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Assessment of iodine intake in vegans: weighed dietary record vs duplicate portion technique

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 56, pages 765–770 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective: To compare iodine intakes estimated from weighed dietary records with iodine intakes obtained by direct analysis of duplicate diets in a group of vegans.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: London and the south-east of England.

Subjects: Thirty-three vegans consuming their habitual diet were recruited through the UK Vegan Society; 26 subjects (11 males, 15 females), age 21–84 y, completed the study.

Interventions: Iodine intakes were estimated from 4 day weighed dietary records and compared with iodine intakes obtained by direct analysis of concurrent 4 day duplicate diets.

Results: There was wide variation in iodine intakes. Mean daily iodine intake in males was significantly lower (P<0.05) when estimated from dietary records (42 µg) compared with that analysed from duplicate diets (137 µg). Conversely, in females the mean daily iodine intake from dietary records (1448 µg) was higher (P=0.43) than from duplicate diets (216 µg). Variation in iodine intakes determined by the two different methods may be attributed to the absence of iodine content of some foods, in particular foods suitable for vegan consumption, in food composition tables and the variability in iodine content of seaweed.

Conclusions: The use of current food tables to estimate iodine intake in vegans is limited. It is not always practical to determine iodine intake using the duplicate portion technique, therefore more reliable information on iodine content of foods, incorporating the variation within foods, is needed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the subjects for their participation and Dr A Long for his support.

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Author notes

  1. HJ Lightowler: Guarantor: HJ Lightowler.

  2. HJ Lightowler and GJ Davies: Contributors: Both investigators contributed to the study design. HJL was responsible for the collection of data, data analysis and writing of drafts and final manuscript. GJD participated in the preparation of the drafts and final manuscript.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nutrition and Food Science Group, School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK

    HJ Lightowler

  2. Nutrition Research Centre, School of Applied Science, South Bank University, London, UK

    GJ Davies

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  1. HJ Lightowler
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  2. GJ Davies
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Correspondence to HJ Lightowler.

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Lightowler, H., Davies, G. Assessment of iodine intake in vegans: weighed dietary record vs duplicate portion technique. Eur J Clin Nutr 56, 765–770 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601392

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