Iodine is an essential trace mineral found in every cell of the body, and plays a well-established role in the production of thyroid hormones T3 and T4, which, in turn, regulates metabolism, energy production and growth. Nascent iodine is a form of elemental iodine that exists in an atomic rather than molecular state, a distinction that research suggests may make it more readily absorbed by the body compared to other supplemental forms of iodine.