KELP / SEAWEED
SELECTED NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION

 KELP AS A FOOD ADJUVANT

 SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACTS

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SELECTED NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION

KELP - Ecklonia maxima

Harvested off the pristine West-coast of SA

A fish-eye-view of a kelp forest

SELECTED NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION

Macronutrients
Chlorine 0.1-1%

Sodium 1-3%

Potassium 3-7%

Sulfur 3-4%

Calcium 1-6%
Micronutrients
Iodine 300-700 ppm (winter-summer)

Copper 8-16 ppm

Zinc 7-60 ppm

Manganese 3-50 ppm
Selenium 0.5-3ppm

Protein 9-11% , Main amino-acid: , Tyrosine 8.5g/kg (8,500ppm)

Kelp / Seaweed: Typical Analysis of Elements

                                     %
 
                                %


Silver
Aluminium
Gold
Boron
Barium
Carbon
Calcium
Chlorine
Cobalt
Copper
Fluorine
Iron
Germanium
Hydrogen
Mercury
Iodine
Potassium
Lanthanum
Lithium
Magnesium
Manganese
Molybdenum

.000004
.019300
.000006
.019400
.001276
Undeclared
1.904000
3.680000
.001227
.000635
.032650
.089560
.000005
Undeclared
.000190
.062400
1.280000
.000019
.000007
.213000
.123500
.001592
 

Nitrogen
Sodium
Nickel
Oxygen
Osmium
Phosphorus
Lead
Rubidium
Sulphur
Antimony
Silicon
Tin
Strontium
Tellurium
Titanium
Thallium
Vanadium
Tungsten
Zinc
Zirconium
Selenium
Uranium

.062400
4.180000
.003500
Undeclared
Trace
.211000
.000014
.000005
1.564200
.000142
.164200
.000006
.074876
Trace
.000012
.000293
.000531
.000033
.003516
.000001
.000043
.000004

   

Other Elements Present

Bismuth
Beryllium
Niobium
Cadmium
Chromium
Cesium
Gallium
Indium
Iridium
Palladium
Platinum
Thorium
Radium
Bromine
Cerium
Rhodium



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KELP AS A FOOD ADJUVANT

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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SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACTS

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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