HOW MUCH SALT?

So picture this scene: a health mystery is changing the shape of people's futures, slowing down minds.

And everyone's throwing guesses left and right—sickness, too much booze, you name it.

Enter stage right, Dr. Otto Bayard, 1918.

The man had a hunch that went against the grain.

He thought, "It's not these things. It's simpler. We need more iodine."

His solution?

Almost laughably straightforward.

Mix iodine with salt and get it out to those goiter hotspots.

Guess what?

It hit the mark.

Iodized salt was significant.  It nearly erased goiter off the map in Switzerland.

This was so dramatic, that other countries started to catch onto as well.

But hold up, there's more to this story.

It's not just about eradicating goiter.

This whole iodine move might've given people's IQs a boost, thanks to something called the Flynn Effect.

IQs started ticking up across the board in developed countries through the 20th century.

The kicker?

Many experts believe that simply adding a pinch of iodine to table salt could crank up the IQ for millions by up to 15 points.

Hard to believe, right?

A minor adjustment in our daily intake could elevate health and brains.

Now, fast forward to the present, and we've got a bit of a situation in the U.S.

Many have cut down on table salt, worried about blood pressure.

Turns out, that concern might've been a bit overblown.

The real issue isn’t the iodine-rich sodium-chloride (electrolyte) table salt we've been avoiding.  Which is essential for maintaining health and avoiding death.

No, it's the sodium nitrate and monosodium glutamate in processed foods—stuff that's missing iodine—that's the problem.  Found in products that are in cans, bags and boxes.  Think middle of the grocery store.

While trying to sidestep high blood pressure by ditching table salt, people might be skipping out on essential iodine.

Meanwhile, they’re loading up on other types of salt that don’t do any favors for health.

In addition, our daily table salt intake is less than half of what it was back in the 1950s.

But here's the kicker: blood pressure issues?

It's more than doubled since then.

Doesn't really add up when you think about it.

 

Especially with all the fuss about cutting salt to keep blood pressure in check.

 

So here’s the thing about sticking to "recommended guidelines" without thinking it through: it's not how the whole nutrition game works for humans.

 

Once again, take salt, for example.

 

Salt isn't just some random ingredient.

 

It's crucial for life.

 

Our bodies need it to do a bunch of important functions, like keeping our muscles and nerves working right.

So, what's going on here?