In many inland villages, diets are seriously lacking in iodine and omega-3 fatty acids. A report to the WHO and the Indonesian government, in 1993, found:

* Inland villages had 60% of their children with palpable goitres.

* Coastal, fishing, villages had 1% with the same problems.

* 1,000,000 school children were mentally retarded.

* 800,000 of these were affected severely enough to meet the definition of cretinism.

Recent studies have found this repeated in Sudan, Tibet, and other places – it’s likely to happen anywhere that populations cannot afford to import seafood.

Attempts in Sudan to address this problem with iodised salt have shown that proper assessment of peoples iodine levels is essential, as there are now people with goitres from too much iodine in their diet. Normal dietary sources are much better suited to the way that the body works, and also have the essential omega-3 fatty acids (such as DHA) that are so often missing from a diet lacking seafood, and which the salt lacks.

The Mother and Child Foundation is working to investigate large scale cultivation of kelp and seafood, as a dietary source of iodine and omega-3 fatty acids. Just 1 gramme of kelp per day will provide enough iodine to restore the balance, and enough omega-3 fatty acids to start repairing the damage.