Are Some People Iodine Deficient?

Hey, it's J.J. here. You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating, and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on your first order. Hey, JJ here. Can you believe how fast the holidays are knocking at the door this year? One minute it's pumpkin spice season, the next you're getting your guest room ready and wondering where their wrapping paper went. And that's when I turned to Wayfair. From bedding and towels to holiday decor and last minute stocking stuffers, Wayfair has everything you need to get your home and holidays together fast. And for way less. With Wayfair, I know I can refresh my guest room in no time. Maybe I'll add a soft new comforter or a few holiday throw pillows. With Wayfair, it's so easy and everything arrives super fast. Plus, there's free shipping for any order over $35 easy and total peace of mind. So whether you're hosting, gifting, or just adding those final festive touches, Wayfair has your back. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less, head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style, every home that's W A Y f a I r.com this episode.

Is Brought to you by Buffalo Trace Distillery. Powerful yet smooth contained but never tame. Proudly going their own way but never going alone. This is the spirit inside Buffalo Trace Bourbon Made at Buffalo Trace Distillery. World's most award winning distillery. Buffalo Trace is always perfectly untamed. Distilled, aged and bottled by Buffalo Trace distillery, Franklin County, Kentucky. 90 proof 45% alcohol by volume. Learn more at BuffaloTrace distillery.com Please drink responsibly.

Are Some People Iodine Deficient? This is JJ Virgin, four time New York Times Best selling author, celebrity nutrition expert and Fitness hall of Famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the deepest health questions and now I'm sharing what I found with you. Welcome to Ask the Health Expert. Simone from Instagram asks, are some people iodine deficient? Well Simone, I have the perfect person to answer this question. He has been deep diving into all things iodine and how they relate to your thyroid and he talks about that in his new book, the Thyroid Reset Diet. Yes, I've got Dr. Alan Christiansen, aka Dr. C with me to answer this question. He's a board certified naturopathic endocrinologist and a New York Times bestselling author and a super athlete including the sport of mountain unicycling. Bet you didn't even know that existed. He'll be right back to answer this question. Stay with us.

Hey JJ Virgin here. Okay, real talk. So often the holidays sneak up on me, travel, gifts, hosting, you know, all the things and suddenly it's like, wait, who spent what and where? And I know I'm not the only one who's looked at a bill in January and thought, wow, that escalated quickly. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface. On your laptop or on your phone. Monarch lets you link everything and gives you real time visibility so you're not shocked later. Right now, I've been checking the holiday spending category so I don't accidentally start the new year with that dreaded debt hangover. And honestly, just seeing everything laid out is already helping me stay more aware. This season, Monarch does the heavy lifting. It links your accounts in minutes, gives you smart categorization and super clear visuals. Yes, that end of your reset could be a real goal this time. Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use the code virgin@monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with the code Virgin.

Ray Ban Meta glasses come with open ear audio so you can listen to your favorite music without blocking out the world around you.

Hey Meta, play Gorgeous.

Here's Gorgeous by Doja Cat.

You can also ask Meta AI questions.

Hey Meta, when's Doja Cat's next concert?

Doja Cat is playing at the Los Angeles theater next Tuesday.

Sweet Ray Ban Meta glasses available at Ray Ban stores and other authorized retailers.

If we go back as recently as 1991, there were 112 nations that were categorized as severely iodine deficient. And that's a big deal. The World Health Organization showed that at that level, kids, they didn't develop properly. So the lack of iodine meant that their thyroid glands were not working right and that meant that their brains couldn't develop. And there were several key milestones in those early years that, you know, once you miss them, that's it. The lifelong opportunity for normal brain function has come and gone. And the effects were just huge, hugely negative for that. So that was recent. Now this was 1991. It was 112 nations. At that time, there were no nations that were categorized as at risk for thyroid disease due to iodine excess. So that number was zero. And it was seen by public health arenas what a tragedy this was. So the World Health Organization, the iodine organizations, they gathered together and said, hey, we can fix this. You know, there are ways that they could give iodine even like once or twice per year. It was quite inexpensive and also they would fortify water in many regions. So it was done successfully. And it was this huge, huge public health win. So if we go forward just a few years, 23 years, from 1991 to 2014, the number of nations that were categorized as severely ident Deficient went from 112 down to 0. That was really cool. It was a huge, huge win. So it completely eradicated this problem that was holding back a billion people on the planet. This is like one of the biggest feel good stories that we've had for quite a while. Like a billion people's lives got better and it was a success. But, and here's the but. Because iodine is so exacting, many countries ended up overshot. They got more than they needed. So as the efforts went out to raise iodine in areas that were deficient, some of those same efforts caused there to be more iodine in places that had enough. And some caused There to be excess where there used to be deficiency. So by 2014, the number of nations that were severely deficient was zero, which is cool. But the number of nations categorized as at risk for thyroid disease due to iodine excess, well, that became 52. So now we're on the opposite end of that spectrum. We have 52 nations at risk for disease for too much iodine. As a generalization, iodine deficiency has the biggest impact on the youngest. So, yeah, children and toddlers are affected the most by that. Adults are not as strongly affected. Some can develop goiters. It's not as common, but most of the big complications occur early in life. Now, on the other side of it, when we see iodine excess, that's more commonly a problem in adults. It's less salient, less apparent in children, but it's the main known driver of ongoing chronic adult thyroid disease. And the US Is one of those nations considered at risk for iodine excess. Pretty much all of north and South America are in those categories. And even further studies have looked in more detailed ways at US Subpopulations. They've broken up the US in terms of our ages, our genders, our ethnicities, and looked at the iodine status in those various ways. And those most prone to thyroid disease are women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and more. So with each decade, and especially in North America. And that's gone crazy over these last several decades, since around 1990. Well, that's when we entered into the stage of iodine excess. And we now know that in those subpopulations, 30 to 40% of women, 30 to 45% per the exact group, are at severe risk for thyroid disease due to iodine excess. So, yeah, you can have the average population high, which we do, and we can have some subpopulations that are not high, but we've got many that are. And not all 30, 45% of women get thyroid disease, cause not all are prone to it. But of those who are genetically prone to thyroid disease, the extra iodine is the main trigger that pushes them over the edge. And it's gotten very clear to researchers that this is the reason that we're seeing thyroid disease on the uptick in these populations, quite simply because of their ongoing excess iodine exposure. So, yes, iodine deficiency was a big problem in some parts of the world. Mild deficiencies do still happen. So deficiencies are categorized as severe, moderate, or mild. We now have no countries that's severe deficient, and we have seven countries categorized as mild. But all the severe deficiency is gone and now we have this risk of iodine excess that is affecting adults.

This is JJ with Ask the Health Expert. I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetojay.com.

Toyota THON is on, so stop by your local Toyota dealer and test drive a spacious grand Highlander or ready for anything rav4 we with great financing and lease options available to qualified customers. Visit buyatoyota.com for more Toyota let's go places.

Hello listeners, this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week I tag all things Books and Reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately, and I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years, and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment. Whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change, or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything, you'll learn something about yourself as a reader and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So so join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and visit our website what Should I read next podcast.com to find out more.