People in Greenland need extra iodine on their diet in order to reduce the risk of metabolic diseases, according to an survey conducted by Greenland’s university Ilisimatusarfik, Sermitsiaq writes. The survey has been published in the American journal ‘Thyroid’.

People in the age group 50-69 from Nuuk and Tasiilaq participated in the survey. Information about their lifestyle, dietary habits and diseases was collected, tests were made, and samples taken.

The scientists found an unexpected high occurrence of heightened metabolism, whereas there was a low occurrence of low metabolism.

The survey also shows that 83 percent of those with light metabolic diseases had not previously been diagnosed with such.