CAUTION with Kelp (& other seaweeds) in pregnancy!

[Guest guest]

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,