Posted on 23rd Mar 2011 @ 4:01 PM

What is kelp?

Kelp is a brownish green sea weed widely used in Japanese cuisine. Kombu, nori, and wakame are all types of kelp. In our supplement, we use Ascophyllum nodosum variety of kelp. This seaweed grows in the northern Atlantic Ocean. It is also known as Norwegian kelp, knotted Kelp, knotted wrack or egg wrack. This is not kelp from Japan or Pacific Ocean.

Kelp is an excellent natural source of iodine. Iodine from kelp is absorbed by your body more slowly and safely than chemical iodine is. For people who are allergic to chemical iodine, kelp is an ideal alternative.

The importance of iodine

Iodine is essential to your health because it helps the thyroid gland to function properly. Thyroid gland, located at the front of your neck, just under Adam’s apple, controls growth, energy and metabolism in your body.

The recent nuclear reactor crisis in Japan has made us much more aware of the potential for exposure to excess environmental radiation. Even though there is not a Chernobyl-scale disaster in Japan, we still may see a large number of people exposed to elevated levels of radiation which may be high enough to have adverse health effects.

Exposure to very high doses of radiation usually results in death within two months. In less extreme cases of exposure, radiation damage may be sufficient enough to cause cancer and premature body aging.

The effects of excess radiation exposure depend on the level and the length of exposure to ionizing radiation. During radiation exposure, radioactive particles penetrate the body and strip electrons from atoms which damages the DNA in body cells.

Iodine helps protect the vital body part, the thyroid, which is most commonly damaged during radiation exposure. There are many sources of iodine in nature, and kelp is one of the most concentrated sources of bioavailable non-radioactive iodine.

Nutritional Benefits of Kelp

Sea kelp is a rich and balanced source of 60 minerals and elements including iodine, essential amino acids, and vitamins including A, C, B12, thiamin, and natural vitamin E. Because the minerals are in plant tissue they are easily digested and assimilated. Many of the trace minerals contained in sea kelp are essential for producing vital enzymes which maintain healthy body functions.

Kelp is so high in vitamins, nutrients and minerals that it works wonderfully as an all-round every day vitamin. It is particularly useful as a women's vitamin, because it is high in iron, calcium and potassium, all of which tend to be essential for women during menstruation, and while pregnant or nursing.

The naturally high iodine content of kelp helps it act as an antibiotic in your body as well. When there is an infection in your body, kelp will help assist the thyroid to release more iodine into your blood stream and iodine kills infections.

Health benefits of kelp:

• Regulates both the thyroid and pituitary glands
• Helps reinforce cell membranes
• Helps the digestive system
• May help prevent the growth of tumors
• May help cleanse the body of radiation
• Beneficial to the pancreas and the prostrate
• Helps encourage nail growth
• May help prevent hair loss
• Stimulates your metabolism and gives you more energy
• May help normalize chronic low body temperature
• Acts as a diuretic and helps shed excess water

Other Uses of Kelp

Kelp can be made into a tea to take when you have strep throat. Grind one kelp tablet and add to hot black tea, let it dissolve, stir it around and then gargle or drink normally. The kelp coats the throat as it goes down, while iodine kills the strep bacteria. It will also relieve pain almost immediately.

Recommended Dosage

The daily recommended allowance of iodine is 150 mcg (micrograms) for an adult.