“In doing so, modern cooking has inadvertently all but abandoned one of the most significant public-health advances in history. A few years ago, a 6-year-old girl showed up at a medical clinic in Providence, Rhode Island, her neck so swollen that it looked like she’d swallowed a grapefruit whole. After a series of tests, doctors figured it out: She was iodine-deficient. Her thyroid—the butterfly-shaped gland that is responsible for just about everything the body does, and which requires iodine to function—had swelled in an attempt to capture any microgram of iodine it could from her bloodstream.
For centuries, thyroid dysfunction was endemic; millions of people around the world suffered from slow heartbeats, weakness, muscle fatigue, sluggish metabolism, and brain fog. When, in 1924, American manufacturers introduced artificially iodized salts, it was a miracle, right there on the shelf in the grocery store. Within a few years, the thyroids of the developed world were working again.
Recently, however, doctors have started reporting more cases of iodine-deficient hypothyroidism—and our salt preferences may be at least partially to blame. Kosher salt, as you have probably guessed, does not contain iodine. Neither do most ultraprocessed foods, the main vehicle by which most people in this not-exactly-sodium-deficient country take in salt.
Iodine deficiency can be serious, but is eminently treatable. (Pregnant women should be particularly attentive to their iodine levels, the UCLA endocrinologist Angela Leung told me, because deficiency can result in birth defects.) The 21st-century rise in hypothyroidism might therefore be less a cause for alarm than a chance to rethink our contemporary salt orthodoxy. Kosher’s dominance, to hear Bitterman tell it, “doesn’t come out of magic or merit—it’s cookbook writers and chef culture, a weird confluence of circumstances brainwashing everyone at the same time.” What’s great for chefs may not be great for home cooks. Kosher salt isn’t inherently better, and in some cases may be worse.”
I have always been conscious of getting sufficient iodine since goitre runs in my family. I actively choose iodised salt and am a scratch cooker most of the time, so I'm sure that helps.
So interesting! Thank you. I have actually been wondering if I should cut back on dairy - which I love - and now feel better about keeping it in my diet!
As always, Maryann - THANK YOU!!! I order a lot of stuff online from Azure Standard and they have a liquid potassium iodine (I am purposely not supporting Amazon now) in the 150mcg: is this the same thing? I always share your newsletters with the appropriate people! We are grateful for you! - Tara
My thyroid tsh number went up last year and I felt terrible. I was put on iodine and selenium and my numbers normalized and I'm feeling better. Staying on it. It takes longer to get the results than with thyroid meds but I believe it addresses the issue instead of forcing the numbers through pharmaceuticals.
It also takes care of fibrocystic breasts. Also noticed the tinnitus I was experiencing is better.
Anyway, years ago my integrative dr put me on iodine for fibrocystic breasts and at some point I stopped. Now, here i am back on it and I don't plan to stop.
Thanks for sharing Jess. I've read that some women get in full remission from hypothyroidism with iodine and selenium. This area is starving for research. I'm glad you getting the help you need.
"Starving for research" could be a whole book containing women's health basic research that is severely lacking, botched, or obviously used only to support pharmaceutical products. You hit that nail squarely.
Thank you for dismantling and doing the hard work of research and education for all of us. What a beautiful service. Thank you.
I had an amazing doctor who knew so much about iodine deficiencies, magnesium deficiencies, adrenal fatigue (i know we aren't supposed to call it that) and he did a lot of really good work. He no longer practices. This was 20 years ago. He was way ahead of his time and he was not well received in the medical community.
I didn't know what I know now. What I know? He was right.
Interesting article recently in the Atlantic about how the fashion for kosher salt has pushed out iodinised salt in home cooking.
“In doing so, modern cooking has inadvertently all but abandoned one of the most significant public-health advances in history. A few years ago, a 6-year-old girl showed up at a medical clinic in Providence, Rhode Island, her neck so swollen that it looked like she’d swallowed a grapefruit whole. After a series of tests, doctors figured it out: She was iodine-deficient. Her thyroid—the butterfly-shaped gland that is responsible for just about everything the body does, and which requires iodine to function—had swelled in an attempt to capture any microgram of iodine it could from her bloodstream.
For centuries, thyroid dysfunction was endemic; millions of people around the world suffered from slow heartbeats, weakness, muscle fatigue, sluggish metabolism, and brain fog. When, in 1924, American manufacturers introduced artificially iodized salts, it was a miracle, right there on the shelf in the grocery store. Within a few years, the thyroids of the developed world were working again.
Recently, however, doctors have started reporting more cases of iodine-deficient hypothyroidism—and our salt preferences may be at least partially to blame. Kosher salt, as you have probably guessed, does not contain iodine. Neither do most ultraprocessed foods, the main vehicle by which most people in this not-exactly-sodium-deficient country take in salt.
Iodine deficiency can be serious, but is eminently treatable. (Pregnant women should be particularly attentive to their iodine levels, the UCLA endocrinologist Angela Leung told me, because deficiency can result in birth defects.) The 21st-century rise in hypothyroidism might therefore be less a cause for alarm than a chance to rethink our contemporary salt orthodoxy. Kosher’s dominance, to hear Bitterman tell it, “doesn’t come out of magic or merit—it’s cookbook writers and chef culture, a weird confluence of circumstances brainwashing everyone at the same time.” What’s great for chefs may not be great for home cooks. Kosher salt isn’t inherently better, and in some cases may be worse.”
Thanks for sharing. It truly is a problem I hope more people are becoming aware of.
Yes, there’s a 4 para discussion at the end, including a suggestion to rethink our use of kosher salt.
I just looked it up and can't access the whole thing. Do they mention iodine?
This is so interesting. Thank you!
I have always been conscious of getting sufficient iodine since goitre runs in my family. I actively choose iodised salt and am a scratch cooker most of the time, so I'm sure that helps.
This area certainly needs more research.
Thanks Clarissa. You are right! It's something women can easily miss.
So interesting! Thank you. I have actually been wondering if I should cut back on dairy - which I love - and now feel better about keeping it in my diet!
Oh good. I love my dairy! If you can't tolerate that's a different story.
As always, Maryann - THANK YOU!!! I order a lot of stuff online from Azure Standard and they have a liquid potassium iodine (I am purposely not supporting Amazon now) in the 150mcg: is this the same thing? I always share your newsletters with the appropriate people! We are grateful for you! - Tara
Thanks so much! I appreciate it. Yes, pretty close.
My thyroid tsh number went up last year and I felt terrible. I was put on iodine and selenium and my numbers normalized and I'm feeling better. Staying on it. It takes longer to get the results than with thyroid meds but I believe it addresses the issue instead of forcing the numbers through pharmaceuticals.
It also takes care of fibrocystic breasts. Also noticed the tinnitus I was experiencing is better.
Anyway, years ago my integrative dr put me on iodine for fibrocystic breasts and at some point I stopped. Now, here i am back on it and I don't plan to stop.
Thank you for educating on this important topic.
Thanks for sharing Jess. I've read that some women get in full remission from hypothyroidism with iodine and selenium. This area is starving for research. I'm glad you getting the help you need.
"Starving for research" could be a whole book containing women's health basic research that is severely lacking, botched, or obviously used only to support pharmaceutical products. You hit that nail squarely.
Thank you for dismantling and doing the hard work of research and education for all of us. What a beautiful service. Thank you.
I had an amazing doctor who knew so much about iodine deficiencies, magnesium deficiencies, adrenal fatigue (i know we aren't supposed to call it that) and he did a lot of really good work. He no longer practices. This was 20 years ago. He was way ahead of his time and he was not well received in the medical community.
I didn't know what I know now. What I know? He was right.
Well said!