Israel touted for its national policy of reusing waste water and creating desalinated water for human consumption is now facing a health crisis, according to a new report: The first national iodine survey conducted in Israel has revealed a high burden of iodine deficiency among Israelis, posing a high risk of maternal and fetal hypothyroidism and impaired neurological development of the fetus in Israel. Some 85% of pregnant do not have enough iodine in their diet and 65% of all schoolchildren are lacking, and this will affect intellectual functioning of young children, stresses a new report,

The report was prepared by researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the ETH Zurich in Switzerland, with support of the Iodine Global Network, and as such has obtained the first nationally representative data about iodine status in the Israeli population.

To do this, they collected pre-discard spot-urine samples, from 1,023 school-age children and 1,074 pregnant women, representing all regions and major sectors in Israel (Arab, Jewish secular and orthodox), during 2016 at the Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS) central laboratory.

The International Child Development Steering Group has identified iodine deficiency (ID) as a key global risk factor for impaired child development, and the World Health Organization’s recommends routine monitoring of population-based data on urinary iodine every five years as a means of sustainable elimination of ID.

Yet Israel is among the few countries that have never performed a national iodine survey, and does not provide iodine prophylaxis, even though some of its population has suffered from ID in the past. Israel similarly lacks current data on the incidence and prevalence of thyroid disease.

The crisis is due to lack of a universal salt iodization program, and in light of the heavy national reliance on iodine-depleted desalinated seawater as drinking and irrigating water, the study’s results point to a major national public health problem. They found a high burden of iodine deficiency in the general population: 62% of school-age children and 85% of pregnant women fall below the WHO’s adequacy range.

The median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) among Israel’s pregnant women, only 61 micrograms iodine/liter and for school-age children, the median of 83 micrograms/liter suggest that the iodine status in Israel is amongst the lowest in the world. Iodine adequacy is defined by the WHO as a population median of 150-249 micrograms/liter for pregnant women and 100-199 micrograms/liter for school-age children.

Virtually no differences were seen between different ethnicities and regions of the country suggesting that low iodine status is widespread and universal throughout the country.

Adequate iodine intake is essential for thyroid function and human health throughout life. Even mild iodine deficiency might prevent children from attaining their full intellectual potential, and mild to moderate ID has been linked with decreased cognitive performance.

Iodine deficiency in utero and in early childhood impairs brain development, and severe iodine deficiency causes cretinism (physical malformation, dwarfism and mental retardation) and goiter (the enlargement of the thyroid gland).

According to the researchers, the high burden of iodine insufficiency in Israel is a serious public health and clinical concern. By comparison to data from other countries with a similar extent of deficiency, these data suggest that there is a high risk of maternal and fetal hypothyroidism and impaired neurological development of the fetus in Israel.

By extrapolation, given the rate of insufficiency in Israeli pregnant women, nearly all pregnant women and their children may be at risk, implying that the majority of the population could be unlikely to realize its full intellectual potential.

“The immediate implication of our findings is that we need to improve the public’s intake of iodine,” said Prof. Aron Troen, Principal Investigator at the Nutrition and Brain Health Laboratory, School of Nutrition Science, Hebrew University’s Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “It seems that as in most other countries, Israel’s food supply and our collective dietary habits do not ensure iodine sufficiency. Thus eliminating iodine deficiency and achieving optimal iodine status in Israel’s population will require a sustainable, government-regulated program of salt or food iodization.

The research findings were presented at The 46th Annual Meeting of the Israel Endocrine Society, which took place on March 20-21 in Ramat Gan, Israel.

Yaniv Ovadia, the doctoral student and registered dietitian who performed the study, said, “Individuals can improve their iodine status through increased consumption of iodine-rich foods such as milk, dairy and salt water fish. They can also replace regular table salt with iodized salt.”

However, only a small fraction of the salt sold in Israel is iodized, and it is sold at a much higher price than regular salt, although it does not need to be. The World Health Organization and Iodine Global Network encourage mandatory, universal salt iodization, including the all discretionary household salt.

However, some countries have effectively been able to increase their iodine intakes through the use of iodized salt in processed foods, including bread and condiments, and this may be considered in Israel.

If you are woman you know that at any point in your life, you might feel those odd and uncomfortable, cyclical mood swings. This is totally normal over the course of a month. But getting your hormones in balance when they feel out of whack is something you can work on, using food.

When levels of estrogen, progesterone, and yes even testosterone are level, one will feel balanced and content. When you are not  in balance, the world feels like it’s coming to an end. You might be here because you are looking for hormone replacement therapy, like that offered on this site, but before you go in that direction, you might want to try these 7 foods you can eat to help restore your hormonal balance naturally.

Here are 7 superfoods to help your hormones get there, girls

1. Apple: This once-a-day-as-the-doctor ordered fights against estrogen. Some people may have too much estrogen in their diets, especially if you are eating a tofu-rich one. The fiber in the apple helps remove some estrogen and keeps your hormones in check.

2. Olive oil: we Middle Easterners know that olive oil is a wonder drug in and unto itself. Drink it, pour it on salads, throw it on your body. The monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil are great for your hormone balance and state of mind. 

3. Almonds: are full of fibre and they are great for your heart. A few soaked almonds a day helps you absorb fewer carbs and sugars. 4. Brown rice: is a food full of vitamin B, great for female hormone balance. Brown rice is better for the metabolism, so we recommend it, but only if it’s organic.

5. Fish: again, consume in moderation due to risks from heavy metals (read this and sushi), but super fatty fish like sardines, herring, salmon and mackerel, are full of Omega 3 fatty acids which is an acid particularly good for balancing out the highs and lows of menopause.

6. Oatmeal: full of the vitamins selenium, copper, manganese, iron, magnesium, zinc and magnesium, oatmeal is ALSO rich in Vitamin E, protein and fiber. Eat it routinely and you will balance your blood sugar and lower the risk of diseases associated with high cholesterol.

7. Unsweetened yogurt: we are talking about plain unsweetened yogurt. No flavors and no sugar, artificial or natural. Full of probiotics, unsweetened yogurt boosts the metabolism of estrogen, it can slim you down and build you a healthy immune system. If you are feeling a bit wild and crazy, consider adding all of the above into your yoghurt.

If you are just starting exercising or are a seasoned vet, when it comes to working out, one can’t go wrong with cardio workouts as they are one of the best exercise methods to take as a hobby or pursue as a goal. The main advantage is that a gym is not mandatory to perform such exercises as anyone could go for a run in the park or on the beach to stay in shape.

Working out should be a common habit for most of us as it comes with some extraordinary health benefits: for the example of ketosis. The has proven countless times to help in terms of achieving the best results possible when keeping a strict diet which when paired with a great working out routine will yield extraordinary results each time it is put into practice.

Increases metabolism

Metabolism plays the most important role when it comes to staying fit and fending off heart-related problems. Performing cardio will kick it up a notch allowing it to perform faster and better. Not only does speeding up the heart rate by performing cardio will increase the metabolic rate in which one can lose some weight but it will also regulate air flow as well as an improved body shape.

Reduces The Risk Of Getting Sick

Involving a good amount of exercise and appropriate alimentation will go a long way in maintaining a healthy lifestyle thus making ourselves less vulnerable to factors such as disease and illness which will seriously reduce our productivity, confidence levels as well as self esteem. Activities such as aerobic and exercises which will raise the heart rate are paramount when paired with great nutrition.

Increases Relaxation

We’ve all felt that great sensation after we’ve hit the hay after an intense workout session at the gym or after we’ve ran a couple of miles and the equivalent of a modern workout will go a long way in helping us fend off diseases such as insomnia and it can also act like a sleeping pill for those who suffer from such problems. No one can say he or she feels totally relaxed if they haven’t had a great workout session and we strongly advise everyone to do so if people want to feel relaxed during the day.

People who are regularly working out and pair the routine with a healthy diet will see great results almost immediately as it yield some amazing results even from the first couple of days. Not only will they feel as a brand new person but they will make sure to stay healthy as well.