You’ve been asking me for Bladderwrack for over a year now. I’m not surprised!
Bladderwrack maybe just a type of seaweed, but the whole plant can be used to make all kinds of medicine and other supplements, though be careful never to ingest it by mouth.
It’s particularly useful for dealing with thyroid disorders including over-sized thyroid glands, called goitre, underactive thyroid or myxedema, and iodine deficiency.
People also take it to tackle arthritis, joint pain and obesity. There are also suggestions bladderwrack helps protect against hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis), bronchitis, emphysema, some digestive disorders like constipation, heartburn, urinary tract disorders, and even anxiety.
There’s little doubt in my mind that the immune system and our energy levels can be boosted by bladderwrack. Some people even apply it when they are suffering from skin diseases and burns, have ageing skin or have been hit by pesky insect bites.
Organic Bladderwrack Powder
How does it work?
Like many other sea plants, bladderwrack contains iodine, which is excellent for preventing or treating many thyroid disorders. Bladderwrack also has algin, which acts as a laxative and helps with bowel movements.
Our bodies need the mineral iodine to make thyroid hormones. It’s noticeable that since ancient times people living near the source of seaweed – the sea – suffer very few cases of thyroid disorders.
What iodine does is modulate our bodies’ metabolism and boost our bone and brain growth. This is what makes it especially important for women who are pregnant and infants. Even a mild deficiency during pregnancy can affect delivery and a baby’s development. It’s crucial that pregnant and breastfeeding women are able to get enough iodine in their diet.
If they don’t, iodine deficiency can lead to people showing symptoms similar to hypothyroidism, which results of having too few thyroid hormones. The signs are fatigue, feeling cold, hair loss, dry skin, unexplained weight gain, plus memory or learning difficulties.
Lack of iodine can also lead to goitre when the thyroid glands swell. This happens because, without the necessary iodine, the thyroid gland enlarges in an attempt to satisfy the body’s demand for thyroid hormones.
The only way to obtain iodine is via our diet. It can’t be made by our body alone. Most food contains very little iodine unless it has been added by the food being processed. This happens with iodised salt, and some fortified bread or cereals.
However, iodine is present naturally in soil, seawater and seaweed like bladderwrack. Bladderwrack is the common name for fucus vesiculosus. Other colloquial names include sea oak, black tany, black tang, rockweed, bladder fucus, dyers fucus, red fucus, cut weed, and rock wrack.
It is most commonly found on coasts touching the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the North Sea, and the western Baltic. These are among the most reliable and natural sources of iodine, but it can also be found in foods like dairy products including milk and yoghurt.
As well as high iodine content, bladderwrack also contains trace minerals, Vitamin B12 and fibre.
Good for Diet
What bladderwrack can do is improve our thyroid health by assisting the thyroid gland to control our metabolism. The combination of healthy thyroid and a supported metabolism is able to boost our energy levels and that makes it easier to lose or maintain our weight.
There are people who also say bladderwrack is an appetite suppressant, which has the capacity to reduce the calories we take in throughout the day. This they believe promotes additional weight loss in the long term.
Good for Digestion
Because bladderwrack includes alginic acid, which is a type of dietary fibre, it can aid digestion. As a result, some people choose to use bladderwrack in their diet to help them relieve any constipation or diarrhoea.
Good for Vision and Overall Health
Containing beta-Carotene, the antioxidant associated with healthy eyesight, bladderwrack can be deployed to help protect against vision issues including macular degeneration, and cataracts.
With numerous other minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium bladderwrack is an important supplement for enhancing the overall health and function of our bodies.
Talking of overall health, bladderwrack offers useful antioxidant support working to protect cells from free radical damage. It contains phenolic compounds, including flavonoids like fucoxanthin, which is another member of the carotenoid family.
Good for Holding Back The Years
With the many valuable minerals in bladderwrack adding it to your diet can help keep our skin beautiful. In addition, it contains powerful organic chemicals that are able to slow the ageing process.
These antioxidants not only keep the skin looking young and healthy, but they also reduce blemishes and spots and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Bladderwrack also enhances skin elasticity, keeping our skin looking tight and toned well into old age.
It’s easy to add bladderwrack to your diet through supplements like our Organic Bladderwrack Powder.
