SHENZHEN plans to open more points of service to sell non-iodized salt, Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.

    The Shenzhen branch of Guangdong Salt Industry Co. will double its points of service for non-iodized salt up to 54 even though customers can only buy iodine-free salt with a doctor’s prescription, a company representative said.

    The city’s health authority held a seminar over the weekend to discuss the relationship between iodized salt and thyroid diseases.

    Some national medical experts and local doctors participated in the seminar. Lian Xiaolan from Peking Union Medical College Hospital said an increasing number of people were diagnosed with thyroid diseases in recent years after many people began including thyroid tests in their checkups.

    Lian said people with thyroid nodules can have iodized salt, but they should recheck their thyroids at a hospital every six to 12 months.

    People who suffer hyperthyroidism or Hashimoto thyroiditis should only eat iodine-free salt during treatment, Lian said, adding that they, after getting well, can resume having iodized salt, but should avoid eating foods with high-levels of iodine such as seaweed.

    Lian also said pregnant women, whether they have a thyroid disease or not, should keep eating iodized salt because iodine is vital to the growth of the fetus.

    Zhong Wen with Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention agreed, saying that a lack of iodine could lead to mental retardation in babies.

    Zhong said different people should adopt varied methods concerning the amount of iodine they ingest.

    Shanghai has 1,334 shops selling non-iodized salt while Beijing doesn’t require a prescription to purchase non-iodized salt.

    (Zhang Yang)