Bladderwrack - The Weight Loss Seaweed

What is Bladderwrack?Bladderwrack is a type of kelp, or brown algae, that you can find at the beach when it washes up onto the shore. For centuries coastal peoples have thought of it as a tasty sea vegetable. Scientists have known it since the 18th century by its Latin name, Fucus vesiculosus.This kelp also has an extensive folk medical history. Its traditional use has mostly been for stimulating the thyroid as a treatment for cellulite and obesity. It also has been used for relieving pain from inflamed arthritic joints. More recently bladderwrack has been found to assist with lipid balance and obesity, where obesity is linked to thyroid problems.Bladderwrack provides an abundance of healthful minerals that it takes in from the sea. A partial list includes iodine, calcium, potassium, sulfur, sodium, magnesium, and silicon. It is also rich in an array of carotenes and certain B-complex vitamins.Health benefits from bladderwrack come from either internal or external use. The external use of bladderwrack provides iodine, which is a crucial mineral for every cell in your body. Unfortunately, it is rarely available in herbal skin care products. Iodine is one of the few minerals that absorbs right into the skin. In so doing, gets into the bloodstream quickly, from where it goes directly to the thyroid and many other glands and organs.Iodine DeficiencyDr. David Brownstein, author Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, has found that nearly 95% of his patients are deficient in iodine. This means that the odds are that you are, too. If you have ever been stuck on a weight loss plateau, or if you have had a hard time even getting your weight loss going in the first place, it may be due to iodine deficiency.


You can test for your own iodine deficiency with a simple experiment at home. Just swab tincture of iodine in a small circle on an inner arm or thigh. (Tincture of iodine is available inexpensively at all drug stores.) Your body needs more iodine if the yellow-orange spot is absorbed quickly, within 1-3 hours.This is where organic skin care products with bladderwrack can help. Indeed, this is why such natural skin products are important for boosting metabolism for weight loss.Bladderwrack BonusA study in 2009 at Kingston University in London discovered the activities of several herb extracts for their ability to slow down two key enzymes that are responsible for skin aging, elastase and collagenase. These enzymes break down elastin and collagen, respectively, which are the key structural components of skin that give it elasticity and strength. Healthy elastin and collagen are key substances for maintaining youthful, wrinkle-free skin.Some of the results of this research were to be expected. Angelica and tea, for example, were two of the top herbs. Bladderwrack fared very well in comparison. In fact, it was ranked second, just after tea, for its combined anti-elastase and anti-collagenase activities.