Like many cooks, I use a lot of sea salt. In fact, in the past couple of years, I've gradually transitioned from simply sprinkling it over finished dishes to using it in all recipes that don't require measuring (meaning, most of my cooking). I still keep a container of table salt on hand for baking (due to the difference in texture, a teaspoon of sea salt is not the same as a teaspoon of table salt), but when I'm cooking without a recipe, it's just so much easier to grab a handful of sea salt from the dish on my counter than to get the table salt out of the cabinet.
For this reason, I was a bit alarmed recently when I suddenly realized that most sea salt is not iodized. I don't know why this never occurred to me before, but after the realization hit me, I did a bit of research, and what I found was worrying:
You see, iodine is a nutrient that's essential for health. If your body is deficient in it, your thyroid can have problems functioning properly, which can result in depression, weight gain, and even mental problems. If pregnant women don't get enough iodine, it can cause miscarriage or babies with low IQ or developmental disabilities.
Until the early 1900s, many people around the world were iodine deficient; this was the cause of the goiters (enlarged thyroid glands) that plagued members of previous generations. In the 20th century, most Western countries solved this problem by adding iodine to salt, which pretty much eliminated iodine deficiency in the developed world. (Though it's still common in third-world countries without iodized salt—in 2006, The New York Times reported that iodizing salt would be the easiest way to raise the world's IQ.)
Most brands of sea and kosher salt, however, do not have iodine added. There's a common misperception that sea salt comes by the mineral naturally, due to the fact that sea water (and foods such as seaweed and fish) contains iodine. However, the information I turned up indicated that the amount of iodine in most sea salt is negligible—certainly not enough to supply the 150 micrograms needed daily by the average adult. And even iodine-rich foods don't supply enough, unless you eat seaweed almost every day. On the other hand, a quarter-teaspoon of iodized table salt contains 115 micrograms, so if you eat that plus an iodine-rich food such as milk (iodine is added to most animal feed in the U.S.) you're all set.
The salt issue is interesting because, like many people interested in healthy eating I think, I had just assumed that sea salt was healthier for me because it was less processed than table salt. It never occurred to me that I might be depriving my body of an essential nutrient by taking the "natural" route. And, without knowing it, I was also adding to the problem by choosing milk and eggs from local, grass-fed animals that are not given iodine-enriched feed.
This does not, of course, mean, that I'll be trading in my locavore habits for a diet of processed foods any time soon. But I am thinking about switching back to iodized table salt for cooking—especially since I've always doubted whether the difference can really be tasted once the salt is dissolved in a dish. (This article has some interesting things to say on that subject, though it's a bit reductionist—for instance, according to my research, her assertion that all salt is 99% pure sodium chloride is patently false.)
This also brings up a larger issue: How can those of us who try to eat a more "natural" diet be sure that we're making the best choice for ourselves and our families? I'd be willing to bet that many of the same mothers who spend thousands of dollars on tutoring and "enrichment" toys for their children also buy sea salt and grass-fed milk. How would they feel if they thought their dietary choices during pregnancy might have lowered their children's IQ's by a few points?
One final thought: Some types of sea salt, including many from Greece, are iodized. But flaky Maldon salt from England—my personal favorite—and fleur de sel from France are not among them. So, if you're worried about getting enough iodine and want to continue using sea salt, I'd be sure to check the label on your brand. And for more on the amounts of iodine in various foods, see this very comprehensive article from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.
What do you think? Are you concerned about getting enough iodine in your diet?
by Sarah Kagan
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