Just because iodine is essential doesn't mean taking more is better. True iodine deficiency is rare in the U.S. and other developed countries, partly because we started supplementing our salt with iodine in 1924. Even if you eat mostly (non-iodized) sea salt , you're likely still getting plenty of iodine from your diet because we really just don't need that much of it. "We only require trace amounts, so basically eating out even a couple of times a month gets us enough iodized salt to suffice,” endocrinologist Elena A. Christofides , MD, tells Dr. Gunter.