Endocrine Abstracts

Seaweed consumption results in high levels of iodine intake in Asian populations and influences the presentation of thyroid and perhaps extrathyroidal disorders. The relationship of seawater to seaweed is analogous to that between the bloodstream and the thyroid. However, seaweed has a dramatically more efficient uptake system than the thyroid, concentrating iodide from seawater by a factor of up to 106 compared to 40-50 for the thyroid. The ability of seaweeds to b...