Iodine is a peculiar substance that still puzzles research scientists. Taken in great quantity it is a dangerous poison; on the other hand, the body cannot exist without it. Iodine is one of the elements that the body needs only in minute quantities, a trace element; at the same time, it is of such importance that it may be compared
to the push button that is needed to start and stop a sophisticated piece of machinery. The human body contains approximately 0.05 g of iodine, half of which is found in the muscular system, one-tenth in the skin and a large portion in the endocrine glands, especially the thyroid. Here we find iodine attached to an amino acid, forming the hormone called thyroxine.
It is interesting to note that the so-called iodine level, that is the amount of iodine contained in the blood, is the same for all healthy people, no matter where they live, whether in the mountains, by the sea, in the polar regions or at the equator.
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