What is the salt?

What salt to choose? In Russia, an epidemic of diseases associated with iodine deficiency is unfolding. Doctors and scientists are sounding the alarm, as the lack of iodine in children leads to problems with intelligence. The deputies are worried about the possible "cretinization" of the population and offer to oblige Russians to use only iodized salt, lovers of ordinary salt will have to go to pharmacies. After conducting a study of the "salt problem", the newspaper came to the conclusion that Russians should have a choice - to eat iodized or ordinary salt. And the new legislative initiative deprives this choice.

I turned a salt shaker in my hands, a broken hour

And suddenly it pierced me: this is salt!

L. Filatov

Deputies of the State Duma prepared a bill according to which in Russia without fail, all salt should be iodized. This means that in all stores of the country - from capital supermarkets to Selpo in the villages - only iodized salt will be sold. Ordinary salt can only be bought in pharmacies.

The cause of such a radical decision on iodization of the whole country was the concern of deputies in that in Russia in recent years the rate of distribution of endocrine diseases due to a lack of adults and children of the most important trace element - iodine is simply catastrophic. The iodine deficiency is observed throughout the Russian Federation, and its consumption by the inhabitants of Russia is three times lower than the norm. Doctors argue that the problem areas include the North Caucasus, the Far North, the Urals, Siberia, Altai, the Middle Volga region, the Non -Chernozem, Chuvashia, Mari El. Even Moscow and the Moscow Region, who have never previously caused anxiety among endocrinologists, are on this list. According to the Russian Ministry of Health, the frequency of diseases with endemic goiter in children in the regions of Central Russia and Western Siberia is from 20 to 60%, and the consumption of iodine and water iodine is reduced against the norm by 2-3 times.

"In Russia, iodine deficiency anomaly"

According to Gennady Onishchenko, head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare, up to 15% of the urban and up to 40% of the country's rural population, which poses a serious threat to the intellectual and economic potential of the nation: "More than 100 million Russians live in iodine deficiency anomaly." According to the statistics of the World Health Organization, the elimination of the problem of iodine deficiency will be the same important task as eliminating outbreaks of the incidence of smallpox and polio.

Tatyana Yakovleva, chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health, believes that "if salt iodization is carried out voluntarily, we will not be able to ensure that iodized salt is sold in every rural store, moreover, it is a little more expensive, and the people are poor - consider every penny." In her opinion, it is necessary to combine the adoption of the law with active state propaganda. In general, deputies, head of the Federal Service for Supervision of the Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare, Gennady Onishchenko and doctors, advocate for the draft law.

Deputy Boris Kazakov calls on more actively using advertising and propaganda: "We must inform people about the dangers of iodine deficiency, show children with cretinism and at the stage of mild debility."

The opponent of universal iodine was the government that has already rejected the draft law on universal iodization of salt sent for consideration. Since such a bill "contradicts the rules of free trade."

I must say that in this matter, as always, there were many interested parties, each of which lobbying its interests. In the adoption of this law, salt manufacturers are interested in who in colossal quantities will produce a rise in price of salt. The manufacturers of iodine -containing drugs in this project also have their interests - they hope that their products will be legally imposed for children. Many doctors who recognizing the problem of iodine -disinfect in the country are opposed to the iodized salt that has contraindications. Especially doctors pay attention to the methods of salt iodine.

In addition to iodine, we still do not have enough fluorine, iron and selenium

However, not everything is so simple. The problem of iodine deficiency is only the visible part of the iceberg. The director of the Medical Radiological Center of the RAMS Anatoly Tsyb believes that the problem of the lack of some elements in the body is complex: "We are talking about not only iodine, but also fluorine, iron, selenium."

In the world there are 1 billion 800 million cases of iron deficiency anemia, and this is really a big problem. “If such people - and we have a lot of them in our country - give only iodized salt, then the therapeutic effect will be insignificant,” said Anatoly Tsyb.

So salt iodine is not a solution to the problem of lack of beneficial substances. According to experts, an integrated approach should be applied in such issues for resolving. The same selenium plays an important role in normalizing the state of the endocrine system, primarily the thyroid and pancreas. The formation of one of the hormones of the thyroid gland, known as T3, controls the selenic -containing enzyme, so Selenium has no less value for the functioning of this gland than iodine. Therefore, the thyroid problems cannot be solved by one iodine.

Yodit or iodate?

Oddly enough, but iodized salt has always been sold in Russia. Residents of cities could well and can buy it in a store. But since this salt is more expensive and the majority of the country's population in general never understood why it was needed, we never used this product with popularity. Even pharmacists prefer to advertise special iodine -containing drugs, and not the constant use of this salt.

Nevertheless, Russian industry for many years iodized the ordinary salt iodide of potassium. Potassium iodide is an unstable substance: it quickly disappears during storage (especially if the packaging of salt is open) and with culinary food processing. With salting vegetables, potassium iodide can affect the taste and color of products. Salt storage with the addition of potassium iodide was only 3 months. Therefore, the value of salt iodized in this way has always remained in question.

In 1998, a new standard for iodized table salt was adopted in Russia, which involves the introduction of 40 ± 15 mg of iodine in the kg of salts in the form of the so -called stable salt - potassium iodine. According to salt manufacturers, potassium iodate does not disappear with prolonged storage, does not affect the color and taste of products, does not disappear during heat treatment.

However, opinions diverge radically as soon as it comes to the toxicity of this connection. Salt manufacturers, of course, argue that this substance is harmless. “All Russian enterprises use potassium iodine today - this is a sufficiently persistent substance for iodization of salt, iodine lasts 9 months there, and the quality of Russian iodized salt is no worse than in Europe and the United States,” the general director of Bassol OJSC Evgeny Demichev told the newspaper, “all developed countries have been used for many years. This product is certified UNISEF (Children's Fund. - Gazeta) is approved. "

Here, a real discussion flares up for interested parties. The fact is that the question of what exactly to iodize salt will also be registered in the law itself. Therefore, manufacturers who have been using this technique for several years have been insisting on the use of iodate. And many doctors do not agree with them. The newspaper about the harmfulness of this substance was told by the director of the Medical Radiological Center of the RAMS Anatoly Tsyb: “Well, how can we explain to all these manufacturers that potassium iodata is 10 times more toxic than yodit? It needs to be addressed to chemists. And no one wants to go to any specialists, because they are lobbying, and not about people's health. Think about the Salt Law ... And you can imagine what kind of money is what money is. They stand behind this. "

Endocrinologists from the Institute of Nutrition of the RAMS refuse to recognize the toxicity of potassium iodate. Nevertheless, they constantly rest on the fact that "in those doses in which it is used in salt, it is not harmful." Where the border passes, beyond which this substance is already harmful, no one can say.

The price of the issue

The General Director of Bassol OJSC Evgeny Demichev assured the newspaper that for plants producing salt, the transition to iodine of the products of tangible profits would not bring: "A sake of production of iodized salt is scanty, literally rubles per ton." The newspaper conducted its calculations. The profit of the plant with one ton of iodized salt is 200 rubles a year. Mr. Demichev’s plant produces 150 thousand tons per year. This means that the profit of the plant will amount to 3 billion rubles or $ 100 million. In what business are such profits are considered meager?

Where to find iodine

In the largest amount, iodine is contained in sea water.

The high concentration of iodine is present in sea fish and seafood, seaweed are especially rich in iodine. The most famous of them is sea cabbage (kelp). A lot of iodine in fish oil.

In all plant foods, iodine content is extremely small. In Japan, for example, there is no problem of iodine deficiency precisely because residents consume a lot of seafood, especially sea cabbage. You can, of course, recommend a salad of sea cabbage to prevent the endemic goiter. However, this is not a food product too familiar to us, and it costs much more than iodized salt.

As for the sea fish, the content of iodine in it is higher than in the river. However, in order to satisfy the daily need for iodine, you need to eat up to one kilogram of sea fish per day. This is unlikely to be possible, given the low income level of the majority of the population of our country.

How to store iodized salt

Iodated salt retains its healing properties for three to four months. Therefore, when buying salt, be sure to look at the date of its manufacture.

Iodine disappears from salt with improper storage: if the salt was soaked or was in an open container for a while. So, there is no point in buying iodized salt that is sticking out in lumps (the correct indicator that it contains moisture) or lying in an open bag.

And finally, the most important thing. When heated, and even more so with prolonged boiling of the product in which you put iodized salt, iodine will almost completely disappear! Therefore, it makes sense to salt the dish not in the process of preparation, but immediately before putting it on the table.

The last remark for those householders who make the workpieces for the winter: never use iodized salt when salting of cucumbers or pickling of cabbage. Your salting will either be stunned or acquire a bitter taste.

What is the salt

We use so -called stone salt daily. The deposits of stone salt arose as a result of the disappearance of the ancient sea.

But approximately 30% of all the reduced salt in the world receives in the process of evaporating sea water. Sea salt contains sodium chloride. In smaller quantities (about 2%), other salts, minerals and trace elements are also represented.

When iodine and fluorine are added to the table salt, fluoride salt is obtained. However, caution should be caused, giving such salt to young children. This is especially true for children who take a fluoride as prescribed by a doctor in the form of tablets: in excess fluorine can be toxic for the body.

A dietary salt is dietary. However, this salt has not a very pleasant taste.

For gourmets, salt with spices and herbs was invented. This is the usual table salt, to which herbs and spices added. If such additives make up more than 15%, then this additive can be mentioned in the name of such salt.

Iodine - medicine is not for everyone

Diseases in which iodized salt is needed:

Endemic goiter

atherosclerosis

hyperthyroidism

chronic poisoning with mercury and lead

Diseases in which iodized salt is contraindicated:

thyrotoxicosis (increase in thyroid functions)

thyroid cancer

Lung tuberculosis

nephritis

nephrosis

furunculosis

acne

Chronic pyoderma

Hemorrhagic diathesis

hives

Hypertonic disease

It is also not recommended to take iodine -containing products and salt to pregnant women and children under 3 years old.

What salt is eaten in the world

In Austria, Denmark, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and the former republics of Yugoslavia, universal iodination of salt is mandatory. This means that neoidized salt cannot be bought anywhere. In Poland, compulsory iodine applies only to salt sold through the trade system, so Poles can buy ordinary salt in pharmacies.

However, Denmark until 1999 was the only country in the world where iodized salt was prohibited by law, since many elderly people found thyroid diseases in which iodine is harmful. In this regard, iodine deficiency has catastrophically increased in the young and working part of the population. An experiment with a ban was declared unsuccessful. Therefore, today the salt is iodized here without fail.

In the UK, Norway, Sweden, the USA and Canada, on the contrary, salt iodine is optional. Here, iodine is added to animal feed, so the main source of iodine is meat, not salt. In stores, you can buy ordinary and iodized salt - the choice for the consumer.

Italy, Spain and the Netherlands are also going to soon adopt a law on mandatory iodine of table salt. For example, now in the Netherlands for bakery, a special salt is produced, which contains twice as much iodine (40 mg/kg) than ordinary retail salt. It is this special salt that almost all the bakers of the country use.

In Switzerland and the Netherlands, despite the formally voluntary nature of iodization, almost all the salt implemented for the needs of the population is produced in an iodized form. Salt manufacturers there voluntarily took the duty to produce mainly iodized salt, and consumers - both retail trade and the food industry - order and use it.

In Germany, you can find any salt on free sale. But the share of iodized salt is 70%, it is everywhere added to bread and meat products, due to which iodine deficiency in the country is practically eliminated.

The adoption of normative acts affecting the mass use of iodized salt was facilitated by German insurance companies. They calculated that treatment for diseases associated with iodine deficiency is much more expensive than their prevention.

France and Belgium are the exception countries, there are still no salt iodization programs there. But it is believed that these countries are not in the "iodine -deficiency zone", so the population has only a "light iodine deficiency".

06/03/2004 / Irina Kolesnikova