Kelp
/ Seaweed Contains
chlorophyll.
Contains naturally chelated minerals.
Contains the only rich natural source of vegetable Vitamin
D.
Contains 25 vitamins including Folic Acid, Vitamins A, B12
and D, often lacking in vegetarian diets.
Contains sodium alginate, which actively helps remove radioactive
elements and heavy metals from the body.
Contains sterols, which are reported to exhibit anti-hypercholesterolemic
activity, as has B-Sitosterol in humans.
Kelp uniquely tops
the list for the following nutrients: calcium, potassium,
magnesium, iron, iodine, and is also very high in sulfur.
(Heritage F, Composition
and Facts About Food, Health Research, 1971)
Seawater
and human blood are almost identical in chemical constituency.
No fewer than 92 different mineral elements have been found
in seaweeds, including some elements which we require only
in trace amounts, but whose presence is nonetheless vital
to our complete well-being. Seaweeds contain many times
more minerals than land grown plants, as much as 50 times
more according to Dr W Black.
(Black W, Proc Nutr Soc (Eng), 32, 1953) Since
that was more than half a century ago, it is to expected
that a land-grown plants are even less nutritious now.
Gaia Research
takes the informed position that in general, most
natural foods still synthesise all the essential nutrients,
albeit less efficiently….other than the mineral micro-nutrients
(and to a degree, the essential fatty acids) and that only
kelp, which contains perfectly chelated minerals, can effectively
supplement these….provided it is “micronised
kelp” (reduced to the smallest physical size possible,
ie ideally to mere dust), since kelp is otherwise undigestable
and incapable of breakdown sufficiently to release all of
its rich nutrient treasures.
Kelp is
a food adjunct, which improves intestinal flora,
as a result of which an increase occurs in the assimilation
of other foodstuffs in the consumer. The organic iodine
acts as a thyroxin precursor and regulates the metabolism.
Kelp can supply daily requirements of carotenoids, vitamins
A, B1, 2, 6 & 12 and D and pantothenic acid. Kelp has
properties that expel intestinal worms, making it useful
for both animals and humans.
(SA Digest, August 26, 1983)
Kelp
is highly nutritious since it has at its disposal all the
nutrients which run-off from the land, but little competition
to assimilate these. It preferentially bio-accumulates all
the essential plant-nutrients, rejecting the contaminants,
unless the latter totally predominate, as in the highly
developed and populated areas of the world. Possibly the
last pure kelp-beds in the world, South African West coast
kelp, Ecklonia, is fed by the clean Benguela cold water
currents, which flow northwards up the West coast of southern
Africa from the pristine ice continent of Antartica.
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Seaweed
is a popular dietary component in Japan and a rich source
of both of these essential elements. We hypothesize that
this dietary preference may be associated with the low incidence
of benign and malignant breast disease in Japanese women.
In animal and human studies, iodine administration has been
shown to cause regression of both iodine-deficient goiter
and benign pathological breast tissue. Iodine, in addition
to its incorporation into thyroid hormones, is organified
into anti-proliferative iodolipids in the thyroid; such
compounds may also play a role in the proliferative control
of extrathyroidal tissues. Selenium acts
synergistically with iodine. All three mono-deiodinase enzymes
are selenium-dependent and are involved in thyroid hormone
regulation. In this way selenium status may affect both
thyroid hormone homeostasis and iodine availability. Although
there is suggestive evidence for a preventive role for iodine
and selenium in breast cancer, rigorous prospective studies
are needed to confirm this hypothesis.
(Cann S, et al, Cancer Causes Control, 11(2): 121, 2000)
As it is
impossible to use medicines for prevention of human breast
cancer, in Japan, a lot of investigations using natural
foods like as green tea, seaweed etc has been done. Seaweed
was effective on breast cancer proliferation in rats. (Funahashi
H, Nippon Rinsho, 58(6): 1267, 2000) (See green tea research
for evidence for efficacy thereof)
From a nutritional
point of view, edible seaweeds are low-calorie foods, with
a high concentration of minerals, vitamins and proteins,
and a low content in lipids. Quality of protein and lipid
in seaweeds is acceptable comparing with other diet vegetables
mainly due to their high content in essential amino acids
and their relative high levels of unsaturated fatty acids.
Dietary fiber content range from 33% to 75% of dry weight,
and mainly consist of soluble polysaccharides (range from
17% to 59%), which fiber differs chemically and physicochemically
from those of land plants and thus may induce different
physiological effects. Referenced data indicate that marine
algal dietary fiber may show important functional activities,
such as antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticoagulant effect,
antitumor activity, and an important role in the modification
of lipid metabolism in human body. In conclusion,
kelp/seaweeds have a high nutritional value, therefore an
increase in their consumption, would elevate the foods offer
to population. (Jimenez-Escrig
A & Goni Cambrodon I, Arch Latinoam Nutr, 49(2): 114,
1999)
Dietary antioxidants
from plants are believed to help prevent aging and other
diseases through radical scavenging activity. Almost all
the seaweed species had good ability to scavenge hydroxyl
radicals. (Yan X, et al,
Plant Foods Hum Nutr, 52(3): 253, 1998)
The activity of
seaweed extracts on murine and human lymphocytes was studied
in vitro. The extracts of some kinds of seaweed stimulated
normal spleen B cells to proliferate. Seaweed extracts also
enhanced Ig production by B cells and tumor necrosis factor
(TNF) production by macrophages. Furthermore, seaweed extracts
stimulated human lymphocytes to proliferate. All these B
cell stimulating activities of seaweed extracts were associated
with glycoproteins. Research results suggest that seaweed
extracts have stimulating activity on B cells and macrophages
and this ability could be clinically beneficial for the
modulation of immune responses.
(Liu J, et al, Int J Immunopharmacol, 19(3): 135, 1997)
Kelp / seaweed are
potentially adequate sources of vitamin B-12 for vegans.
(Dagnelie P, J Nutr. 127(2):
379, 1997) The present study examined the vitamin
B-12 status in long-term adherents of a strict uncooked
vegan diet called the "living food diet." Vegans
consuming seaweeds had serum vitamin B-12 concentrations
twice as high as
those not using
seaweeds. On the basis of the results we conclude that some
seaweeds consumed in large amounts can supply adequate amounts
of bioavailable vitamin B-12.
(Rauma A, J Nutr, 125(10): 2511, 1995)
Edible brown seaweeds
have antitumor activity and were effective from 70-84% in
inhibiting colon cancer in rats, by boosting the animal’s
immune systems, enabling it to better fight off the cancers.
(Yanamoto I, Hydrobiologica, 116/117: 145, 1984)
Research on the
properties and / or anticarcinogenic role of various types
of seaweed, has led to the proposal that the mechanisms
of seaweed's breast cancer preventing action were reduction
of plasma cholesterol, binding of biliary steroids, the
antioxygenic activity of the phospholipids, inhibition of
carcinogenic fecal flora, binding of pollutants and the
addition of important trace minerals to the diet. It is
suggested that by eating seaweed, breast cancer may be prevented
and that this dietary habit among the Japanese is an important
factor in understanding their lower breast cancer rates.
(Teas J, Med Hypotheses,
7(5): 601, 1981; Teas J, Nutrition Cancer 4(3): 217, 1983;
Teas J, et al, Cancer Res 44(7): 2758, 1984)
The alginates found
in kelp/seaweeds have a soothing and cleansing effect on
the digestive tract and are known to help prevent the absorption
of toxic metals like mercury, cadmium, plutonium and cesium.
(Tanaka Y, et al, Application
of algal polysaccharides as in vivo binders of metal pollutant.
Proc Seventh Int Seaweed Symp, 602-607, Wiley & Sons,
1972) Kelp is also therapeutic for heart disease,
high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. (Kameda
J, I Fukushima Igaku Zasshi, 11, 289,1961; Funayama S, et
al, Planta Medica, 41, 29, 1981; Kosuge T, et al, Yakugaku
Zasshi, 103(6), 683,1983)
Kelp is now best
recognised for its ability to protect the body against radiation.
The sodium alginate in kelp helps prevent the absorption
of Strontium-90, a by-product of nuclear power and weapons
facilities. Studies have shown that alginate supplements
can reduce Strontium-90 absorption by as much as 83 %. (Carr
T, et al, Int J Radiat Biol. 14(3), 225,1969.)
The US Atomic Energy Commission guidelines advocate 2 tablespoons
of an alginate supplement per day to prevent Strontium-90
absorption and the troubles that go with it, such as leukemia,
bone cancer and Hodgkin's disease. (Yamamoto
I, et al, Japan J Exp Med, 44(6), 543,1974; Suzuki Y, Chemotherapy
(Tokyo), 28(2), 165, 1980; US Dept Health & Human Services,
Dietary Aspects of Carcinogenesis, Nov 1981; Yamamoto I,
et. Al, Japan J Exp Med, 51(3), 187,1981)
Seawater itself
has antibiotic and healing properties. Algae in the sea
have properties related to the seawater’s medicinal
powers, which may explain why marine products have fungicidal,
anti-tumor, anti-viral, anti-biotic, hemolytic, analgesic,
cardio-inhibitory and other properties. It is also interesting
to note that seawater contains dissolved bromine, a compound
used in many sedatives. (Riekert
H, Drugs from the Sea, Govt Printer, RSA, 1972)
Seaweed contains
antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiprotozoal, anthelmintic
and antineoplastic elements and properties. The halogens,
iodine and bromine in particular are effective antiseptics
and disinfectants and the tannin polyphenols have antibacterial
actions. The polysaccharides present have antitumor and
blood anticoagulant actions similar to heparin. (Tressler
D, Marine Products in Commerce, Reinhold, 1954; Chapman
V, Seaweeds and Their Uses, Methuen, 1970; Arasaki S &
T, Vegetables From the Sea, Japan Publications, 1983)
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