Sea kelp is a type of seaweed that offers a whole range of health benefits. This edible seaweed is particularly helpful for the thyroid gland, which affects hair and bone health. Read on to find out more about the benefits of kelp for your health.
What is Sea Kelp?
Sea kelp is a brown seaweed that grows near the shorelines of the ocean. This brown algae contains over sixty essential vitamins, minerals and trace elements. Its key nutrient is iodine, which is vital for preventing and treating iodine deficiencies. The high iodine content of this type of kelp is important for the function of the thyroid gland and is a key part of thyroid hormones, which are necessary for the body's normal development and metabolism. In this way, sea kelp can help to regulate weight, as metabolism regulation is important for this.
As well as iodine, sea kelp contains all the other benefits of seaweed, including magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, potassium, zinc and natural sea salt. In fact, it has the highest natural concentration of calcium of any food (it has ten times more than milk products!), and it's also high in fibre. Sea kelp also contains protein, vitamins A, B, C and E, as well as beta-carotene. The daily intake of adequate amounts of raw kelp or kelp supplements also provides your body with lignans, which are plant compounds with cancer-protective properties, particularly for breast and thyroid cancer.
Sea kelp takes the minerals and trace elements that are found in sea water and concentrates these in its leaves and stems in almost the exact proportions that are found in healthy human blood.
Source: Nammu Sea Holistics
Conditions Helped by Sea Kelp
Because of its ability to increase the body's nutrient intake, this seaweed species can help lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve thyroid hormone synthesis. Moreover, studies have shown that it has a wide range of benefits for cognitive function.
Other health issues that sea kelp can help with include:
- Headaches
- Stress
- Constipation
- Ulcers
- Indigestion
- Kidney, liver, or respiratory malfunctions
- Weight control
- Irritability
- Depression
- Lack of energy
- Flatulence
- Goitre
It has also been demonstrated to have rehabilitative and normalising effects on the following:
- Sensory nerves
- Arteries
- Pylorus
- Colon
- Liver
- Gallbladder
- Pancreas
- Bile duct
- Kidneys
- Prostate gland
- Uterus
- Testicles
- Ovaries
Perhaps the most important aspect of sea kelp is its amazing ability to improve thyroid function due to its high iodine levels. Iodine combines with the amino acid tyrosine to create T3 and T4, the thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism in every cell in the body. They also play a role in just about all physiological functions. The most common sign of a thyroid deficiency is an enlarged thyroid gland, which is commonly called a goitre.
Can Sea Kelp Treat Hair Loss?
Increasing your dietary iodine intake, which you can do by including sea kelp in your diet, is one of the ultimate ways to boost hair health. Hair loss is caused by an underactive thyroid or other thyroid disorders. Improving the health of this gland by including different sources of iodine in your diet will stimulate hair growth.
Another option is to take iodine supplements, but be wary because too many of these have been linked to thyroid cancer. If you want to add kelp supplements to your diet, be sure to consult with your healthcare provider first to ensure you're getting the right amounts of iodine for your age, weight and health status.
How Do You Eat Sea Kelp?
While you can take dietary supplements containing sea kelp extract, nothing beats a delicious meal or beverage that has this seaweed species. You can prepare sea kelp in a variety of ways, including:
- Adding dried organic kelp to a bowl of salad or soup
- Stir frying kelp noodles
- Mixing it with G. Elliptica extract (a red Korean seaweed) in a glass of fruit or vegetable juice
- Serving kelp flakes as a topping for your lunch or dinner
Aside from being a tasty marine algae, sea kelp lowers your risk of iodine deficiency if consumed in accordance with its recommended dietary allowance. Consult your nutritionist for more information on this nutritious sea vegetable, as well as its drawbacks, such as the amount of heavy metals it contains.
Originally published on Apr 23, 2009
