With the recent fad of herbal medications, kelp is but one of many herbal alternatives thrown into the spotlight. Many claim that it has the amazing ability to keep your weight within desirable and healthy limits. For those who are underweight, kelp tablets are said to help you gain a few more pounds; for those who are overweight, kelp can get rid of the excess.

What is Kelp?

Kelp is a type of seaweed classified under the order Laminariales. They are a very large type of seaweed and may even form underwater "kelp forests". For an extensive period of time, the term "kelp" was used to denote almost any seaweed that could produce soda ash when burned. Aside from soda ash, kelp is also used in thickening ice cream, salad dressings, as well as cosmetics like lotions and toothpastes. Kelp can also be eaten and the Japanese use several species of kelp as an important ingredient in Japanese cuisine.

How Does Kelp Affect Thyroid Function?

Kelp is more than 20% minerals by weight but the most significant trace element in kelp in relation to thyroid function is iodine. For the thyroid gland to be able to produce adequate amounts of thyroxine, about 50 milligrams of iodine is required. This iodine is taken in by the body in the form of iodides, which are then either excreted by the kidneys or used by the thyroid gland to produce the hormones thyroxine and triiodothyronine. These hormones can raise the body's metabolic rates significantly with just a slight increase in amount. For this reason, several mechanisms act to maintain the balance of these hormones in the body.

Is Kelp Really Safe to Use?

Kelp has been proven to effectively raise the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone, the hormone produced by the pituitary gland to stimulate the production of thyroid hormones in the thyroid glands. Because of its high iodine content, kelp can provide the thyroid with the necessary minerals to produce thyroxine, which can later be made into triiodothyronine, its more potent form.

Kelp tablets have been used as a thyroid tonic, as an anti-inflammatory agent, and as a metabolic tonic. Because of its functions, it helps raise the body's metabolic rate. Hence, kelp can enable overweight patients with a thyroid disorder to slough off a few pounds. Goiter patients will also benefit from the thyroid hormone boost kelp can provide.

But like with all medications, kelp must be used in correct doses. A single kelp tablet alone could contain 0.7 milligrams of iodine. Daily intake of such an amount of iodine could result in hyperthyroidism, a condition in which thyroid hormone levels are elevated beyond their normal values.

Kelp and Hyperthyroidism

Hyperthyroidism is characterized by high excitability, tremors of the hands, intolerance to heat, excessive sweating, diarrhea, and some significant amount of weight loss. Most people with hyperthyroidism also developexophthalmos, or protrusion of the eyeballs.

While kelp supplements may help overweight hypothyroid patients lose weight by increasing the thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels of the body, it may aggravate hyperthyroid states in patients with such a disorder. In some cases, kelp tablets may even induce hyperthyroidism.

Kelp, therefore, is not a reliable regulator for thyroid function. There is no better mechanism for balance than your body's own system for homeostasis. If you suffer from an iodine deficiency, consult your doctor about taking kelp tablets to boost your iodine stores. At the right doses, kelp can be very good for you. 

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