Hi everybody. Welcome to the nutrition diva's quick and dirty tips for

eating well and feeling fabulous. I'm your host Monica Reinagle and this

week's show was prompted by an email from

nutrition diva fan Gregory who wrote I've read that iodine deficiency is

becoming more and more common is this true and if so what is the best way to get

iodine? And now back to today's topic which is iodine deficiency.

According to the World Health Organization, iodine is the most common nutrient deficiency

affecting 2 billion people around the world.

It's really a shame because iodine is cheap

and the costs of iodine deficiency,

both in financial and human terms are large.

Your body needs iodine in order to produce thyroid hormone, which regulates growth and

development in fetuses and children, and regulates metabolism in adults. Iodine deficiency is especially dangerous and especially common during pregnancy

when it can cause problems with the infant's neural development and even lead to mental retardation. In fact, iodine

deficiency is the biggest preventable cause of mental retardation in the world.

Some researchers have even linked low iodine levels during pregnancy to an increased risk of ADHD in the kids.

Low iodine levels can also lead to stunted growth, sluggish metabolism and weight gain, thyroid disease, or fibrocytic breast disease in women.

Now the introduction of iodized salt, way back in the 1920s, largely eliminated iodine deficiency as a public health concern

here in the US and in other developed nations.

But now, some health professionals worry

that if the sodium police get their way and people really

start cutting back on salt, an increase in iodine deficiency could be an unintended consequence.

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