Is milk goiter due to iodine deficiency?
Large throat swellings called goiter in humans was and is still common in many parts of the world due to a deficiency in iodine in the diet. Iodine is an essential component of the hormones produced by the thyroid gland. These hormones called T4 and T3 are essential for cell metabolism, and growth, maintenance of connective tissue and development of the nervous system in the fetus and newborn. If there is a deficiency of iodine in the diet, these hormones cannot be produced. From its position at the base of the brain, the pituitary gland monitors the levels of hormones in the blood. If a low level of thyroid hormones is detected, the pituitary gland sends out its own hormone called thyroid stimulating hormone or TSH, which stimulates the thyroid gland to step up production of thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland can’t do this since it’s missing one essential ingredient – iodine – but the pituitary gland does not know this. It keeps secreting TSH which after a time will cause the tissue
