4 comments

  • cratermoon3 hours ago
    This article suggests a half to three quarters of a teaspoon of iodized salt is necessary to get sufficient iodine. A teaspoon of table salt provides 2300g of sodium, or roughly the full RDA for an adult. A lower sodium intake is better for cardiovascular health, and people with high blood pressure definitely benefit from cutting their sodium to 500g/day. Question: is there a better way to provide iodine than expecting people to consume all that sodium?
    • Rury3 hours ago
      There's also iodine in eggs, milk, yogurt, many cheeses, and various seafoods. If you regularly consume such items I wouldn't worry too much.
      • cratermoon3 hours ago
        Of course, and part of reason why iodine deficiency is not generally a problem any more is because most Americans can get plenty of these in their diets. Iodized salt was introduced at a time when large portions of the country were too far from the ocean or people living there did not have much available diary. With the return of iodine deficiency it's clear that dietary habits are changing – not only are people consuming less iodized salt, people are also reducing their consumption, for whatever reason, of foods high in iodine.

        So my question stands: what other ways can we supplement iodine consumption without people needed to eat excess sodium or change their dietary habits?

  • reify9 hours ago
    I have been concerned about this for a few years. I even wrote to my Member of parliament trying to highlight the importance of creating a public awareness program.

    My nephew was born with hypothyroidism and was severly ill at birth and it was not picked up by the doctors for over two weeks.

    He will need to be on medication for the rest of his life. Puberty will be delayed until he is in his late 20's or early 30's.

    I looked at the worlds data on iodine deficiency and there has been a steady increase over the years.

    One of the man factors was that Iodine used to be added to salt and other foods, but now it is not, so you have to find a specific iodine salt.

    In the late 80's every one and his dog started to be all modern and only use sea salt which has no iodine

    No one that I spoke to was aware of the importance of iodine in our diets

    • ahazred8ta5 hours ago
      > In Kazakhstan, a country located in Central Asia, public health officials try hard to raise awareness about the importance of iodine to intelligence. Pamphlets are distributed and studied by seventh graders. Valentina Sivryukova, president of the national confederation of Kazakh charities, was never sure the message got through until, while walking through the market one day, she heard one young Kazakh boy tease another, calling out, “What are you, iodine-deficient or something?”
  • 9 hours ago
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