CAUTION with Kelp (& other seaweeds) in pregnancy!

October 28, 2008

Hi All, & Laura,

Laura wrote:

> Hi, Anyone have knowledge/experience with using Kelp for low thyroid?

> I'd like to hear how effective it is and if there are any side effects

> / potential problems. Also, is Kun Bu exactly the same as Kelp that can

> be bought at health food stores? Also, anyone know if kelp is safe in

> pregnancy?

Great question!

Undoubtedly, humans and animals with low iodine (I) status benefit

from an I supplement. But the DOSE MUST BE CORRECT; too little is

ineffective and too much can be subtoxic, thyrotoxic, or acutely

toxic (depending on the amount of I /day).

If one abides by the US-RDA for adult human iodine supplements (1 mg

I/day), one would give NO MORE than 1.1g dried seaweed/day. Some

sources advise CAUTION (or CI) with Kunbu or Haizao in late

pregnancy. See: http://tinyurl.com/5zek2zThe basis of this statement

is explained in detail below.

I have no experience of seaweed use in pregnant humans, but there are

definite warnings from veterinary publications in pregnant mares.

Trace-element research (including research on I supplementation of

animals) paid my rent for 41 years!

Excerpt from " IODINE SUPPLEMENTATION OF CATTLE " - End of Project

Report: Project No. 4381 by Philip A.M. Rogers MVB, MRCVS, Grange

Research Centre, Dunsany, Co. Meath. 4 December 1999 [

http://homepage.eircom.net/~progers/i_report.htm ] " ... milk products

supply up to 50% or more of human dietary I (as iodide) intake. High

I intakes can cause thyrotoxicosis in humans. The threat is greatest

to infants fed large amounts of milk powder with excessive levels of

I. The American NRC recommends a maximum of 1000 ug I/d (1 mg I) as

safe for adult humans. From pre-1970 to 1978, milk I levels in

American bulk-tanks increased so that a daily intake of 500-1000 ml

milk from some farms (1000-2000 ug/L) and 125-500 ml of heavily

contaminated milk (2000-8000 ug/L) would exceed the safe human adult

dose (Hemken 1979)... "

NOTE that the US-RDA allows 1mg I /day as the SAFE level for adult

humans. I would use a supplement of up to 3 mg I / day for adult

humans, but NOT in late pregnancy [see below]!

Seaweed is VERY high in I. Dried seaweed contains circa 600-1200+ mg

I /kg. Late abortions and birth of foals with TOXIC goitres are

documented if mares receive a supplement of circa 30mg I (or more)

/day in late pregnancy.

Assuming a mare body-weight of circa 500 kg, the thyro-TOXIC dose for

mares is circa 6mg I/100kg LW.

Assuming a human female LW of 50-80kg [say 65kg], an equivalent

potentially thyroTOXIC dose for late-pregnant women would be circa 3-

4.8 mg [say 3.9 mg] I/day.

Assuming that dried seaweed has a mean of 900mg I/kg DM the

potentially thyroTOXIC dose to late-pregnant females would be circa

3.3-5.3 [say 4.3] g dried seaweed/d

http://tinyurl.com/6mckzv says: Maternal hyperthyroidism during the

third trimester of pregnancy independently increases the risk of low

[baby] birth weight by 4·1-fold. Appropriate management of

hyperthyroidism throughout pregnancy is essential in the prevention

of this undesirable neonatal outcome.

See also [Google]: http://tinyurl.com/5qfy5p

BOTTOM LINE: If one abides by the US-RDA for adult human iodine

supplements (1 mg I/day), one would give NO MORE than 1.1g dried

seaweed/day. Some sources advise CAUTION (or CI) with Kunbu or Haizao

in late pregnancy. See: http://tinyurl.com/5zek2z

Best regards,

October 31, 2008

Caution is absolutely warranted here, but be advised that specialists in

this area routinely use 25-50mg per day or more of Iodine/Iodide for thyroid

cases. There is much to know, and there are many intricate interactions to

be aware of - Selenium status being among the most important. I have a

bottle of iodine tablets in front of me right now, and one pill alone has

15mg potassium iodide and 10 mg iodine. Improper use though can indeed

result in thyroid toxicity as Phil said.

If anyone is truly interested in learning more, the company Complementary

Prescriptions sells a DVD set of 2 different 2007 iodine conferences. After

much study, my opinion is that this topic is generally better left to the

specialists.

Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine On Behalf Of Phil

Rogers

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:51 PM

Cc: Chinese Medicine

CAUTION with Kelp ( & other seaweeds) in pregnancy!