What is anaemia?

Anaemia is a condition in which there is reduction in the haemoglobin content or in the number of red blood cells or both or defective malnutrition of the red blood cells.

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most prevalent nutritional problem in the world today. About 10-13 (%) of the population suffer from iron deficiency anaemia because of insufficient iron intake. Most at risk are women of child bearing age, especially pregnant & lactating women, adolescent girls & young children. The seriousness of the problem is evident when it is realised that approximately 10(%) of all maternal deaths are directly due to anaemia. Iron deficiency anaemia is found in all countries, but it is by far most prevalent and of greatest severity in developing countries.

What are the symptoms of Anaemia?

Minor & moderate anaemia causes the following :

symptoms Poor appetite, Weakness Tiredness, Breathlessness Pale look, Giddiness Irritability ,Skin Pigmentation Symptoms of severe anaemia are as follows: Pale smooth and shinny tongue Pale mucous membrane of the eyes Spoon shaped dry and brittle nails Oedema

What are the effects of Anaemia?

• It poses a threat to the life and health of the pregnant mother during delivery.
• May result in premature birth
• Contributes to low birth weight and poor vitality of the infant.
• Increases mortality and morbidity rate of the children.
• Impairs learning capacity of growing children.
• Reduces capacity to do sustained work.
• Affects work performances of employees in factory, industry and agriculture.
• Anaemic persons particularly children are more susceptible to other illness.

What is iodine and why is it so essential for human beings?

Iodine is a natural element, which is essential to human life. It is an essential component of the thyroid hormones i.e., thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Iodine is essential for normal growth, development and functioning of both the brain and body.

Lack of iodine can cause iodine deficiency disorders. Iodine is particularly essential during early childhood, puberty, pregnancy and lactation. A pregnant woman who is deficient in iodine is likely to give birth to a child with impaired mental and physical abilities. This condition of the child can worsen as she grows older.

From where do we normally get iodine?

Iodine is present as salts in soil and water. Normal requirement comes from food grown on soil with adequate iodine. But when the soil of any area lacks iodine, the crops grown on such soil are also deficient in iodine. Consequently, those people who live in iodine deficient areas and eat locally grown food items regularly do not get their daily requirement of this essential element in their food.

What happens if a person does not get enough iodine?

A number of physical and mental disorders, some serious, some mild are a result of iodine deficiency. The most visible and easily recognizable sign of iodine deficiency is goiter (goiter is an enlarged thyroid gland). Iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism, mental retardation, growth retardation, cretinism, low IQ, impaired mental abilities and decreased child survival.

Among adults this deficiency can result in low productivity and lack of energy. Inadequate iodine during pregnancy leads to decreased availability of iodine to the foetus, which leads to decreased synthesis of thyroxin. The decreased availability of thyroxin prevents the normal development of the fetal brain and body. Such brain damage is permanent and irreversible and irrevocably limits intellectual growth in later years.

Studies have documented that iodine deficiency results in lowering the average intelligence of the entire school age population by as much as 10-15 IQ points.

What is Iodised salt?

Iodised salt is common salt to which a very small quantity of an iodine compound is added. Iodised salt looks, tastes and smells exactly like common salt. It can be used for cooking as well as table salt.

Prevention of iron deficiency anaemia and iodine deficiency disorder through use of Double Fortified salt, how it helps?

Common salt fortified with iron and iodine was found to be acceptable to various communities. Consumption of double fortified salt was associated with improvement in Haemoglobin status and a reduction in the prevalence of anaemia and goiter in the community.

The product under the Brand name of "HEALTH SALT" has been tested at National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad under ICMR, New Delhi and also by Food and Nutrition Board laboratory under Women & Child Development Department of Government of India. The product contains IRON from 850 - 1100 PPM and IODINE above 30 PPM when packed. The stability of iodine has been tested by ICCIDD (International Council for control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders) laboratory, New Delhi and conforms to the specification. The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) has also approved and certified the product's Quality Standard.

How to put iron back into the blood?

This was a question which had to be answered frequently; each time the means to overcome iron deficiency was discussed.

1. Consumption of sufficient quantity of iron-such foods of vegetable origin.
2. Consumption of food of animal origin.

The absorption of Iron from vegetarian food is poor compared to absorption of iron from non-vegetarian food. Persons strictly of vegetarian diet must be able to afford iron-rich food in sufficient quantities and also need education on judicial selection as well as nutritional values of different cereals, pulses and legumes vegetables.

A large section of population who are vulnerable to iron deficiency anaemia, can hardly afford sufficient quantity of iron rich vegetable diet.

Foods of animal origin which being excellent source of iron suffer from limitation on account of tradition, religion and economic reasons.

Because of the above constraints resulting from the general dietary patterns of people by and large, various studies have been conducted by World bodies such as WHO in order to determine the ideal vehicle for making iron available to the systems from a comparatively better economic point of view and from long term.

To all these queries Prince International had an answer - Consumption of Fortified food such as Double Fortified Salt (Iron & Iodine).


"HEALTH SALT" (DOUBLE FORTIFIED) THAT CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

I. Improved learning:

		Clinical trials conducted in different parts of the world have shown that ability to pick up and consequent educational performance of children improves substantially by consuming food with iron and iodine fortified salt. Experts hope adding iron to salt will improve health in developing nations as effectively as fortifying salt with iodine. The United Nations children's
agency estimates the introduction of iodised salt has spared millions of children every year from mental retardation.

II. Better Work Performance:

		It provides the required iron and iodine to the pregnant women. Thus it prevents the harmful effects of iron and iodine deficiency in such women and enables them to shoulder domestic responsibility with more vigour and vitality.

III. Better Well-being of Women:

		It provides the required iron and iodine to the pregnant women. Thus it prevents the harmful effects of iron and iodine deficiency in such women and enables them to shoulder domestic responsibility with more vigour and vitality.

"Health Salt", salt fortified with iron and iodine looks and tastes like normal edible salt and yet provides the daily iron and iodine requirements so important for our well being. The use of Double Fortified Salt on a regular basis in place of common salt is bound to result in improved well being, contributing to better health in people be they children, mother or workers.