Our normal requirement of iodine comes directly or indirectly from crops grown on iodine sufficient soil and from fish and seaweeds. So, when the soil of any area lacks iodine, the crops too are deficient in this essential nutrient. People, who eat these crops regularly, do not get their requirement of iodine and ultimately develop iodine deficiency. The soil in many parts of India is poor in iodine. The food grown in India is therefore deficient in iodine leading to a greater risk of iodine deficiency for the whole population. Virtually all countries in the world are at risk of iodine deficiency. Therefore, we Indians need to consume salt fortified with iodine daily because we do not get it in sufficient quantity from our diets.
