The Importance of Sea Vegetables in Restoring and Maintaining
Your Health
by Steven
H Horne RH (AHG) IIPA and Kimberley Balas ND
Iodine is
a vital nutrient for good health. Not only is iodine critical
for thyroid gland function and body metabolism, it’s also
essential for reproductive tissue health. The breasts, uterus
and prostate require very large amounts of iodine. It’s also
needed for healthy skin, eyes and nerve function. In fact
every cell of the body needs some iodine.
Unfortunately iodine is a rare element and only small amounts of
iodine are present in most people’s diets especially amongst
Western societies. Seaweeds and other sea vegetables such as
kelp, dulse and Irish moss are the most dependable food source
for iodine - foods which are rarely eaten, if at all.
Besides
iodine, sea vegetables are rich sources of iron, magnesium,
potassium, boron, silica, selenium and chromium. They are also
loaded with essential fatty acids, vitamins (including vitamin
D) and water soluble fibres which make them excellent
bone-building and tissue repairing foods. Sea vegetables are
also known to improve hair colour and quality, skin tone and
texture, fingernail strength and ease arthritic symptoms.
In the
Orient, sea vegetables have been used for centuries in the
treatment of
cancer. Anti-cancer
compounds such as lignans have been found in sea
vegetables (kelp, kombu and wakame) which bond to
oestrogen-receptor sites and so inhibit oestrogen-dependent
cancers. Fucoidan, which is found in kelp and
bladderwrack, is extremely anti-proliferative against cancer
cells. So, adding sea vegetables to the diet could be a
powerful way to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women and
prostate cancer in men. Fucoidan also interferes with every
stage of viral attack, which is why people who eat lots of sea
vegetables also seem to be more resistant to colds and flu.
Because
they are high in water-soluble fibre, natural chlorine and
potassium, sea vegetables have a protective effect on the heart
and cardiovascular system. They can lower blood cholesterol and
reduce high blood pressure. They also have anti-inflammatory
properties.
Sea
vegetables have a powerful detoxifying effect on the
body; not only do they absorb toxins and heavy metals, they also
reduce inflammation. When used in baths, the minerals found in
mucilaginous seaweeds are also absorbed through the skin, to aid
tissue repair. The mineral salts found in sea vegetables also
help move lymphatic fluids, so they enhance lymphatic drainage
and can be helpful in softening hardened lymph nodes.
Sea
vegetables are excellent foods for pregnancy. Lack of iodine
can cause stunted growth, mental deficiency, puffy facial
features and a lack of muscular development. Sea vegetables can
help increase haemoglobin levels and also reduce constipation
and stretch marks in pregnant mothers.
Everyday Products That Disrupt Your Iodine Levels
Our dietary deficiency is further compounded by the fact that a
number of everyday chemicals actually displace iodine
or disrupt its key functions within the body. These
iodine ‘disruptors’ belong to a group called ‘halogens’
which include bromine/bromides, fluorine/fluorides
and chlorine/chlorides, along with mercury,
aspirin and other salicyclates, steroids and
unfermented soy products.
Bromides
(substances containing bromine)
Studies show that bromine intake can
adversely affect the accumulation of iodine in the thyroid and
skin, and can also cause hypothyroidism in animals. Yet,
despite the health risks, bromides are being increasingly
utilised as antibacterial agents
for pools and hot tubs, as fumigants for agriculture, and for
killing termites and other pests. They're found in many
pharmaceutical drugs and are also being added to foods such as carbonated and sports
beverages and also bread flour.
Many years ago iodine used to
be added to flour; however this has now been replaced with bromides.
Since this change, levels of obesity
have increased dramatically. Instead of getting iodine in bread
(which would help burn fat), people are consuming more bromides, which
in turn disrupt iodine and therefore increases fat deposition.
Fluorides
Fluorides
are toxic which increase the risk of bone cancer and hip
fractures. This toxin has also been shown to lower
intelligence, increase depression and lower testosterone levels
in men. High levels of fluorides cause mottling, pitting and
dulling of the teeth. Fluorides can also produce goiter, as
well as low thyroid, by inhibiting the ability of the thyroid
gland to actually store iodine.
Besides
being introduced into drinking water, fluorides are found in
toothpastes, dental treatments and a variety of drugs such as
Prozac, Paxil, Baycol, Propulsid, Posicor, Astemizole, Flonase,
Flovent and Fen-Phen. It would therefore be wise to increase
iodine intake if you’re on any of these medications, and also
best to avoid fluoridated toothpastes and fluoride treatments at
the dentist in future.
Chlorine
Unlike
bromide and fluoride, chlorine is used as a nutrient in the
body, and in fairly large amounts. However, the oxidised form
of chlorine forms chlorides, and chlorides are
toxic.
Research
shows that the rise in coronary heart disease parallels the rise
in the chlorination of water supplies. In fact, chlorine
actually makes cholesterol ‘sticky’ so it adheres to surfaces.
Because iodine is needed to release and disperse fats (emulsify)
from surfaces, and chlorine displaces iodine, the may be one of
the reasons why chlorine (including sodium chloride – common
table salt) contributes to heart disease. Chlorine is also
linked to birth defects, cancer, reproductive disorders
(including still birth) and immune system breakdown.
The newest
artificial sweetener ‘Sucralose’ is nothing more than
chlorinated sugar, so these types of products are best
avoided. A reverse osmosis water filtering unit is a great way
to reduce chlorine at home or in the office.
Mercury
Mercury is
another iodine disruptor which finds its way into the body
through silver amalgam fillings, contaminated sea foods, poor
quality food supplements, environmental pollution and vaccines.
With the
above
destructive factors in mind, it’s therefore no wonder that 90%
of the population is iodine deficient! With all the everyday
iodine disruptors that we’re exposed to, we probably all
need extra iodine if we want to main optimal health.
Regular
detoxing throughout the year is
essential in helping remove many of the iodine disruptors from
the body. We recommend that you include natural sea salt and
sea vegetables in your daily diet; however, depending
upon your taste, this may not always be desirable.
Therefore
nutritional supplementation would be the ideal solution.
Nature’s Sunshine’s Products contain 4 kinds of seaweeds in
their supplements that can be taken according to your health
condition. These include:
Steven H. Horne is a highly acclaimed international author,
iridologist, teacher, herbalist and natural healer. Steven
is a professional member and past president of the American
Herbalists Guild and president of Tree of Light Publishing.
Kimberley Balas is a board certified naturopath and co-owner
of Vital Solutions. Kimberley is an instructor for Tree of
Light, where she is head of research.
The nutritional supplement product links stated in this article can only be purchased from this website in UK and in Europe; however all other health product links stated on this page are available worldwide from Natural Body Healing.
The above information should not be treated as a substitute for the
medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care
professional.
|