碘是人体的必需微量元素之一，健康成人体内的碘的总量为30mg（20~50mg），国家规定在食盐中添加碘的标准为20-30mg/kg。近期人们大量抢购盐，造成有的超市无盐可卖。可是补碘也要小心。

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Supermarkets in many parts of China are running short on salt due to panic buying in the wake of the Japanese nuclear crisis. Apart from salt, many other items, such as iodide tablets and face masks that are considered able to protect people from radioactivity, are also on the list of panic purchases. However, experts suggest people be cautious when taking extra iodide tablets.

Iodine-rich salt is currently the hottest item in supermarkets. They are being snapped up by shoppers after rumors saying iodine intake could help protect them from radiation damage. Supermarkets and convenience stores began reporting being out of salt stock from early Wednesday on, with all salt completely sold out across many stores.

One customer in a supermarket in west Beijing says she had been to several nearby supermarkets in the morning trying to buy salt, but she ended up getting nothing. However, what makes her happy is that she got two masks in the supermarket.

In the current buying frenzy, salt is not the only item that people rush to buy. Potassium Iodide tablets, face masks, and the so-called "safety suit" are all considered "lifesaving straw" and are being snapped up as well. A sales person in a pharmacy store, Mrs. Zhang, says more people have been coming and asking for iodine tablets and masks these past couple of days.

"Demand for iodine tablets and masks has been increasing these days. Usually people buy masks and iodine when they are in need, but these days, more people than usual came over and bought them. And each one of them asked for several packages."

Experts from the Ministry of Health says if the radioactivity had imposed or even possibly imposed a threat to people's health, the government would distribute potassium iodide tablets to protect against radioactivity. However, under the current situation, there is no need to take the tablets. Here is Su Xu from the Ministry of Health.

"Taking iodide tablets must be under instruction from doctors only, as they have many side effects. People who are allergic to iodine, or have problems with their thyroid gland are advised to be more cautious with iodide tablets. It should not be taken without a prescription from a doctor."

Su Xu says the Ministry of Health has been keeping close attention on the radioactive threat, and if these radioactive substances arrive in China and bring a health threat to people, they will let people know as soon as possible and take proper measures to fight against them. People don't have to be worried about it.

The China National Salt Industry Corporation announced Thursday that it has put an emergency system in place to ensure the stability of the salt supply, and appealed to consumers not to make panic purchases blindly.

Head of the China National Salt Industry Corporation Dong Yongsheng says more than 80 million tons of salt are produced each year in China, and the demand of the market are only about eight million tons. So the salt supply is sufficient to meet the demand of people's daily life.

Mrs. Fu, one customer in a supermarket, says she is confident about the salt supply and also with the government, as China is such a resource-abundant country.

For CRI, I am Zhang Wan.

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