Irish teenage girls have adequate amounts of iodine in their bodies, but it is essential that they continue to consume foods rich in this important mineral, according to new research by Safefood.

It has just published a new report, Iodine Status on the Island of Ireland, which looked at over 900 14 and 15-year-olds throughout the country. The research was undertaken by Queen's University Belfast.

Iodine is important for health because it is needed to make thyroid hormones. These hormones are needed for many body processes including growth, regulating our metabolism and for the development of a baby's brain during pregnancy and early life.

The recommended dietary allowance for adults in Ireland is 130 micrograms of iodine per day (µg/day), which can usually be achieved by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Iodine is found in a variety of foods, with the richest sources being fish, particularly white fish such as haddock, and dairy products, such as milk and yoghurt.

The report noted that teenagers who consumed higher intakes of dairy products tended to have a better iodine status.

Commenting on the research, Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan of Safefood, pointed out that we now have up-to-date information on the iodine status of teenage girls throughout Ireland, and ‘reassuringly, they have adequate levels of iodine in their bodies'.

"While this is to be welcomed, the levels found were at the low end of the range identified as adequate by the World Health Organization (WHO). We get sufficient iodine in a varied diet containing milk, dairy and fish and additional iodine should only be taken under medical supervision.

"It's important that teenage girls and young women continue to consume these foods, both because of their iodine content and also for their calcium content," she said.

Safefood pointed out that teenage girls and young women tend to consume some of the lowest amounts of milk compared to other population groups and one of the reasons for this is the perception that milk is ‘fattening'.

The study's principal investigator, Prof Jayne Woodside of Queen's, said that the researchers chose 14 and 15-year-olds because iodine ‘is an essential nutrient and there were concerns this group was not getting enough from their daily diet'.

"As well as looking at the current iodine status on the island, our research also examined iodine concentrations of milk samples collected during different seasons of the year, as milk is the most important source of iodine in the diet.

"No seasonal differences were found and higher intake of dairy products was associated with higher levels of iodine. Other sources of iodine in the diet include fish, meat and poultry," Prof Woodside said.

She added that the WHO recommends that the iodine status of the population is reviewed every five years.

The Safefood report can be viewed here.