Kelp is a sea vegetable rich in iodine, an essential element for thyroid hormone production. Iodine deficiency can cause hypothyroidism, which is an underactive thyroid. Your thyroid produces T3 and T4 hormones, which control metabolism. An underactive thyroid may slow your metabolism, leading to weight gain. Other symptoms of hypothyroidism may include pale skin, weak or brittle nails and hair, joint pain, fatigue and depression. Adding kelp and other foods that contain iodine may help boost thyroid hormone production.
Hypothyroidism
The most common cause of hypothyroidism is an autoimmune disorder that causes an inflammation of your thyroid, damaging the gland's cells. Other causes of an underactive thyroid include birth defects and radiation treatment for cancer. If you have an overactive thyroid, or hyperthyroidism, sometimes the thyroid must be removed, shut down with radioactive iodine treatment or slowed down with antithyroid drugs. Any of these actions can cause you to go from hyper- to hypothyroidism. Treatment for hypothyroidism may include taking supplemental thyroid hormones for the rest of your life.
Iodine and Kelp
Kelp is recommended for people with hypothyroidism due to its high iodine content. Your body cannot produce iodine, and it must be included in your diet. Almost 80 percent of the iodine in your body is used by your thyroid, although your muscles and ovaries or testes also need iodine to function properly. An iodine deficiency is rare in first-world countries, because iodine is added to table salt specifically to prevent underactive thyroids. One sign of an iodine deficiency is an enlarged thyroid, also called a goiter, which you would be able to see at the base of your neck.
Kelp
Kelp is a brown algae, often referred to as seaweed. There are many ways to add kelp and other iodine-rich foods to your diet. Dried kelp can be sprinkled on your food in place of salt to add flavor. Japanese foods often use different types of seaweed in dishes such as dashi and sushi. Seaweed can be an important source of trace minerals in addition to iodine, but other iodine-rich foods include saltwater fish, shellfish, egg yolks and soy milk.
How Much Iodine Do You Need?
The Food and Nutrition Board of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences recommends that adults get between 120 and 150 mcg of iodine daily. A single teaspoon of iodized table salt has 400 mcg of iodine, so this amount shouldn't be a problem for most people -- unless you are following a low-sodium diet. Kelp has a salty flavor, but without the sodium content of salt, and can be used to get iodine in your diet if you are limiting sodium because of high blood pressure or other health issues.
