Iodine Deficiency - Another Reason to Avoid Fast Food?

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American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists

Apr 13, 2010, 11:59 ET

BOSTON, April 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With one in four Americans reportedly consuming fast food on a daily basis(1), new research which will be released on Thursday, April 22^nd at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) 19^th Annual Meeting & Clinical Congress indicating another reason to avoid fast food; It may also be lacking in appropriate amounts of iodine.

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Dr. Sun Young Lee of Boston Medical Center and her fellow researchers examined several comparable items from Burger King and McDonald's. Restaurants from each of the fast food chains were selected in the Boston area at random. Two menu items from each category were purchased and the iodine content of each homogenized item was measured.

"A large portion of Americans consume fast food as a major source of nutrition," Dr. Sun Young Lee of Boston Medical Center, one of the study's primary authors said. "However, these foods, except most items containing milk and fish, are not good sources of iodine, an integral component in the human body, especially for pregnant women."

About the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)
AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,000 members in the United States and 91 other countries. AACE members are physicians who specialize in endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism. For more information about AACE, visit our Web site at www.aace.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/theaace or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/theaace.

(1) Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

SOURCE American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists