Iodine is an important micronutrient, a vitamin or mineral that is necessary for good health. It helps the body to produce hormones, helps babies develop in the womb, and is important to many other body processes. In 1924, iodine was added to salt to make up for a lack of public access to dairy foods and ocean fish, which are natural sources of iodine. The modern American diet, however, includes many processed foods that contain iodine. As a result, many salt manufacturers have stopped adding iodine to their product, a change that did not get much attention in the media. Some nutrition experts are concerned that people who still rely on table salt as a source of iodine will have an increase in disease caused by a diet lacking in the micronutrient. Only time will tell, as America moves into a new era where table salt is no longer a guaranteed source of iodine. In 1–2 sentences, identify and explain the evidence that the author uses to support the idea that taking iodine out of table salt might cause harm. (2 points) explain it to a 7th grader after that wright as a 7th grader after learning this

Answer 1

The author explains that iodine is crucial for producing hormones and supporting healthy development, especially for babies in the womb, and notes that since many salt manufacturers have stopped adding iodine, there is concern that people who rely on table salt for their iodine may face health issues. This suggests that removing iodine from salt could lead to increased diseases related to iodine deficiency.

As a 7th grader:

I just learned that iodine is super important for our health, especially for growing babies! It used to be put in table salt to help people get enough of it, but now many companies stopped adding it. This could be a problem because without enough iodine, people might get sick. It's kind of scary because we didn't really talk about this happening!