The thyroid gland is essential for proper human development and function, so when thyroid problems occur they can have serious consequences. A natural medicine for thyroid treatment is commonly sought after in lieu of a costly prescription.

Prescription medications for thyroid health (also called synthetics) are man-made in a laboratory with chemicals that can cause undesired side effects. Organic ingredients such as seafood and sea plants used in supplements are a natural medicine for thyroid treatment that has no side effects.

So what does the thyroid gland do? In a nutshell, the thyroid gland is responsible for producing thyroid hormone. So what is a hormone? A hormone is a chemical that is secreted by glands throughout the body and tells specific body parts what to do. Thyroid hormone is largely responsible for the metabolism of the body and keeping the body functioning normally.

Two major hormones produced by the thyroid gland:

*Triiodothyronine -- also referred to as T3

*Thyroxine -- also referred to as T4

The 3 and 4 relate directly to the amount of iodine molecules necessary to create these hormones. This is explained below.

How does the thyroid gland create hormones?

It does it with iodine. Iodine is a mineral found in foods such as fish, some seafoods, salt, and dairy products. Iodine is essential in the creation of thyroid hormone. The thyroid cells are the only cells in the body that have the ability to absorb iodine. When a specific number of iodine molecules combine with tyrosine (an amino acid used by cells to build protein) it can form triiodothyronine or thyroxine. That's how T3 and T4 (as stated above) are derived. Three molecules of iodine will create triiodothyronine; four molecules of iodine will create thyroxine.