Iodine in biology and the thyroid gland of rats. The role of iodine in mammary tissue is related to fetal and neonatal development, but its role in the other tissues is unknown. It has been shown to act as an antioxidant and antiproliferant in various tissues that can uptake iodine. Molecular iodine (I) has been shown to have a suppressive effect on benign and cancerous neoplasias. The U.S. Food and Nutrition Board and Institute of Medicine recommended daily allowance of iodine ranges from 150 micrograms per day for adult humans to 290 micrograms per day for lactating mothers. However, the thyroid gland needs
Iodine lack of the element. The addition of iodine to table salt has largely eliminated this problem in the wealthier nations, but iodine deficiency remains a serious public health problem today in the developing world. Iodine deficiency is also a problem in certain areas of Europe. Information processing, fine motor skills, and visual problem solving are improved by iodine repletion in moderately iodine-deficient children. Elemental iodine (I) is toxic if taken orally undiluted. The lethal dose for an adult human is 30 mg/kg, which is about 2.1–2.4 grams for a human weighing 70 to 80 kg (even if experiments on rats