Risk assessment of iodine and its dietary intake

Iodine is a trace mineral that is naturally found in the human body and is also derived from food sources such as dairy products, kelp, cod, sea bass, etc. In the Slovak Republic, table salt is typically fortified with iodine from 15 mg to 35 mg per kilo salt. Multivitamins and potassium iodide supplements also serve as sources of this mineral. In rare cases, overconsumption of iodine can lead to toxicity. In Slovakia the Recommended daily intake of iodine for adults is 150 mcg per day and for children by age from 1 year to 15 years is from 40 to 170 mcg per day. As for the evaluation of the relationship "dose - response" for iodine is acute toxicity at dosages of more than 1 g per day of iodine ( according to the Linus Pauling Institute, USA). Moderate toxicity, which can occur at levels above the tolerable upper limit, may result in hypothyroidism, or insufficient production of thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism of food nutrients. Although heavy consumption of iodine may cause toxic symptoms, this mineral serves important functions in the human body when taken in recommended doses. In assessing the health safety of iodine it generates the specificity of "risk - benefit - risk." To develop a risk assessment to make use of existing international or Communitarian guide for risk assessment.SK; sk; efsa.focalpoint@land.gov.s