Iodine participates in almost all vital processes in the human body, stimulates thyroid gland function, assists in making thyroid hormones, necessary for maintaining normal metabolism in all cells of the body, for regulating the function of cardiovascular system, for the nervous system, for the body’s growth and fertility, for its resistance to the harmful environment.
Iodine deficiency can result in endemic goiter, hypothyroidism, thyroid neoplasms, nervous system development disorders, poor brain development, miscarriages in pregnant women, stillbirths, and other complications, decreases child survival, and impairs growth and development.
Symptoms of iodine deficiency may include weakened immunity, apathy, fatigue, weight gain, decreased skin elasticity, hair loss, and nail fragility.