One of my teachers happens to be a world expert on iodine deficiency so yesterday we had a lecture about it. Iodine is essential for development & if children don't get enough they'll have lower IQs (even to the point of being mentally retarded). In adults a lack of iodine exhibits as a swollen thyroid gland, commonly known as a goiter.
I worked with IDD in the Philippines so I know a bit about it in other countries. I assumed America iodized all its salt because we're rich. We don't. You can buy iodized salt at the store, but you can buy non-iodized as well so you have to pay attention. More importantly, this whole time I thought that eating chips was giving me adequate iodine so I could pretend it was healthy. Alas, no salt is iodized if it is in processed food. Most shocking though was when our teacher examined about 8 of the girls for goiters. Seven of them had them (albeit very small ones). Slightly disturbing.... Maybe this mass lack of iodine explains why most Americans seem so stupid to me?
Don't worry though - I have a solution: I am going to bake cookies with iodized salt every week & eat them all so I will have a healthy thyroid. It is a sacrifice I'm willing to make for my health.
