Aren’t we supposed to use Iodized salt?
Because iodine deficiency was once a persistent problem in some parts of the U.S., manufacturers began adding iodine to table salt in 1924. Iodine deficiency remains a serious problem in Africa and parts of Asia but has been largely eliminated in the developed world, where people routinely get the iodine they need from other food sources.
That and flouride....we need our daily doses.
Iodine is tricky, because while only a tiny amount, 100-200 micrograms is needed daily, twice that amount for pregnant women, according to US standards, other chemicals tend to neutralize its effects.
That is, chlorine, fluoride and bromide lower iodine levels in the body by blocking iodine receptors, and they are increasingly common in our diets.
In comparison, the Japanese consume an average of more than 12 milligrams (12,000 mcg) of iodine per day. That’s 50 times more than the average American.
Beyond thyroid support, iodine’s anti-cancer functions may be its most important benefit. Scientific tests using estrogen sensitive breast cancer cells exposed to iodine have shown that they are less likely to grow and spread.
Fibrocystic breast disease creates swelling, tenderness and discomfort. In one study, 98 percent of women receiving iodine treatment were pain-free by the study’s end, and 72 percent had improvements in breast tissue.
The bottom line is that it is still a trace element, several of which are vital to good health, but are not major blood electrolytes. That is, if your electrolytes are imbalanced, you might quickly die; but if you have a severe shortage of a trace element, while you might develop serious medical conditions, it will take a while.