Sea Kelp, or Seaweed, is not just an annoying slimy plant that washes up on the shore at the beach and gets in the way when you are swimming. It is actually a highly beneficial food source and has numerous health benefits. But don’t try grabbing it off the beach and putting it on your salad. You’re not likely to try it again.
Sea Kelp needs to be dried and processed. It also needs to be sourced from coastal areas that have pristine waters, far from major urban centres. Sea kelp from polluted waters it can contain unacceptable levels of Arsenic. It is normally sold as kelp meal or powder and can be taken in a variety of ways, from mixing it with juice or yoghurt, to adding it to a salad or sprinkling it on your scrambled eggs. Whichever way you take it, it will increase the nutritional value of your food by a sizeable degree.
Sea Kelp contains more than 60 vitamins, minerals and trace elements required by the human body. These include vitamin A, B, C, D, E and K as well as minerals like, iodine, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. Not only are they present, but they are present in approximately the correct proportions. Seaweed feeds directly off sea water and has the amazing capacity to absorb and concentrate the nutrients it obtains in these exact proportions. Additionally, these nutrients are in an organic form and so are easily absorbed by the body, as opposed to artificially produced supplements.
One of the most valuable minerals contained in Sea Kelp is Iodine. People who have an iodine deficiency can suffer from hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid. This results in weight gain, constant fatigue and slow metabolism.
Recent research has shown that seaweed also contains a fibrous material called alginate. This material was found to be more effective at preventing fat absorption than much pharmacy sold fat blockers. It is therefore a potent solution to obesity.
The Japanese diet has included seaweed for centuries so it is not difficult to see why the Japanese people as a whole have been relatively healthy. One amazing statistic regarding Japanese health is the rate of breast cancer, which is between five and ten times lower than for American women. Researchers claim that this is due mainly to dietary factors.
Some of the health problems that Kelp has been found to be useful for include indigestion, headaches, ulcers, stress, constipation, kidney malfunctions and respiratory system problems. It can also sometimes help with depression, irritability and a general lack of energy.
Seaweed is ideal for maintaining the correct pH balance in the body. The western diet is overly acidic. Seaweed is highly alkaline and so can help the body regain its optimum pH levels, which are slightly on the alkaline side. Some health experts believe this to be the major benefit of seaweed as many degenerative diseases, such as cancer, will only thrive in an acidic environment. While there are many foods that are alkaline, seaweed is at the top of the list.
You should be able to easily source good quality seaweed or sea kelp online. Remember that the health benefits may not happen instantly but they will definitely arrive shortly.
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