I knew part of what makes up this fact: salt is iodized to help ensure we get enough of that essential nutrient. But what I didn’t know is why it was added and by whom.

Iodine is an mineral that is essential to proper thyroid function. When the US sent soldiers overseas during WWI, recruits from the midwest had a deficiency. Iodine is found in sea salt and sea food so anyone who had access to the ocean didn’t have a deficiency.

Most table salt is mined from the ground (and lacks iodine) and the US government worked with the salt producers to enrich their products with iodine virtually eliminating deficiencies here.

So there you go. Yet another civilian benefit from military requirements – just like Tang and Velcro.

via The Kitchn