Pakistani Iodine

Iodine deficiencies haven’t been a problem for Americans in decades. But in Pakistan, this age-old curse is returning with a vengeance, causing problems including mental retardation. Deforestation and flooding wash the iodine out of the soil and don’t allow it to work up through the food chain. Government warnings aren’t reaching the right people, and there are rumors that it is actually a plot to cut population growth.