26/01/2026
Goiter Awareness Week (pt 2)
Someone ask me: hindi ba natin nakukuha ang iodine sa pagkain? Bakit may iodized salt pa?
Iodine (in the form of iodide) is naturally found in soil and seawater, and this directly affects the iodine content of the food we eat. However, in many inland and mountainous areas, surface soils are depleted of iodide. This happens due to historical glacial activity, heavy rainfall, and flooding, which continuously wash iodine out of the soil.
When crops are grown in iodine-poor soil, they absorb less iodine making locally produced food naturally deficient in this essential mineral.
This is why iodine deficiency remains a significant public health concern in the Philippines. In 2024, the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) identified 15 provinces with the lowest iodine levels, including Mountain Province, Benguet, and other areas with challenging terrain.
Because of this, iodine-deficiency are more common in remote inland regions compared to coastal areas, where iodine-rich foods like fish and seafoods are more accessible.
Sources of iodine include:
* Dairy products
* Seaweeds
* Seafoods
* Fish
* Eggs
* Fortified Iodine Foods
AND
* Iodized salt
This is the reason why salt iodization is implemented. It is considered a simple, inexpensive, and highly effective public health strategy worldwide to prevent iodine deficiency and related conditions such as goiter.
