# How necessary is iodized salt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721 "2002-07-18T23:40:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/1 "2002-07-18T23:40:51Z")
I picked up, among other things, a new box (Or is it a can? It’s a cardboard cylinder.) of salt at the supermarket. After I got it home, I noticed the label warned that it “does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient”. My last box/can of salt was iodized. Do I really need iodized salt, or can I just stick with what I’ve got? ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/2 "2002-07-18T23:49:11Z")
It is not likely that you will develop an iodine deficiency during the period of time that you use a single box of salt. It might not be necessary at all for you, if you eat ocean fish, or seaweed, or live in an area where iodine is present in the soil, and the normal vegetable produce you eat also has iodine. The main problem in iodine deficiency is that if it is not present in your soil, you cannot get it from any local dietary source at all. The iodine content of many soils was greatly depleted during the ice ages of the last two hundred thousand years, and will not be replenished in less than geologic time scales. With imported sea food, or vegetables grown in iodine rich soils (almost impossible to judge, as a consumer) the problem is easily solved. So, since you live on Monster Island, and have near by sources of fish and other ocean food products, you can ignore the need for iodized salt. Or, at least for one box of salt, anyway. ## Tris “The difference between a violin and a viola is that a viola burns longer.” ~ Victor Borge ~ ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/3 "2002-07-19T02:51:15Z")
Does that mean that indigenous peoples who lived in areas without iodine had chronic iodine defficiency problems? Did they adapt, deal with it, or just move to a better area? ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/4 "2002-07-19T03:40:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Triskadecamus \* > > So, since you live on Monster Island, and have near by sources of fish and other ocean food products, you can ignore the need for iodized salt. Or, at least for one box of salt, anyway. The trouble is, our seafood tends to come in the form of fire-breathing serpents and 100 meter tall bipedal lobsters, so they’re a little hard to catch. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/5 "2002-07-19T04:09:35Z")
Iodine deficiency is believed to cause an increase in rates of [cretinism](http://www.thyroidmanager.org/Chapter20/20_cretinism.htm): > [@](#): > > In addition to frank cretinism, a larger proportion of the population (estimated to be 3-5 times as great) suffers from some degree of mental retardation and coordination defect. Comparative population based neuropsychological assessments of children in areas of iodine deficiency compared with areas with adequate iodine intake confirm a shift of the intelligence curve to the left in the iodine deficient areas. Careful examination of affected individuals in such areas reveals a pattern of neurological involvement similar to that seen in frank cretins, although of milder degree 40,144. In assessing these less severe defects, nonverbal tests are most helpful and school progress is a good indicator. After the age of 3 years drawings are very useful, indicating a defect in visual motor integration. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/6 "2002-07-19T04:28:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SmackFu \* > \*\*Does that mean that indigenous peoples who lived in areas without iodine had chronic iodine defficiency problems? Did they adapt, deal with it, or just move to a better area? \*\* I read an article in the New York Times a few years ago about a region in the interior of China where there was no seafood, no iodine in the soil, and no iodized salt. The villagers there had incredibly high rates of cretinism (at least one in every family, on average), and most people eventually developed goiter. This being China, they couldn’t move without government permission, and I don’t think the government was providing them with iodized salt, either. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/7 "2002-07-19T18:31:06Z")
Historically, for Europeans the Swiss were noted for a higher than average proportion of cretinism. High up, eroded, away from the seas. I love that so many people still talk about “local soils” etc. The percentage of food that comes from nearby locations is usually very small for most Americans and other first world people. I’ve been eating grapes from Chile for example. You’d have to have a very peculiar diet (only eating stuff obtained from your local farmers market) _and_ be living in the “wrong” area to have any risk of having a iodine deficiency. Iodized salt is for all practical purposes not necessary. **Jet Jaguar** is in the clear and then some. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/8 "2002-07-19T19:32:00Z")
Nevertheless, iodine has one of the smallest dietary requirements and some of the worst deficiency effects, so if you’re going to buy salt and the iodized doesn’t cost significantly more, you may as well get it. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/9 "2002-07-19T20:21:44Z")
At this stage I should note the SD column, [Should I completely eliminate salt from my diet?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_217.html) > [@](#): > > To avoid goiter, the thyroid condition associated with lack of iodine, you need about 150 micrograms of iodine per day, which you get from roughly one-third teaspoon of iodized salt. A tiny amount indeed. ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/10 "2002-07-19T20:26:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GilaB \* > \*\* > > I read an article in the New York Times a few years ago about a region in the interior of China where there was no seafood, no iodine in the soil, and no iodized salt. The villagers there had incredibly high rates of cretinism (at least one in every family, on average), and most people eventually developed goiter. This being China, they couldn’t move without government permission, and I don’t think the government was providing them with iodized salt, either. \*\* I had a G/F who was raising money as part of a “Key Club” program to provide iodized salt for people in inland China. Goiters are one of the more attractive effects of this defficiency. Larry Niven wrote a book about a colonized planet with extremely stratified mineral sources and how iodine was used to create a water empire. “Destiny’s Road” is the name and while not Niven’s best work (abrupt name changes withing the context of the story make it hard to follow at times) it is on topic here and he is pretty meticulous with his reasearch most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/11 "2002-07-19T20:45:12Z")
zen101, wasn’t it potassium that was lacking in most of the colony’s diet? ---
**Author:** ![zen101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c68b51/32.png) [@zen101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zen101)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/12 "2002-07-19T21:36:06Z")
pugluvr: Crap, you may be right but I thought it was a general lack of minerals and potassium was among them. Plus the way people got “slow” when they didn’t get speckles. Does potassium defficiency make one retarded? I recall how Destiny life was filling and tasty but not at all nutricious. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/13 "2002-07-19T22:15:13Z")
I knew I’d read this somewhere – it’s an article from Salon about a group in India that is (or was, things may have changed) refusing to allow iodine treatment of salt. [http://dir.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/08/20/salt/index.html](http://dir.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/08/20/salt/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Lapin\_de\_poussiere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a4c791/32.png) [@Lapin\_de\_poussiere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lapin_de_poussiere)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/14 "2002-07-20T00:16:57Z")
This is a link to Columbia’s proclamation on getting iodized salt to our sister city - [http://salt.coin.org/proclamation.htm](http://salt.coin.org/proclamation.htm) There’s an ongoing salt drive for Kutaisi, too. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2002, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/15 "2002-07-20T20:27:53Z")
Is salt in canned or frozen dinners iodized? I NEVER put any salt on my food. I always figured I got enuff by eating canned or frozen food. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/16 "2002-07-21T15:10:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Markxxx \* > \*\*Is salt in canned or frozen dinners iodized? I NEVER put any salt on my food. I always figured I got enuff by eating canned or frozen food. \*\* I was about to ask the same question. I rarely use salt myself, usually only if I’m following a recipe for something that calls for salt. The last box-can of salt I bought has probably lasted me about 5 years, and I expect the new one to last the same amount of time. But then, a 2-lb box-can of salt only costs about 50 cents, so it’s no big deal if I should get another one. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/17 "2002-07-21T17:43:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zen101 \* > \*\*Does potassium defficiency make one retarded? I recall how Destiny life was filling and tasty but not at all nutricious. \*\* [http://ia.essortment.com/vitaminsmineral\_rvkv.htm](http://ia.essortment.com/vitaminsmineral_rvkv.htm) It can cause “dizziness and mental confusion”, as well as irregular heartbeat and other neuromuscular problems. The “everyone gradually gets stupid” symptoms in Niven’s book were way off. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/18 "2002-07-21T17:59:30Z")
Isn’t “cretinism” an obsolete term? It sounds to me as bad as referring to a person with Downs syndrome as a “mongoloid”. What’s the more modern term for this condition? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/19 "2002-07-21T18:28:25Z")
I believe cretin is still an accepted medical term for someone afflicted with the aftereffects of lack of iodine. But then some proper medical terms have become non-PC > **[Car News, Blogs & Analysis | Cars.com](https://www.cars.com/news/)** > > Browse up-to-the-minute automotive news and analysis, including expert reviews of the latest cars on the market, at Cars.com. An IDIOT is a person without understanding or ordinary mental capacity, one who does not advance beyond the mental age of three years; distinguished from an imbecile, who is capable of some mental and physical education. An IMBECILE is one who is congenitally weak-minded yet not incapable of education; a mental defective not advancing beyond the mental age of seven years. A MORON is a feeble-minded person of higher grade than am imbecile, one who does not advance beyond the mental age of 12 years ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2002, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721/20 "2002-07-21T18:30:52Z")
BTW, I think “mongoloid” got the bad rap as it identified a medical syndrome involving retardation with a particular ethnic group. “Cretin” doesn’t do that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-necessary-is-iodized-salt/119721.md?page=2)