Yesterday, in some cities of Zhejiang, there was a phenomenon of panic buying of iodized salt. Professor Wu Chuanye, food safety expert at the Hunan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that according to notifications from relevant national departments, the mainland is currently very safe. Hunan, as an inland province, is even safer. There is absolutely no need to panic-buy iodized salt; eating too much can lead to hyperthyroidism. Citizens should not blindly follow this trend but instead cherish their own health.
The radioactive material leaking from nuclear power plants mainly consists of Iodine-131, a radioactive isotope of iodine. After being absorbed by the thyroid gland, it causes damage. Taking tablets containing stable iodine isotopes beforehand can block the absorption of radioactive iodine-131 by the human thyroid gland.
Deputy Director Li Zhichun of the Labor and Health Institute of Hunan Province (Hunan Chemical Poisoning and Nuclear Radiation Medical Treatment Base) said that currently, even coastal areas of our country are very safe, let alone Hunan. As for whether radioactive materials will drift to Hunan, it's still uncertain. Citizens don't need to be nervous. Our province has already started monitoring, and once any situation arises, relevant government departments will issue warnings.
"Particularly important to note: taking iodine tablets must be done according to the government’s instructions. Only after the government evaluates the accident status can they decide whether or not it's necessary to take iodine tablets. People shouldn’t make subjective assumptions or take them out of fear without authorization," said Deputy Director Jin Ruogang of the Occupational Disease Prevention Department at the Changsha Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Iodine is a trace element essential to the human body, known as the "intelligence element." Like proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins, iodine exists in the human body as a nutrient and plays an important role in maintaining the health of the organism. Professor Wu Chuanye said, "Both excessive and insufficient iodine can lead to thyroid diseases, severely affecting physical health. The most common effect of high iodine on thyroid function includes iodine-induced goiter and hyperthyroidism caused by high iodine."
Most terrestrial plants have low iodine content, except spinach and celery which have relatively higher iodine content. The iodine content in seafood is several times higher than in terrestrial plants, sometimes even tens of times higher. Seaweed, sea fish, and laver are good sources of iodine supplementation in daily life.