nutrients Review Development of Databases on Iodine in Foods and Dietary Supplements Abby G. Ershow 1,*, Sheila A. Skeaff 2, Joyce M. Merkel 1 and Pamela R. Pehrsson 3 1 Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
[email protected] 2 Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin 9010, New Zealand;
[email protected] 3 Nutrient Data Laboratory, US Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-301-435-2920 Received: 16 November 2017; Accepted: 10 January 2018; Published: 17 January 2018 Abstract: Iodine is an essential micronutrient required for normal growth and neurodevelopment; thus, an adequate intake of iodine is particularly important for pregnant and lactating women, and throughout childhood. Low levels of iodine in the soil and groundwater are common in many parts of the world, often leading to diets that are low in iodine. Widespread salt iodization has eradicated severe iodine deficiency, but mild-to-moderate deficiency is still prevalent even in many developed countries. To understand patterns of iodine intake and to develop strategies for improving intake, it is important to characterize all sources of dietary iodine, and national databases on the iodine content of major dietary contributors (including foods, beverages, water, salts, and supplements) provide a key information resource. This paper discusses the importance of well-constructed databases on the iodine content of foods, beverages, and dietary supplements; the availability of iodine databases worldwide; and factors related to variability in iodine content that should be considered when developing such databases.