When choosing salt, we often tend to choose iodized salt, noting to myself that iodine is very important for the thyroid gland, for the whole organism, it positively affects our mental abilities, immunity, efficiency, etc. The required daily dose of iodine for humans is 200 mg. 1g of iodized salt contains 40mg of iodine, and a day a person consumes up to 15g of salt (in the norm - 5g)! If all the salt consumed will be iodized, then there will be an overabundance of iodine in the body. We must also take into account the fact that some amount of iodine we get with drinking water, with food.
Even those areas in which iodine content in drinking water is below the norm do not need a daily dose of iodine together with iodized salt. It is enough only to compensate for the missing 20-30%. So what do you need to know when choosing iodized salt?
Usually iodized salt is used extra salt. As you know, "Extra" is extracted not by natural means, but is produced artificially not without chemical additives. Together with iodine, iodized "Extra" is supplemented with sodium thiosulfate. It is used as a stabilizer, but its amount significantly exceeds the amount of iodine itself in the finished salt. Proceeding from this, it is better to eat natural rock salt or sea food. The advantage of sea salt is that it is close in chemical composition to the composition of human blood, it contains all the microelements necessary for a person, its composition is more balanced. But this salt does not contain iodine at all, since it evaporates during the formation of salt.
Iodine from iodized salt can also evaporate. He is present in its composition for only a short time - about four months. Therefore, buying iodized salt in the store, be sure to look at the period of its production: the "newer" salt, the more iodine is contained in it.
Iodine rapidly evaporates from the salt when stored incorrectly. For example, if the package with salt was soaked, then there is no iodine in such salt, take my word for it. Check the salt - if it is lumped in lumps, then this is a clear sign that moisture has accumulated in the salt. Dry salt is crumbly. Weighty iodized salt does not contain iodine, because when it comes into contact with the environment, iodine evaporates.
If you use iodized salt for cooking, then you should know that when heated, and in particular when boiling, iodine evaporates completely from the salt. Such salt is used not in the process of cooking, but at the very end of cooking, or even before serving the prepared dish on the table.
Do not use iodized salt to conserve vegetables. Such "pickles" and "canned food" quickly deteriorate, wilt or get a bitter taste.
If, nevertheless, your body suffers for some reason from lack of iodine, and iodized salt does not cope with its replenishment, you can use the following products to maintain a natural iodine balance.
- Sea kale. Usually with this specific product comes this way: if you want to eat it, then you need it as much as you want. Your body is smarter than you, he knows well how many vitamins or trace elements he needs for normal functioning. If you wrinkle from the smell of sea kale, it is better not to force yourself and refuse to use it. There are many biologically active additives with iodine, which, among other things, stabilize the metabolism and improve the functioning of the thyroid (and in fact the thyroid gland suffers most from lack of iodine in the body).
- iodine preparations. If the lack of iodine in the body is great, it is better to get a specialist consultation and start taking iodine medications, so you will control the flow of iodine into the body and monitor your health. Be guided by the choice of such drugs by prescription of the doctor, and not by advertising.
Be healthy!