Your thyroid gland regulates the way your body makes energy and uses proteins. Located beneath the rounded protrusion in the front of your neck, the gland performs its vital function without notice, unless something goes wrong. Sea kelp, often called bladder wrack, is an iodine-rich sea vegetable that may reduce the symptoms of a sluggish thyroid. Taking sea kelp, however, isn't risk-free, and thyroid disorders are serious medical conditions. Consult your doctor before self-treating an underactive thyroid with this sea herb.
Sea Kelp
Sea kelp, or Fucus vesiculosus, is native to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, as well as the Baltic coast and the North Sea. The plant is olive green in its natural state but turns a dark brown/black when it dries. Sea kelp contains inorganic iodine salts and organically bound iodine, constituents that may be responsible for the sea herb's effect on the thyroid gland, according to the "PDR for Herbal Medicines." Sea kelp is not the same as kelp.
Benefits for the Thyroid
Because it's high in iodine, sea kelp could theoretically be beneficial for treating an underactive thyroid or goiters, the large swellings that develop around the Adam's apple in people with iodine-deficient thyroid conditions. Medline Plus, a division of the National Institutes of Health, reports that there is insufficient clinical evidence to find that the herb is effective in treating thyroid conditions. Ask your doctor if sea kelp is a safe source of iodine for you if you're experiencing the symptoms of an underactive thyroid.
Products/Methods
Sea kelp is available in capsules, powder and tincture. The "PDR" advises limiting your daily intake of iodine to 120 Llg. This is approximately 4 to 8 ml of sea kelp, or bladder wrack extract, taken three times per day. Read the product label to determine the iodine content, or consult your doctor for specific dosage recommendations. Do not exceed the suggested dosage.
Considerations
Sea kelp products are at a risk of contamination from potentially having grown in toxic waters. Look for sea kelp products identified as "toxic-free."
Do not take sea kelp products if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you have a history or estrogen-dominant tumors or cancer. The herb may interfere with some medications, including drugs used to treat high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Do not take sea-kelp products unless directed to do so by a doctor.
References
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Bladderwrack
- Medline Plus: Bladderwrack
- "PDR for Herbal Medicines, 2nd Edition"; Joerg Gruenwald, PhD, 2000
