Kelp supplements for bones: Does anyone... - Bone Health and O...

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Kelp supplements for bones

jamr profile image
jamr
18 Replies

Does anyone use kelp supplements or weed itself for bone nutrition. It contains plenty of Vitamins and minerals. Its not something Australian culture seems to pursue but many countries do harvest kelp and other seaweeds and consume. There appear to be warnings about the amount of iodine especially if you have thyroid problems, but this appears to be from supplements rather than the weed itself. It also acquires heavy metals if these are in the water around. Has anyone directly prepared kelp collected from the sea?

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jamr
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18 Replies
Bemoresquirrel profile image
Bemoresquirrel

I don’t know anything about kelp, but the endocannabinoids in cannabis and CBD have a role in bone production:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/213...

Curcumin can also increase bone density by up to 7%

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/295...

Hope this helps, Rosey

jamr profile image
jamr in reply to Bemoresquirrel

Thanks Rosey, very interesting, I will read the detail and research these

MiaLee profile image
MiaLee

I have read that kelp is a good source of vitamins and minerals for bones. I do know that plant based calcium is much better absorbed than the usual rock based supplements.

jamr profile image
jamr in reply to MiaLee

Thanks Mialee, I had not thought of this aspect, I will let the board now once I find how to cook/prepare the fresh kelp/lettuce

misspops profile image
misspops

I buy a calcium supplement that is from raw algae. It also has plenty of mag, vit. d and k.

jamr profile image
jamr in reply to misspops

So raw algae as opposed to rock based stuff or cooked algae? It looks like drying is the first stage for things like kelp

MiaLee profile image
MiaLee in reply to jamr

That sounds about right. Maybe you would need to soak it first to remove salt, then dry. I’ll bet you could google how to handle it. Good luck!

Posy-White profile image
Posy-White

My Mum died earlier this year, aged 94. She was diagnosed with Osteoporosis when in her seventies and started taking kelp supplements then, her OP didn't really give her problems until her 92nd year, she never had a fracture even though through blindness she had several falls and many bumps! I understood her scan results didn't really show any bone detrition (but she didn't have a scan in the last few years when it probably would have show up). In her opinion Kelp suited her and the calcium tablets didn't!

Kelp does seem as fashionable at present, good luck with your research.

Posy White

jamr profile image
jamr in reply to Posy-White

Thanks, many countries do harvest from the ocean, Australia does not appear to, so I might not have much competition, but also no role models to follow

Posy-White profile image
Posy-White

Sorry last comment show read - Kelp does NOT seem as fashionable at present, good luck with your research.

Posy White

LynneH-19 profile image
LynneH-19

That’s interesting. I personally haven't tried these, so cannot speak from experience of taking them.

I’ve always been wary of supplements harvested from the seas, especially anywhere near shorelines, because of all the toxic industrial/ farming waste, like heavy metals, that get into the rivers/ seas. You only have look at the sorry state of some of the coral reefs, due to pollution, to realise how far it travels.

I surpose if you can find kelp growing in isolated areas where pollution is less likely, it’s worth giving it a try.

Best wishes

jamr profile image
jamr in reply to LynneH-19

I live in Perth Australia, we are remote from anywhere, so I am hoping any kelp I collect will not get too much effluent, however I need to check what the lead/arsenic levels are like off our coast before I start collecting some kelp and also make sure Idont overdose and prepare it properly.

jamr profile image
jamr in reply to LynneH-19

Levels of contaminants like lead arsenic etc are measured by the uptake from mussels, used as a 'mine canary' and these are published somewhere, I just have not found the actual results yet - hopefully I can believe them.

LynneH-19 profile image
LynneH-19 in reply to jamr

I didn’t know that mussels were used as an indicator.

While on holiday in Scotland, our Scottish guide said he would never eat farmed salmon because of all the chemicals they are subjected to. The only salmon I buy now is the tinned Wild Alaskan Red salmon, for the high protein, D3, Ca and omega 3 content. According to Mercola this is about the safest, but like all food, unless home grown and your ground is OK, you are at the mercy of the person printing the label.

Best wishes

MiaLee profile image
MiaLee

In any case, to be honest; given how dangerous the prescribed drugs are, this has got to be far less threatening in every respect!

MiaLee profile image
MiaLee

I use stinging nettle and oatstraw infusions that I make in a quart jar every few days. No heavy metals that way. 2 cups of the steeped infusion give you the full calcium requirement as well as magnesium and other minerals and vitamins necessary for absorption. 1 cup dried herb to 1 quart boiling water, steep overnight. Google this herb, you’ll be impressed. Oatstraw is also good.

ShiroK profile image
ShiroK

Hi...I collect Seaweed from our beaches in Mombasa Kenya..& make my own Kelp.

In Ireland we collect and eat kelp and dulsk another kind of seaweed. I eat seaweed often for the iodine lack of which can cause issues with thyroid. But once you have an issue it can be bad in large amounts and might interact with meds. But a normal person is way more likely to have a lack of it. Its nice fresh as a salad ...some Asian resteruants have it and I think Asian food is big in Australia. So you might find it at an Asian food store. You can also buy it dried and soak it or buy it frozen usually chopped up into sort of noodles of various thickness ... You can buy nori for sushi rolls and as a sprinkle but I don't think it has a lot of iodine. Here dulsk has the most and is a reddish thin sort of seaweed its bloody lovely and you can eat it and nori dry as crisps ...kelp is much thicker and you can't eat it dry without soaking it. Hope this helps. I love seaweed.

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