Natrlchallenge said:
Can someone give more info on this kelp? What type should I get and how much to take?
Here are some articles I found - there are many online. I don't know off hand how much to get. My bf used the NOW brand of powdered kelp and I bought some in bulk recently, which I'll add to my soups for flavoring.
http://www.areyoubalanced.net/seavegetabledetails.asp
-Kelp (laminaria) contains vitamins A, B, E, D and K, is a main source of vitamin C, and rich in minerals. Kelp proteins are comparable in quality to animal proteins. A brown marine plant, kelp contains sodium alginate (algin), an element that helps remove radioactive particles and heavy metals from the body. Algin, carrageenan and ager are kelp gels that rejuvenate gastrointestinal health and aid digestion. Kelp works as a blood purifier, relieves arthritis stiffness, and promotes adrenal, pituitary and thyroid health. Kelp's natural iodine can normalize thyroid-related disorders like overweight and lymph system congestion. It is a demulcent that helps eliminate herpes outbreaks. Kelp is rich - a little goes a long way.
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/seaveg.htm
The beauty of using the seaweed is that it can only do good, and never harm. It does not deplete the energy of the body as some reducing programs do; indeed, it strengthens the vital energy by working in cooperating with the endocrine glands. It has been found that there is a definite connection between the amount of energy available and our iodine intake. In Kelp, as we mentioned before, we have a perfectly natural source of all the iodine we require.
Obesity is rare among the Polynesians and other races who incorporate seaweeds as a regular part of their daily diet. This plant influences the mucous membranes and lymphatics. It is a slow, persistent agent, but it will accomplish the desired weight loss results. It is stimulating to the absorbents and especially influences the fatty globules. Its best action is observed in individuals having a cold, torpid, clammy skin and loose flabby rolls of fat. It is an agent that gives better results in sick, overweight people than in cases of healthy, fat people (Luc:50). Instead of being simply a weight loss agent, it is more a normalizer, as thin people can put on weight while taking Kelp.
More about kelp and its health benefits
This seaweed works like a sponge, absorbing from the water almost all the nutrients, minerals and trace elements that are essential to life. Kelp was first used medicinally to treat enlarged thyroid glands. Physicians didn't know why kelp was effective, until it was discovered that it was exceptionally rich in iodine and that enlarged thyroids were due to an iodine deficiency. Because iodine worked by stimulating the thyroid gland that controls the metabolism, it was noted that those who took iodine lost weight more easily. From these observations, kelp was then used to assist in weight loss. It has been suggested that kelp's positive effects in assisting metabolism may help in lowering cholesterol.
This versatile seaweed is also widely used to maintain healthy skin and hair. Kelp's most dramatic application is its ability to neutralise heavy metal pollution and radiation in the body. Studies have shown that the active ingredient in kelp, sodium alginate, can prevent the absorption of newly ingested heavy metals, but it has little effect on past exposures. Health authorities in America have discouraged people from collecting kelp along the shoreline because it could be contaminated by industrial pollution. It was suggested that deep ocean kelp be obtained commercially, either as a food or in supplement form.
