Ocean Wonder Kelp Health Benefits

The lure of the sea with its mysterious wonders has intrigued me since childhood. I dreamt of pirates in search of buried treasure and beautiful mermaids with their long seaweed like locks. Now as an adult I continue to be intrigued by the sea and its amazing bounty of treasures.

One such ocean wonder is the family laminaria, otherwise known as kelp. Kelp beds have long been known to be the rainforests of the ocean, providing habitat protection and feeding grounds for thousands of underwater species, ranging from the tiniest of micro organisms to whales. As an algae, kelp is an important oxygen producer. It has been said that nearly 50 - 70 percent of the world’s oxygen comes from the ocean.

Nowadays, with our agricultural lands so vastly exhausted of many key nutrients, research is showing that both in Canada and the U.S.A., that the vitamins and minerals in our fresh foods are steadily declining. The magnitude and variety of nutrients found in the humble kelp plant is truly astonishing. The vast nutrients found in kelp are calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, all the trace elements, B vitamins, vitamin A, C, E, P, K and beta-carotene. The standard American diet (sad of short) predominantly relies on foods that acidify the body, thus de-mineralizing our systems and creating disease. Kelp on the other hand is solidly alkaline, providing a plethora of nutrients and enhancing our body’s ability to fight off disease. Kelp also contains several essential amino acids and is a rich source of enzymes. Traditionally kelp has been used as a natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and blood purifier. It has been also used for joint health, cellular regeneration, as a cleanser and detoxifier, and to correct vitamin and mineral deficiencies

As a Health Food Consultant, my focus has always been on whole food nutrition and helping people with their choices so that their bodies absorb the optimum amount of nutrients. One of the products that provides this optimum nutrition is a liquid kelp from a species known as Laminaria digitata, a large, leafy brown edibleseaweed that grows along the colder coastlines of Nova Scotia. In recommending kelp to customers for their health needs, we have found that this product to be extremely well tolerated and absorbed. This is an important factor, especially for people who have difficulty absorbing pills or capsules. An added bonus is that liquid kelp is extremely soothing and healing to people with digestive and gastrointestinal disorders. Another benefit is that it is a clear, odorless substance with a neutral taste, making it appealing to those people who would otherwise turn up their noses at the fishy after taste of kelp when it is in pill, powdered or capsule form. Alginates which are the soft non-woven fibers derived from seaweed, are effective in treating habitual constipation and gastric bloating because they swell in intestinal juices rather than water or gastric juices, making it non irritating and providing a cleansing effect on the digestive tract.

Alginates work effectively to enable the human body to get rid of heavy metals and toxins. It can help protect the body against the effects of radiation and is protective against the absorption of toxic heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, plutonium and cesium. It has been shown in studies that alginate supplements can reduce strontium-90 absorption from the intestines by up to as much as 83%.

Kelp is an extremely rich source of iodine. Iodine is a major component of thyroxin and triiodothyronine, hormones that affect weight gain and cellular metabolic rates, making kelp a wonderful adjunct in the fight against excess weight and obesity. Based on human studies, within two months of consuming 4mg of iodine daily, cyclical breast lumps and cysts disappear. Kelp also has a role to play in the fight against breast cancer. In his book, BREAST CANCER & IODINE, Dr. David Derry, MD, a physician in Victoria, B.C., discusses fibrocystic breast disease and its relationship to breast cancer and the role that thyroid hormone seems to play. When thyroid hormone is in adequate doses it appears to reinforce connective tissue, which acts as a barrier in inhibiting cancer from metastasizing. In Japan, the Biomedical Research Laboratories of Takara Shuzo and the Research Institute for Glycotechnology Advancement have focused their attention on the anti tumor properties of Fucoidan, a polysaccharide, found in Laminaria digitata and have managed to confirm that this substance causes certain types of rapidly growing cancer cells to self-destruct.

Kelp has long been a mainstay of the beauty industry. Seaweed wraps are more useful than just for relaxation purposes. A simple wrap can help rid the skin and body of toxins, while at the same time increases the skins absorption of vitamins and minerals. It stimulates circulation for better blood flow and can help break up fatty deposits, making it a wonderful treatment for cellulite, sagging skin and stretch marks. It can also increase your metabolism, allowing you to have more energy and to lose weight more easily. If your hair and face are dried out due to excessive sunbathing and chlorine, try taking a mister bottle, filling it with fresh spring water and 1/3 liquid kelp and lightly misting your face. Kelp provides nourishment while regenerating and firming slackened skin, protecting against moisture loss. Your skin will look more youthful, glowing and hydrated. Try misting on your hair for more bounce, body and shine. It is extremely soothing and healing when sprayed on sunburned skin. I can personally can attest to this. Liquid kelp is a miraculous ocean wonder and ant aging solution, nourishing you internally, as well as externally.

Reflecting back on my childhood dreams of pirates and mermaids, come to think about it, those mermaids were onto something.

Cindy Skrivanek
Cindy has been involved in the health and healing industry for over 20 years she is presently Is a Nutrtional Consultant with the Vitamin House in Tsawwassen, B.C., as well as a Flower Essence Practitioner. She will be graduating from the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition in August of this year as a Registered Holistic Nutritionist