Kelp

Botanical Name:

Fucus vesiculosus

Common Name:

bladder wrack, sea weed, black tang, sea oak, cut weed, red fucus, rock wrack

Discussion:

Kelp is found throughout the Atlantic Ocean, but especially in sheltered areas of ocean water near coasts.

Kelp is a large sea weed that forms dense forests under the water. Kelp is estimated to have existed for tens of millions of years.

Kelp grows quickly, but requires a water environment that is rich in nutrients. Some species can grow up to several feet a day, and reach up to 250 feet in length.

Nutritional Value:

Kelp provides the body with an excellent source of iodine. Iodine is an essential nutrient that helps the thyroid organ regulate the body’s metabolism.

Medicinal Value:

As kelp is an excellent source of iodine, it can be used to treat disorders that result from a lack of iodine in the body. For hundreds of years kelp has been used to treat goiter, which results from a lack of iodine in the diet.

Recently, investigators have discovered that a material in kelp called alginate helped prevent the uptake of fat. Alginate even performed better than many weight-loss supplements available to the public.

Alginate may be added to food to help the body prevent absorption of fat, and therefore help to limit weight gain. Kelp capsules are readily available at reputable online stores.