Staving off Goitre and Cretinism
It is through salt that the iodine deficiency endemic to the Himalaya -causing goitre and cretinism – can be tackled. If a permanent system of salt iodization and distribution were set up, the Himalaya would be rid of cretinism and other associated disorders. Yet salt, the all-important commodity, is hardly ever discussed at the national policy level.
Iodine is a trace element found in the soil. Through time, iodine has "leached" from mountains to plains and then to the sea. This leaching has given the soil of many highlands and flood-prone areas, including that of Bhutan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh, very low iodine content. As a result the quantity of iodine in food crops is very low. Being an essential micronutrient, a lack of iodine in the diet leads to Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) even if the diet is otherwise well-balanced.