Kelp - Super Seawood Health Booster

Overview

Kelp (Laminaria japonica) is a large, brown seaweed that grows near coastal regions around the world. It is a rich source of minerals (especially iodine), vitamins, and antioxidants.?

Key Benefits

• Provides iodine, which is essential to thyroid hormone production
• Provides the mineral vanadium, which is an important regulator of insulin and blood glucose
• Supports energy levels
• Boosts cognitive function
• May help block fat absorption
• Provides the fifth taste, called umami, which gives food a meaty, savory flavor
• Provides iron, which helps prevent anemia
• Exhibits antibacterial and antiviral effects

History of Usage

Kelp provides a physical substrate and habitat for animals, as well as food for such aquatic organisms. The Greeks used it to feed their cattle as far back as the first century B.C.E.

For humans, kelp has been a source of food and nutrition for thousands of years, with the Chinese using it as far back as 3,000 B.C.E. and the Japanese including it in their diets for 1,500 years. It has been a staple food in Iceland for centuries. Kelp is an important part of the present day Japanese diet, being used in salads, as a garnish, and in soups, sauces, and cakes, as well as to make noodles.?

Kelp is recommended today by naturopaths and herbalists for various conditions, including thyroid disorders, arthritis, high blood pressure, obesity, eczema, constipation, nervous disorders, low vitality, and others.?

Biochemistry

Kelp is a rich source of?iodine,?calcium, and?sulfur, and a good source of?iron,?phosphorus,?sodium,?potassium,?magnesium, and the vitamins?A, D,?E, K, and?B complex. The main constituents of kelp are mucopolysaccharides, algin, phenolic compounds, polar lipids, and glycosyl ester diglycerides, as well as?protein,?carbohydrates, essential?fatty acids, and about 30 minerals.?

Recent Trends

The brown seaweeds’ product segment is expected to witness significant growth of 10.7% from 2020 to 2028 in the U.S. market.?

Kelp nutritional supplements are sold as capsules, powders, tablets, tinctures, and in drinks.?

Alginate, a kelp-derived carbohydrate, is used to thicken products such as ice cream, jelly, salad dressing, and toothpaste, as well as an ingredient in exotic dog food and in manufactured goods.?

Kelp powder and flakes can be used to flavor soups and salads. Kelp is also available as kelp noodles.

Precautions

• Pregnant and breastfeeding women should not take kelp supplements.
• Excessive intake of kelp can result in heavy metal poisoning due to naturally high levels of arsenic in kelp, as well as hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
• Individuals who are being treated for thyroid problems should not take kelp supplements.
• Individuals should stop taking kelp a month before an X-ray with contrast.
• Individuals who take blood thinners should consult a healthcare professional before taking kelp, since it contains vitamin K.
• Individuals who take potassium supplements, Digoxin, and potassium-sparing diuretics should not take kelp.?

References

1. Catarino MD, Silva AMS, Cardoso SM. Phycochemical Constituents and Biological Activities of?Fucus?spp.?Mar Drugs. 2018;16(8):249. Published 2018 Jul 27. doi:10.3390/md16080249
2. Seaweed on Track to Become Europe’s Next Big Superfood Trend. [(accessed on 24 July 2018)]; Available online:?https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/food-safety-health/seaweed-on-track-to-become-europe-s-next-big-superfood-trend.
3. McGuffin M, Dentali S. Safe use of herbal kelp supplements.?Environ Health Perspect. 2007;115(12):A575-A577. doi:10.1289/ehp.10393
4. Wurges, J., and R. J. Frey. 2005. In J. L. Longe,?The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine,?Farmington Hills, Mich: Thomson/Gale.
5. Kim H, Lim CY, Lee DB, Seok JH, Kim KH, Chung MS. Inhibitory Effects of?Laminaria japonica?Fucoidans Against Noroviruses. Viruses. 2020 Sep 7;12(9):997.
6. Kim YH, Kim JH, Jin HJ, Lee SY. Antimicrobial activity of ethanol extracts of Laminaria japonica against oral microorganisms. Anaerobe. 2013 Jun;21:34-8.