CABI Blog

Salt has been used for thousands of years to flavor
& preserve food BUT reliance on fast food, biscuits and tinned goods, with
their hidden salt content, has created for us a high salt diet and with it an
alarming rise in cardiovascular disease.

Reducing our salt intake, by working
with food industry and educating the public (World Salt Awareness Week), should
counter this disease epidemic.  BUT take this too far, and could an old
disease re-emerge? I speak of iodine deficiency in the diet, which can cause abortion,
stillbirth, goitres, mental retardation & birth defects: iodized salt
solved it.

WHO recommend universal salt
iodization for developing countries as a simple, safe and cost-effective
measure to address iodine deficiency, and many developed countries follow this
too. 

                                                                        Image: Amanda Mills, USDA. 

People afraid of salt so a disease re-emerges or is unaddressed?

If we ever needed
a reminder of the importance of iodized salt & public attitudes to health, you
only had to read “salt
rumors add to health crisis in pakistan” (Washington Post).

A fuller discussion of these issues can be found in the March issue of Global Health Knowledge Base,  along with the latest research on iodine
deficiency and salt iodisation.

Related articles

Eat less salt but make sure it contains iodine

Ethiopia en route to eliminating iodine deficiency disorder

Mild iodine deficiency in pregnancy in Europe and its consequences for cognitive and psychomotor development of children: A review

Modified "Iodine.page", Modified "images/iodine/age.png", Modified "images/iodine/dose.png", Modified "images/iodine/forest.png", Modified "images/iodine/funnel-moderated.png", Modified "images/iodine/funnel.png"

Iodized Salt

The Significance of Iodine and 7 Foods Rich in Iodine

Stop Wasting Money On Expensive Sea Salt

It Had to Happen: CT'ers Go After Iodized Salt

Iodine deficiency and how it can impact pregnancy