My Letter to the USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a terrific website that allows people access to their Nutrient Database at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/. Type in a food name, and for that food it will tell you the exact amount in that food of every nutrient known to man-- except for the mineral iodine. Despite the fact that iodine is vital to health, and a Recommended Daily Allowance has been set by the USDA (150 micrograms per day for adults), iodine is not tracked in the Standard Reference (SR) database. Most commercial databases are based on the USDA SR database, which means that if it's not in there, you just can't get that data. Major frustration.

(Presumably this is because iodized salt takes care of everyone's RDA. No one but thyroid cancer patients really have to worry about getting too much, and we are simply not yet a political force to be reckoned with! :-)

I have learned that there tends to be more information available in each release of the database. For example, between SR11 and SR12, sugars and selenium were added. (Selenium? Why selenium and not iodine, f'r goshsake?!) (Thanks to Ed Prestwood of http://www.nutribase.com for his informative e-mail.) In hopes that iodine will find its way into SR13, I wrote the letter quoted below.

(Might I suggest a mailing campaign? My letter can be used as an starting point for an IODINE, PLEASE!! letter of your own. And if it's too much trouble for you to write a real paper letter, go ahead and use the email address provided at the NDL's website: ndlinfo@rbhnrc.usda.gov. How much easier can it get?)

December 2, 1998

Nutrient Data Laboratory
Agricultural Research Service
Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
4700 River Road, Unit 89
Riverdale, MD 20737-1234

To Whom It May Concern:

   I am a patient with papillary thyroid carcinoma. As part of my treatment,
I periodically undergo scanning and/or dosing with radioactive iodine
(I-131). In preparation for this treatment, my endocrinologist places me on
a low-iodine diet (less than 50 micrograms of iodine per day) to lower the
amount of ordinary iodine (I-127) in my system. This is primarily to assure
that the small amount (about 1 microgram) of radioactive I-131 is not
drowned out by a large amount of ordinary iodine. A secondary hoped-for
effect is "starve" the cancer cells of iodine so they will more avidly take
up the I-131 when it is introduced.

   My endocrinologist has provided me with a list of high-iodine foods to
avoid. However, I would like to get more information about the iodine
contents of various foods not on the list. Frankly, I would like to be able
to tabulate my iodine intake for those two weeks each year when I must
adhere to the low-iodine diet.

   The Standard Reference does not currently include any information on iodine
content. I hope that for the next version of the Standard Reference you
will consider including data on iodine.

   The low-iodine diet has been proven to increase uptake of the radioactive
iodine in cancer cells. It is important for thyroid cancer patients to be
able to monitor their own iodine intake, just as it is important for
cardiac patients to monitor their intake of cholesterol and saturated fat.
Please help me to take charge of my own heath through diet.

Sincerely,


Linda A. Tam

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Last updated on February 26, 1999.