Does No Goiter Mean Perfect Thyroid Health?
How much iodine is necessary for ideal health? Over the years since iodine and thyroid disease have been connected, the absence of goiter has been used as the index of iodine adequacy. Goiter suggests inadequate iodine; no goiter means sufficient iodine. (Note: While most goiters suggest low iodine, other conditions can occasionally be at fault, such as the overactive thyroid of Graves’ disease.)13 Twentieth century overuse of iodized salt led to complacency. Since iodized salts erase most goiters, medical professionals and the pubic mistakenly believed they knew what they needed about iodine. But does alleviating goiter also mean that thyroid function is optimized? If goiter represents the visible manifestation of hypothyroidism, is there an intake of iodine that can further improve thyroid function, even after goiter is reversed or suppressed? The current RDA for iodine of 150 mcg per day for non-pregnant adults is indeed sufficient to prevent or reverse goiter. Iodine intake below t
