The ocean provides many healthy things to eat, including vegetables in the form of seaweed or kelp. A variety of vitamins and minerals can be found in certain types of kelp. If eating this slippery vegetable is not appealing, kelp supplements are available. Talk to your doctor before trying them, particularly if you have a thyroid disorder, as the supplements will contain iodine.
Vitamins and Minerals
Seaweeds are full of vitamins and minerals. According to WHFoods.org, seaweed contains high levels of iodine, over 200 percent of the daily recommended allowance, as well as magnesium, iron, vitamin K, folate, calcium, and tryptophan. Magnesium, calcium, and iron are important minerals for bone structure and blood function, while vitamins K and folate are involved in blood clotting and cell growth, respectively. Tryptophan is an amino acid precursor to the brain chemical serotonin, which is responsible for maintaining mood and promoting sleep.
Thyroid Function
The thyroid is an essential organ in the body; it is involved in maintaining metabolism and calcium balance, states the University of Maryland Medical Center. The thyroid gland needs adequate amounts of iodine to make its hormones T3 and T4, which have receptor sites on all cells in the body. Sea kelp provides high amounts of iodine, which can help improve sluggish thyroid function and prevent goiters. It can also increase thyroid stimulating hormone, or TSH. The Journal of Medicinal Food published a study in March of 2007 that discussed seaweed's effects on thyroid. Researchers found that after seven weeks of seaweed supplementation, a small but statistically significant rise in TSH was seen. If you have a thyroid disorder, discuss kelp supplements with your doctor first, as excess iodine can potentially imbalance your thyroid.
Estrogen
Kelp may also affect estrogen levels. In May 2009 the Journal of Nutrition featured a study completed at the University of South Carolina Cancer Center. Researchers wanted to discover the connection between seaweed, estrogen levels, and breast cancer risk; seaweed is consumed in Asian countries, like Japan, where breast cancer rates for post-menopausal women are lower than in the U.S. The researchers found that eating seaweed favorably alters the estrogen and phytoestrogen metabolism in the body, which may be linked to lower incidence of breast cancer. Although data is promising, kelp supplements should not be used to balance hormone levels.
Breast Cancer
Another study, published in May 2010 in the British Journal of Nutrition, gave 362 women with breast cancer and control groups two different types of kelp, gim and miyeok. Researchers found that miyeok did not seem to have an impact on the risk for breast cancer; however, they concluded that high consumption of gim can decrease the risk of breast cancer. At this time there is not enough evidence to suggest kelp supplements as a cure or treatment for breast cancer.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is, according to University of Maryland, associated with insulin resistance and increased weight, particularly around the middle. The website also states that metabolic syndrome is becoming more prevelant in the U.S. Cultures that consume sea vegetables, like the Japanese, have lower incidences of metabolic syndrome, leading some to believe that kelp may offer benefits in preventing the disorder. According to a study in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition in January 2009, consuming 4 to 6 grams of seaweed per day, for most people in Japan, may be associated with low metabolic syndrome prevelance.
References
- World's Healthiest Foods: Sea Vegetables
- Journal of Medicinal Food: Seaweed and Soy; J. Teas et al; March 2007
- Journal of Nutrition; Dietary Seaweed; J. Teas et al; May 2009
- British Journal of Nutrition: Study on Seaweed Consumption and the Risk of Breast Cancer; Y.J. Yang et al; May 2010
- Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Dietary Seaweed and Metabolic Syndrome?; J. Teas et al; January 2009
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