Don't forget Iodine

Before iodized salt, it was not unusual for people not living near an ocean to develop a goiter. This was due to a diet deficient in iodine. Pregnant women who don't get enough iodine can have a child with a lower IQ, a recent paper published in Lancet (May 22, 2013) points out. We know that extreme iodine deficiency with hypothyroidism can result in a child with cretinism. The Lancet article points out how many women are mildly iodine deficient now. In England salt is not iodized, and not all salt is iodized here. Milk can be a good source of iodine, but organic milk has less iodine. Why, I don't know. It is important for pregnant women to take prenatal vitamins, as they all include iodine. Also consuming seafood can be helpful, but only in limited quantities, as so much seafood is contaminated with mercury. 

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