When you’re on HealthTok, you’ll have seen a buzz round sea moss, sea kelp, or brown seaweed, which has develop into the most recent “superfood” to seize the eye of wellness fanatics. Traditionally, seaweed has been utilized in indigenous drugs for a wide range of illnesses; right this moment, you should buy it in capsules, powders, and teas.
There is some science to again up bladderwrack’s extra hyperbolic well being claims. Nonetheless, given a few of the dangers related to consuming unregulated algae-derived merchandise, you’ll most likely be higher off enhancing your eating regimen on the whole. We break it down for you right here. Fascinated by extra wellness analysis? Remember to take a look at our recommendation for living forever in Silicon Valley and whether or not you must apply snail mucus to your face (you most likely ought to).
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What Is Bladderwrack?
{Photograph}: Brook Science Photograph Library/Getty Photographs
“Bladderwrack is a brown seaweed within the genus Fucus that grows within the intertidal areas of temperate areas,” says Loretta Roberson, an affiliate scientist on the College of Chicago’s Marine Organic Laboratory. “You’ll find it right here in the US and in Europe—Eire to England—and most locations on that very same latitude.” The identify comes from the air-filled sacs, or “bladders,” on the seaweed’s thallus. These teeny bladders assist the plant float and keep nearer to daylight for photosynthesis.
Bladderwrack’s medicinal use dates again for hundreds of years. “There was truly a big seaweed trade [in North America] the place individuals would gather massive wagonfuls of seaweed, and they’d use it for a bunch of various functions,” Roberson says. Indigenous peoples used it for poultices and teas, and by the early 1800s, it gained a fame as a treatment for goiter—a swelling brought on by thyroid points. By the 1860s, it was promoted as a metabolism booster and therapy for weight problems. Right now, bladderwrack is out there in numerous types, from dried and powdered to capsule dietary supplements and teas.
Why Would You Take Bladderwrack?
Bladderwrack dietary supplements make daring claims: weight reduction, glowing pores and skin, thyroid assist, and extra. A number of the commonest the reason why individuals take bladderwrack embody:
- It could actually assist alleviate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) signs. Bladderwrack comprises alginic acid, which, when mixed with magnesium carbonate, might relieve signs of GERD. This mixture types a barrier that protects the abdomen lining from irritants, probably lowering irritation and heartburn.
- It could actually relieve constipation and diarrhea. Alginic acid additionally promotes smoother digestion.
- It could actually assist soothe digestive irritation. The mucilage in bladderwrack—a gel-like substance—can profit people with gastritis or indigestion by coating irritated mucous membranes alongside the digestive tract.
What Does the Science Say?
Bethany Marie Doerfler, a gastrointestinal specialist at Northwestern Medication, says the touted well being advantages are tied to bladderwrack’s antioxidant properties, however there have been only a few research evaluating its efficacy or security in people.
Like many seaweeds, bladderwrack is full of antioxidants, together with phenolics, phlorotannins, fucoxanthin, alginic acid, fucoidans, and small quantities of nutritional vitamins A and C. Doerfler factors to alginic acid—present in over-the-counter merchandise like Gaviscon Advance—as a compound with confirmed effectiveness.
“These derivatives are studied and regarded secure, in contrast to bladderwrack dietary supplements, which stay largely unregulated and untested,” Doerfler explains. “Folks usually leap from figuring out wholesome elements to assuming well being outcomes, however [bladderwrack supplements] aren’t backed by analysis.”
Are Bladderwrack Dietary supplements Protected?
Regardless of the “pure” label usually connected to those sorts of dietary supplements, they come with risks. Algae-derived merchandise can accumulate heavy metals like arsenic and mercury from polluted waters, and even low concentrations over time can result in severe well being issues equivalent to nerve injury or kidney dysfunction.
One other concern is the excessive iodine content material in bladderwrack, which may intrude with thyroid perform. Based on Roberson, in some international locations, there are rules as a consequence of excessive iodine ranges, which may have an effect on thyroid well being. There aren’t any clear tips within the US on how a lot iodine is secure to eat, and the dangers related to extra iodine stay misunderstood. “We don’t know thresholds, doses, or potential interactions with different medicines because of the absence of analysis,” Doerfler says.
