Wednesday, February 11, 2015 -
Most nutritionists give adequate attention to major trace minerals - zinc, manganese, copper, cobalt and selenium - but often overlook the importance of iodine in livestock rations.
Some Key Facts About Iodine:
- Iodine is necessary for thyroid based energy metabolism as well as growth and development in growing animals.
- Iodine is involved in various immune system functions, including the ability of white blood cells to kill and dispose of pathogenic bacteria.
- Historically, iodine has been used to control foot rot in feedlot cattle, and it may also have a role in controlling digital dermatitis (hairy heel warts) in both dairy and beef cattle.
- Subclinical iodine deficiency in breeding females may result in suppressed estrus, abortion, stillbirth and increased incidence of retained placenta.
- Some common feedstuffs such as canola, raw soybeans and turnips contain goitrogenic compounds, which reduce iodine uptake. High nitrate levels also interfere with iodine utilization.
- The NRC guidelines for iodine levels were established for normal animals and did not consider that stress and the presence of iodine antagonists increase the dietary need for iodine. Thus there is a great potential for iodine to be either or over fortified in diets.
Learn More Here
COMMENT: With so many variables involved in the ‘Iodine maze” the best choice is to let our animals self-regulate their needs by using the Advanced Biological Concepts mineral program. Click Here for more.
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