Low Salt Fallout

It is time to understand whether or not you should be cutting salt out of your diet entirely and why it can be dangerous to your health, but at the same time good for your health.

No chef worth his/her salt uses those everyday brands of iodized salt anymore — coarse-grained kosher and sea salts have become the rage as the old-fashioned white and blue cardboard containers gather dust on supermarket shelves. Table salt has long been enriched with iodine, but with a dual trend of salt reduction for health reasons and gourmet interest in fancy salts, there’s been an interesting, possibly worrisome consequence — reduced levels of iodine are putting people at risk for thyroid problems.

Over the years, much emphasis has been put on iodized salt as the best way to ensure you get the iodine needed for thyroid function and to prevent enlargement of the thyroid gland (an unsightly condition called a goiter). So how does all of this shake out, healthwise?

SIGNS THAT TROUBLE IS BREWING

I spoke with endocrinologist and iodine expert Elizabeth Pearce, MD, at the Boston Medical Center about the implications of the reduced iodine intake. Our sinking levels of dietary iodine aren’t only because gourmands prefer sea salt, says Dr. Pearce. Manufacturers have decreased their use of iodized salt in processed foods. Additionally, in the 1980s limitations were placed on the amount of iodine added to cattle feed based on concern that citizens were getting too much iodine.

MAKE SURE YOU GET ENOUGH IODINE

Generally speaking, Dr. Pearce told me, the US population is not believed to be in danger of iodine deficiency — at least not yet. However, there are concerns that some US women of childbearing age may be at risk for mild iodine deficiency. Individual levels of iodine fluctuate day to day, making it difficult to test levels reliably. Iodine studies use the median from urine sampling of a large population group to arrive at their conclusions, says Dr. Pearce. However we do know what intake should be: The recommended daily allowance for a non-pregnant adult is 150 mcg per day. Dr. Pearce adds that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should take in about 250 mcg daily.

Curiously, either too much or too little iodine can cause hypo orhyperthyroidism with their symptoms of weight gain or loss, possibly fatigue and depression. To be sure you stay in the safety zone, you can get iodine from a multi-vitamin. Look for 150 mcg per day and make sure you check the label, since not all multi-vitamins or even pre-natal ones have it. Or you can get iodine through dietary sources. Dairy products (from cow’s milk) are one good source — one glass of milk contains about 110 mcg of iodine. Seafood is another good source, though exact amounts vary by location and type of seafood. Seaweed is also good, but Dr. Pearce cautions that kelp, interestingly, actually has very high levels of iodine so it should be consumed sparingly. And, of course, iodized salt is still available — it even comes in a few brands of sea salts.

Source(s):

Elizabeth Pearce, MD, assistant professor of medicine, Boston University School of Medicine.

Take the time to look through all your meal options and get exactly what you want. Make sure that you include one of the Medifast Coupons so that you can get a great discounted price on your next Medifast Diet Plan.

Reprinted with the permission of:
Bottom Line Publications/Daily Health News
Boardroom Inc.
281 Tresser Blvd., 8th Floor
Stamford, CT 06901
www.BottomLineSecrets.com

Related posts:

1. A New Therapy – Salt Rooms: HaloTherapy

Tagged as: iodized salt, MediFast, Medifast Coupons, salt, thyroid