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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Sea salt has become a popular choice when cooking and seasoning food. But many sea salts don’t contain iodine, a common additive in table salt.
Does it matter? Do you really need iodized salt?
Maybe.
Iodine is a nutrient your thyroid needs to produce certain hormones. It’s especially important when you’re pregnant, and in young children. For most people, iodized salt is the easiest way to get this iodine.
Where does iodine come from?
Thanks to the ice age, this trace mineral was distributed around the world — landing primarily in coastal areas. As a result, some of the most common dietary sources of iodine are seaweed and fish.
Inland areas have fewer natural sources of iodine. That’s why researchers encouraged the practice of iodizing table salt as an inexpensive insurance against low dietary iodine. More than 90 percent of U.S. households today have access to iodized salt.
You can also get iodine from eggs, enriched grain products and plant foods grown in iodine-rich soils. Unfortified sea salt contains only a small amount of iodine, less than iodized table salt.
Weighing your options
It’s hard to determine exactly how much any salt with iodine contributes to your iodine levels. The recommended daily intake for adults is 150 micrograms, which you can get from about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of table salt.
Most Americans get enough iodine through their diet. Pregnant women and nursing mothers are the only groups in the U.S. that are usually advised to take a daily iodine supplement as part of a prenatal vitamin.
Depending on where you live and how much seafood you eat, it may not be time to ditch your table salt just yet. But that shouldn’t stop you from using sea salt when you want that particular flavor.