LOW IODINE DIET

[Guest guest]

This diet is followed ONLY during the last 2 weeks before scanning.

Low iodine diet recommended by our thyca list DR'S. AIN AND COOPER

LOW IODINE DIET

For patients with thyroid cancer undergoing radioactive iodine scanning

at Albany Medical Center: We request that you follow a low iodine diet

for at least 2 weeks before your nuclear medicine scan. This diet

increases the reliability of the test. Continue the diet through the

testing procedure and during any treatment with radioactive iodine. A

low iodine diet consists of not eating food with high iodine content.

Please discontinue all of the following foods or food supplements:

VITAMINS and FOOD SUPPLEMENTS: Check the label and ingredients and

discontinue completely, if iodine is included.

IODIZED SALT and SALTY FOODS: Avoid iodized salt and sea salt.

Non-iodized salt may be used. Salty foods like potato chips, popcorn,

slated nuts, pretzels may have iodized salt . Avoid if in doubt.

OCEAN FISH, SHELL FISH, SEA FOOD, SEE WEED, and KELP: All are high in

iodine and should be avoided.

MILK, ICE-CREAM, CHEESE, and YOGURT: Animals excrete dietary iodine

into

their milk. Minimal amounts of milk products used for cooking, coffee

or

tea can be used.

CURED or SPICY MEATS: Avoid bacon, ham, sausage, salami, etc. Fresh

meat

is acceptable.

COMMERCIAL BAKERY PRODUCTS, WHITE BREAD and ROLLS: Homemade or local

bakery products are acceptable. Commercial bakery products often

contain

iodine preservatives.

CANNED FRUIT and VEGETABLES: Canned products may contain iodine

preservatives and should be avoided.

PIZZA, CHILI, ORIENTAL FOODS: Food coloring and preservatives in these

foods often contain iodine and should be avoided.

INSTANT COFFEE: Instant coffee often contains iodine preservative and

should be avoided. Fresh made percolator or drip coffee is acceptable.

TEA and LEMONADE: These foods often contain food coloring and

preservatives made with iodine and should be avoided. Lemonade from

fresh lemons is acceptable.

BRIGHT RED FOOD, PILLS, and CAPSULES: Many red, red-orange, and brown

food dyes contain iodine and should be avoided.

--------------------------------------------------------------

I think the low iodine diet does not make a difference in most

patients.

That's probably why some physicians use it and others don't. However,

there are some patients who are bingeing on something on the list and

get

iodine overloaded. So I use it as a precaution because its hard to tell

who is iodine overloaded and who is not.

The diet is very hard to follow. (I usually smile and tell patients

that

the diet is easy to remember: If you like it, you probably can't eat

it.) I expect patients to cheat on the diet. However, the diet seems to

be successful in preventing patients from loading up on iodine by

eating

high iodine foods every day.

Jeff

--

A. , MD

Nuclear Medicine, A-72 (Fax)

Albany Medical Center (Beeper)

Albany, NY 12203 cooper@...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Dr. & thyca group:

A low iodine diet is absolutely essential to optimize the effectiveness

of radioiodine scans and treatments. I have had a number of patients

with

metastases recalcitrant to I-131 therapy at other institutions, easily

respond to similar I-131 doses with the only difference being adherence

to such a diet. Because it is very difficult to memorize a long list

of

specific foods, I have reprinted our diet which has only 11 main items

to avoid and is otherwise easy to follow:Low-Iodine Diet Directions

(Used For Preparation For Radioiodine Scan Or Therapy)

Avoid the following foods, starting when instructed prior to your

radioactive iodine test, and continue until after your radioactive

iodine treatment is completed.

1. Iodized salt, sea salt (Non-iodized salt may be used).

2. Dairy products (milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream)

3. Eggs

4. Seafood (fish, shellfish, seaweed, kelp)

5. Foods that contain the additives: carragen, agar-agar, algin,

alginates

6. Cured and corned foods (ham, lox, corned beef, sauerkraut)

7. Bread products that contain iodate dough conditioners (usually

small bakery breads are safe; it's best to bake it yourself or

substitute

with Matzos)

8. Foods and medications that contain red food dyes (consult your

doctor before discontinuing any red-colored medicines).

The specific bad red dye is Red Dye #3 (erythrosine).

The problem is that most ingredient lists do

not tell you which red dye is used.

9. Chocolate (for its milk content)

10.Molasses

11.Soy products (soy sauce, soy milk, tofu)

Additional Guidelines

1. Avoid restaurant foods since there is no reasonable way to

determine which restaurants use iodized salt.

2. Non-iodized salt may be used as desired.

Important Note:Food prepared from any fresh meats, fresh poultry, fresh

or

frozen vegetables, and fresh fruits should be fine for this diet,

provided that

you do not add any of the ingredients listed above to avoid.

Best Regards,

**************PLEASE BE ADVISED**********************

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS COMMUNICATION IS INTENDED

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. IT IS NOT INTENDED, NOR SHOULD

IT BE CONSTRUED, AS SPECIFIC MEDICAL ADVICE OR DIRECTIONS. ANY

PERSON VIEWING THIS INFORMATION IS ADVISED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN

PHYSICIAN(S) ABOUT ANY MATTER REGARDING THEIR MEDICAL CARE.

*************************************************

B. Ain, M.D.

Associate Professor of Internal Medicine

Director, Thyroid Nodule & Oncology Clinical Service

Division of Endocrinology and Molecular Medicine

Department of Internal Medicine, Room MN520

University of Kentucky Medical Center

800 Rose Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0084