Disease of the month: Thyroid disease

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped, brownish red gland located in the front of the neck just below the Adam’s apple. It usually weighs less than an ounce (28gm). But as small as it is, the thyroid has an enormously important job to do, especially for teenagers. It manufactures the hormones that help control metabolism and growth. To do its job, the thyroid needs a chemical element called iodine that the body absorbs from the foods we eat, such as seafood and salt, as well as the water we drink. The entire body contains about 50 milligrams of iodine. About a fifth to a third of that s...