Kelp
Benefits of Kelp
- Skin
- Metabolism
- Thyroid function
- Where it's from: Cool, temperate waters in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
- Forms: Laminaria Japonica Extract, Fucus Vesiculosis Extract
What is Kelp?
Kelp is a large seaweed that grows on the ocean floor, forming kelp 'forests' in cool coastal waters. Having been used in Japanese cooking for centuries, it has recently become more common in Western diets in the form of a tasty seaweed salad.
Kelp contains a range of vitamins and minerals. Most significantly, kelp is a great source of iodine. It also contains compounds with antioxidant activity, and, like other brown seaweeds, a pigment called 'fucoxanthin'.
What does Kelp do?
Our bodies use iodine for the production of thyroid hormones, which help set our metabolic rate. Iodine contributes to the normal production of thyroid hormones and normal thyroid function. Iodine also contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism and to the maintenance of normal skin. However, it's important to know that kelp is such a concentrated source of iodine that consuming too much of it can cause problems with the thyroid's functioning.
Antioxidants neutralise 'free radicals', unstable molecules that can damage cells. Researchers have looked at kelp's phenolic content and antioxidant properties, and a fermented kelp extract has been studied in relation to the skin.
Fucoxanthin has been studied in relation to body weight, and a fucoxanthin-containing supplement has been studied for its effect on body and liver fat. Seaweed supplementation has also been studied for its effect on blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, and researchers have reviewed brown seaweeds in relation to metabolic health.
Forms: Laminaria Japonica Extract, Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus) Extract
You may also enjoy reading 'Best foods for thyroid health' and 'Nutritionist's tips for an underactive thyroid'.
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