If you find it hard to lose weight, if your energy levels are really low, if your hair or eyebrows are thinning, these could be signs that your thyroid levels are low and it would be good to get your levels checked by a doctor.
The problem is that the regular tests doctors do for thyroid function don’t tell the full picture. Ideally you want to check T3, T4, reverse T3, reverse T4, and thyroid antibodies – which will show if your thyroid issue is autoimmune related – called Hashimoto’s.
The great thing about kelp is that if you have these symptoms regardless of your thyroid test levels, kelp could help. And could save you a lot of money of getting all those tests done with a naturopath or functional medicine practitioner.
A few last things to be aware of :
The recommended average daily amount of iodine is 150micrograms. So you shouldn't need to take a supplement which exceeds this amount unless you have specific guidance from a healthcare professional.
If you are on thyroid medication I would work directly with a herbalist instead of taking a kelp supplement as it interacts with thyroid medication – DM me if you want to book an online consultation.
And lastly, and sadly due to the state of our planet, seaweeds can contain pollutants. They absorb toxins from polluted sea water so always make sure you get kelp and other seaweeds from reliable sources who are happy to disclose where it has come from.
A.Vogel UK