Macrocystis pyrifera

Kelp is a variety of seaweed, known to botanists as the long-frond brown algae. It grows to lengths of up to 60 metres in the temperate parts of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This plant used to play an important part in the culture of fishing communities where it was used for fuel and food.

Kelp is rich in iodine, an important component of thyroid hormones, which play a major part in regulating the body’s metabolism. Increasing the iodine available to the body will increase the level of activity in the thyroid gland, raising the body’s general metabolism. Kelp also contains substances known as alginates, which have the unique property of being able to absorb onto the surfaces of heavy metals, radioactive substances and molecules such as cholesterol, preventing their assimilation into the body.

Kelp is not advised for anyone with high blood pressure, kidney disorders or thyroid conditions.