Re: Iodized Salt Question - and way too many answers

[Guest guest]

and all -

Well of course you wouldn't remember when iodine was added to salt. Your daddy

wasn't even a gleam in his daddy's eye :-)

From the Salt Institute ....

" Marine (1880-1976) is the " father " of iodized salt in the United

States. As the result of his and co-workers research on endemic goiter and

iodine deficiency, the Michigan State Medical Society, in 1924, launched a

goiter prevention program using iodized salt. ....

" ... In the United States, salt producers cooperated with public health

authorities and made both iodized and plain salt available to consumers at the

same cost. Newspapers urged people to use iodized salt for the prevention of

iodine deficiency. The Michigan program was highly

successful and iodized salt use quickly spread throughout the country.

Ultimately, household use of iodized salt eliminated iodine deficiency in the

North America.

" In 1955, researchers reported that 75.8% of U.S. households used only iodized

salt. The Salt Institute estimates that today more than half of the table salt

sold in the United States is iodized. Continued public education is needed,

however.

" Recently, the National Academy of Sciences increased the recommended intake

level for iodine and nutrition surveys show a small but steady erosion in

Americans' iodine intakes.

" Around the world, however, iodine deficiency remains a major health problem

in too many countries. .... "

If this isn't already more than you want to know, there's plenty of info at

http://www.saltinstitute.org/37.html

A goiter is an inflammation of the thyroid gland, almost always caused by an

iodine deficiency.

For more than you want to know about goiters, I found this site .....

http://www.naturalhealthnotebook.com/Health_Problems/Goiter.htm

One thing I found interesting on this site is the fact that in 1924, Michigan's

goiter rate was 47%.

My ENT surgeon confirmed what I had heard, which is that the popularity in

women's fashion of high collars and multi-strand " dog collar " necklaces came

about in order to disguise goiters.

I recently saw a Robeson movie from 1926, and was fascinated to see a

thyroidectomy scar on more than one woman. The fact that there was no attempt

to hide the scar makes me assume that it was very common.

Back to 's question ...

Iodine is utilized only by thyroid cells. No thyroid, no iodine utilization.

Another point is - before our thyroid issues, I don't think any of us worried if

we were getting enough iodine in our diets. We simply did (get enough iodine,

that is). Without drastic changes in diet (and I don't think not using iodized

salt is enough to do it), I think for

most of us - including those with thyroids - it would be hard to get too little

iodine.

-

(who is making up for her single sparsely worded letter of yesterday :-)

NYC (TT 2/99 dx pap/foll; RAI 100 mCi 3/99 & 4/00; current TSH ~.06 on .225

levothyroxine)

[Guest guest]

.

Thank you for the valuable information!

BTW in 1924, my dad was 19! Yes, I was an after thought...way after.

Be well,