Everyone agrees that a lack of iodine in the diet causes a spectrum of disorders that includes, in increasing order of severity, goiter and hypothyroidism, mental retardation, and cretinism (severe mental retardation accompanied by physical deformities). Using iodine supplements such as Detoxadine you can prevent and even treat this deficiency. An intake of 150 µg/day of iodine will prevent goiters and the other recognized iodine deficiency disorders. Unfortunately, it is insufficient to prevent breast disease. The thyroid gland needs iodine to synthesize thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), hormones that regulate metabolism and steer growth and development. Iodine is an antiseptic that disinfects drinking water and prevents surgical wound infections. Iodine also induces apoptosis (programmed cell death), an essential process in growth and development and for destroying cells that represent a threat to the integrity of the organism, like cancer cells and cells infected with viruses. It also reduces harmful effects of radiation exposure.