Iodine Prevents Goitre

Iodine was one of the first minerals to be recognized as vital for good health. It is still considered one of the most important.
Goitre can be cured with iodine.In practically all countries, there are areas where iodine is lacking in the soil and water. Only one country - Japan - is virtually free from Goitre and this is attributed to the relatively high consumption of seaweed as a foodstuff. Seaweed contains about a thousand times as much iodine as any other food. It has been used in the Japanese diet for many generations without any apparent adverse effects.

Iodine was accidentally discovered in burnt seaweed. The thyroid gland, when compared with the other tissues, was very rich in iodine. Iodine is effective in both preventing and curing simple goitre.

Iodine is grayish-black in color. When heated, it yields corrosive fumes of a rich violet color. In the human body, it forms an essential component of thyroxine, the main hormone produced by the thyroid gland. The excessive consumption of certain foods like cabbage, cauliflower, and radish can cause iodine deficiency. These foods contain a substance which reacts with the iodine present in the food and makes it unsuitable for absorption.

Dietary iodine is absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract into the blood. The amount of iodine present in the body of an adult is estimated to be about 25 milligrams. Most of it is concentrated in the thyroid gland, where it is stored in the form of thyroglobulin, a complex of protein and iodine. About 30 per cent is removed by the thyroid gland for the synthesis of the thyroid hormone, thyroxine, and the rest is excreted by the kidneys. Proteolytic enzymes(those which split up the proteins during digestion} break down this compound, and thyroxine and a small amount of triiodothyronine are excreted into the circulating blood. When the amount of the thyroid hormone in the serum is decreased, the pituitary gland releases a thyroid-stimulating hormone which causes the thyroid gland to produce more cells and to increase in size in an attempt to manufacture more hormones. This results in enlargement of the thyroid gland, which is also called simple goitre.

Iodine Sources and Functions

Deficiency symptoms of Iodine and its Healing Powers

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