Iodine | Can Salt Make You Smart?

Things I Learned Last Night

Space Tim Media

Comedy, History, Education

4.7 • 717 Ratings

🗓️ 5 May 2026

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Are you accidentally hindering your brain health? Discover why iodine deficiency is a silent epidemic and how your simple salt choice affects IQ. In this episode, we dive into the surprising history and biological necessity of iodine, an essential chemical element that plays a critical role in human cognitive development. From its fascinating origins as a 'heavy metal' mineral to its vital function in the thyroid gland and hormone production (T3 and T4), we break down why this once-common nutrient has been slipping from modern diets. You’ll learn how the shifting preference for sea salt and kosher salt, combined with changes in the dairy industry, has contributed to a noticeable drop in average iodine levels since the 1970s. We also explore the historical success of iodized salt in preventing goiters and boosting IQ levels by an estimated 15 points in the 20th century. Whether you're curious about thyroid health, the history of nutrition, or simply want to know why your choice of kitchen staples matters, this deep dive provides essential, actionable health insights. Join us as we unpack the science of brain growth and why getting enough iodine is more important for public health than most realize. Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today! Become a Patron and Get Early Access to Ad-Free Episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tilln.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Episode link: https://tilln.com/iodine Support TILLN & Join The Mailing List: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/tillnpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch this next: John Harvey Kellogg - https://youtu.be/_eg2Thi2pcg?si=ZcPNQnQWoUCMpy79 Text TILLN to 66866 to become a patron and gain access to ad-free episodes, the exclusive discord, and earn discounts on TILLN Merch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey man.
0:00.5	Happy to be here, dude.
0:01.8	Happy or happy.
0:23.9	Have you ever heard of iodine? Iodine, like the stuff they put in your blood. What? Do they do that during MRIs? Did I make that up? And I don't know about during MRIs. Don't they put something in your blood to like make it a color on the thing? Which feels like I don't know if they should do that. I don't know. No, it's, it is, it's CT scans. Oh, okay. But that, I'm not wrong. Yeah, so you're, yeah, you're close. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know the difference in a CT scan and an MRI. Yeah, neither do I. That's how you could tell the status of my health insurance.
0:45.7	And so especially when you're young and when you're in utero, iodine's very important because iodine is what creates this T3, 4.
0:48.7	I've never been to utero.
0:51.8	Hate that joke.
0:53.7	You hate that you laughed at it or you hate the joke?
0:56.3	Which part of it?
0:57.2	Skin milk is too strong.
0:58.6	Too strong?
1:01.5	Things I learned last night.
1:10.2	You don't need one.
1:12.1	I don't know the difference between a physical and a regular checkup.
1:16.1	You don't need one as far as you know.
1:18.0	I could tell you how they check if you've got strep throat versus hemorrhoids.
1:22.9	I don't know.
1:23.5	Speaking of like deferred healthcare, I have this thing. I haven't told you this yet, but I have this thing that's been going on for about a year now where this is going to sound crazy. I just don't like that I said hemorrhoids and you're like, speaking of deferred health care. This has been going on for a while. It's not embryoids. It's not. I don't have hemorrhoids. Okay. No, there's this thing in this spot right here, right above my knee. Uh-huh. Where about probably three to six times a day, it just goes completely numb. And it's like a, probably a six- in dynamiters section.
2:02.5	And like, how do you feel if that's numb?
2:04.1	Well, I just, what do you mean?
2:04.8	Here's what happens.
2:07.1	Here's what I'm trying to feel my thigh right now.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Space Tim Media, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Space Tim Media and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.