According to the Disease Control and Prevention Centers in the US most young American women are on the verge of iodine deficiency, they have just a little more than exact levels of iodine to declare the deficiency.

All these young women are in the age group of 20 to 39 years and they are found to have the lowest iodine range than any other age group of women. This came to light after the reports were out from CDC's Second National Report on Biochemical Indicators of Diet and Nutrition.

The concerning issue is that iodine is very essential for proper growth and development and this chemical also maintains the functioning of thyroid gland. The lack of iodine in young women has become a major point of concern for health authorities.

The lack of iodine can also lead to mental retardation and can cause problems during pregnancy as lack of iodine retard the development of the female uterus and many other health problems during the growth and development stages.

One of the major sources of iodine in daily diet is the dietary salt that is consumed. In over 70 countries including the US and Canada there are iodization programs that focus on maintaining the right iodine content in the dietary salt.

Other examples of iodine rich foods are Seaweed, dairy products, seafood, grains and eggs. One should try to include moderate quantities of these food items. One can also include fruits and vegetables in their diet as a source of iodine but the amount of iodine varies. Iodine content depends upon the soil in which fruits and vegetables are fertilized and irrigated. Pregnant women should focus more on taking food items, which have more iodine content in them, as they are prone to iodine deficiency.