Sodium has little effect on your thyroid. However, iodine can affect your thyroid, and table salt is iodized specifically to prevent thyroid nodules, also called goiters. Your thyroid uses iodine to produce the hormones that control your metabolism; in fact, your thyroid uses 80 percent of the iodine you consume. If you follow a low-sodium diet and you don't eat foods high in iodine, such as seafood, you may have an iodine deficiency that can cause a goiter.
Goiters
Your thyroid is located at the base of your throat, in front of your vocal cords. A butterfly-shaped gland that is part of your endocrine system, your thyroid manufactures two hormones, T3 and T4, that control your metabolism. If your thyroid slows and your body needs more hormones, your thyroid swells as it tries to make more cells to produce more hormones. This swelling is called a goiter. A goiter does not necessarily indicate hypothyroidism; it also can be the result of hyperthyroidism, tumors -- both cancerous and benign -- inflammation and pregnancy.
Iodine Deficiency
An iodine deficiency is the leading cause of goiters throughout the world, but it is very rare in the United States and other industrialized countries. Iodine occurs naturally in seafood, sea vegetables and vegetables grown in iodine-rich soil that was once underwater. In the 1920s, iodine was added to table salt to treat the iodine deficiency occurring in "the goiter belt" -- the Northwest United States, Appalachia, the Great Lakes and most of Canada. According to the American Thyroid Association, 40 percent of the world's population is at risk for iodine deficiency.
Treating an Iodine Deficiency
A teaspoon of table salt contains 400 mcg of iodine; USDA guidelines say you only need 150 mcg of iodine daily. If you've been advised to follow a low-sodium diet as treatment for hypertension or because of an elevated risk of heart disease, you can ensure adequate iodine intake by eating a diet rich in fish or seafood, eggs, dairy, some breads and soy milk. Iodine is typically included in most daily multivitamins.
Hypothyroidism
In the United States, iodine deficiency rarely causes hypothyroidism or goiters. The most common cause of goiters is Hashimoto's disease, an inflammation of the thyroid caused by an autoimmune disorder. If a lack of iodine is not the cause of your goiter or low thyroid function, adding iodine to your diet will not have any effect. The most common treatment for hypothyroidism is a supplemental thyroid hormone called levothyroxine, a synthetic form of T4 hormone. Your body can synthesize T3 hormone from T4 as needed.
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