. CONCLUSIONS: The iodine content of the Pakistani diet is significantly lower than the intakes recommended by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board (150 microg/d) and the International Commission of Radiological Protection Board (200 microg/d). The iodine intake of the Pakistani population needs to be improved substantially.
OBJECTIVE: To prevent iodine-related diseases in Pakistan, baseline analytical data for nutritionally and radiologically important elements in typical Pakistani diets were generated. METHODS:Iodine concentrations of representative Pakistani diets were measured by using epithermal and radiochemical neutron activation analyses. RESULTS: The measured iodine values ranged from 26.56 to 239.48 ng/g (dry weight). The geometric mean by geometric standard deviation of the iodine concentration was 67.6 ng/g x 1.8, which equates to a daily iodine intake of 40.0 microg/d x 1.8. CONCLUSIONS: The iodine content of the Pakistani diet is significantly lower than the intakes recommended by the U.S. Food and Nutrition Board (150 microg/d) and the International Commission of Radiological Protection Board (200 microg/d). The iodine intake of the Pakistani population needs to be improved substantially.