As you can see from this image kelp seaweed is quite an extraordinary plant. In addition to its beautiful color and shape, kelp is also a powerhouse of nutrients and healing compounds. First Let’s understand a little more about it and then look at some of the research on it.
What is Kelp?
Kelp belongs to a long list of what are known as sea vegetables. Sea vegetables differ from land vegetables in a variety of ways, such as:[private]
- they often do not have root systems
- they are not depleted of nutrients, whereas land vegetables often are due to poor soil practices
- these foods are not harvested before ripened, making them nutritionally more potent
Kelp, and other sea vegetables, are some of the oldest life forms on the planet and have been used by coastal cultures the world over for thousands of years. Due to the information shared by traditional cultures and scientific research on kelp, we now have access to this incredible sea plant almost anywhere.
Kelp Benefits
1. Minerals – The ocean contains all known minerals. Sea vegetation soaks up these minerals into their structure in large quantities. Kelp in particular has been shown to be extremely high in minerals such as the precious iodine mineral (1), which is needed for proper thyroid functioning. Rather than take mineral supplements, you could try kelp and get everything you need from a whole food.
2. Detoxification – Certain phytochemicals in kelp have been shown to absorb and eliminate radioactive elements and heavy metals (2). Given the state of the world right now with radioactive elements being released from facilities all over the world, and heavy metals sent into the atmosphere from military bombs, it would behoove us to take care to safely remove these harmful substances from our bodies. Kelp seaweed along with zeolite and chlorella may be some of the best natural methods to protect and detoxify ourselves.
3. Reducing Inflammation – Compounds in kelp such as fucans have been widely studied and proven to have anti-inflammatory properties (3). Inflammation has been shown to be a major player in underlying chronic health challenges. By consuming kelp seaweed regularly we can help to mitigate the over inflammation in our bodies and reclaim the vibrant health we seek.
4. Vitamins – Kelp has been shown to contain significant levels of beta-carotene (pre-vitamin A), B, C, D, E, and K (4)(5).
Ways to Consume Kelp
So the real question with this though is how we are actually going to eat enough seaweed such as kelp to get the benefits. Some of you may actually like the taste of seaweed and eat it straight. Great. Others, like me, find the taste a bit hard to swallow and over the years I have found it difficult to include the amount of seaweed I desire in my diet.
Luckily, there are now ways to consume therapeutic levels of seaweeds in an easy way, which is in a liquid form. As a liquid the nutrients are easily assimilable and go right to work replenishing our system. My favorite liquid seaweed product comes from Life Force International. It is a combination of nine different sea vegetables (including kelp) with organic aloe vera and raw honey. The whole product is then cold processed to preserve nutrients. It tastes great and is easily consumed daily. I like to drink it first thing in the morning to saturate my cells before the digestive process has begun with breakfast.
You could also purchase powdered kelp and sprinkle it on salads, soups, or wild fish. Experiment and see what works best for you. Please keep in mind that seaweeds need to be sourced from clean waters. Look for products that have been sustainably harvested from regions such as off the coast of Northern Alaska, Iceland, or other places you trust.
Conclusion
Due to the rapid decline of nutrient levels in the precious top soil of the Earth, we should really consider whether we are getting all the vitamins and minerals we need to thrive. Many people these days understand the need to supplement nutrients and often go to a multivitamin to remedy possible deficiencies. The utilization of isolated vitamins and minerals is often questionable, especially with non whole food products. Rather than pay for expensive nutrient isolates you could try natures multivitamin: seaweeds. Kelp seaweed is a wild whole food and just may help us thrive through these troubled times.
References:
1. Wolfe, David. Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the Future. Pg. 240
2. Ibid.
3. Sound Concepts. Whole Food Nutrition: Achieving a Health Balance with Aloe Vera and Sea Plants. Pg. 39
4. Balch, James and Phyllis. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Pg. 55
5. Sound Concepts. Whole Food Nutrition: Achieving a Health Balance with Aloe Vera and Sea Plants. Pg. 34
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About Tristan Anderson
