Anyone know of an arsenic free kelp source?


ARSENIC TOXICOSIS—If you use kelp for iodine supplementation or weight loss you have to make sure that it is collected from an area that is not a hotspot for high arsenic concentrations in the rock, soil and water. This also applies if you are using kelp as a bulk soil amendment also, for plants uptake arsenic. Because of high arsenic concentration in algae and marine microorganisms, seafood is the highest dietary source of arsenic. Arsenic occurs naturally in air, water and soil and especially in rock containing iron or copper. Mining areas and coal-fired power stations are major manmade sources. People may also be exposed from industrial sources, since arsenic is used in semi-conductor manufacturing, petroleum refining, wood preservatives, animal feed additives, and herbicides. The highest arsenic levels have been encountered in the more arid regions of the United States, i.e. Southwest United States, with concentrations ranging from as low as 12 ppb to as high as over 80 ppb. The EPA established a maximum contaminant level for arsenic, 50 ppb. Kelp does however remove heavy metals and radioactive elements from the body. www.arsenicwaterfilter.net/
[www.sciencedaily.com]

Janabanana,
From what I gather, kelp supplements have been shown to be safe when used as directed. The UC Davis study referenced by the sciencedaily article has been discredited because of incorrect analysis..

"The glaring omission of the mass of the capsules and the subsequent presentation of the data as a concentration allowed Amster et al. (2007) to provide a provocative story and headline. Once the real-world metrics are applied, however, the fog is dispersed and these numbers are obviously well within the numbers the authors cited as daily intake values. These data are no longer provocative and make it impossible for kelp supplements to be painted as “unsafe” as the authors suggested."

[www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov]

..it sounded a little off as I read thru the UC Davis links to the original kelp/arsenic study (did not work) and then to the FDA which has no safety advisories on kelp supplements [www.fda.gov] .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/2009 02:45AM by loeve.

We went over the question of heavy metals a while back and hit upon arsenic..

"... hijiki seems to be the only seaweed with watchdog warnings out on it at the moment.. a 2006 Japanese study [www.speciation.net] concluded the inorganic arsenic in hijiki was real, and that it occured in various seaweeds in varying amounts depending on species, growing condition and season. Arsenic is a naturally occuring element found in the earth, air and water.. in the Pacific Ocean it is at low levels due to biological activity [cat.inist.fr] . "The chemical structures, bioavailabilty, and retention of certain arsenic compounds notably, arsenobetaine and related organoarsenic compounds, suggests they may play a role in osmoregulation and other biological functions in aquatic marine organisms." [www.biology.sdu.dk] Some are skeptical of the test methods used with hijiki and conclusions reached, particularly the possible mitigating effect of Organic arsenic to help metabolize the Inorganic [www.edenfoods.com] . [www.rawfoodsupport.com]

The limiting factor in kelp is its high iodine content.

hope this helps



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/2009 01:51PM by loeve.

Yea, thanks. I gather it would be a rather localized affair related to mining, oil refinering and such. Kelp seems like the solution to so many of our ills, that I would hate for it to be pow also.

Janabanana
Again, the UC Davis kelp/arsenic study referenced by the sciencedaily article has been debunked. UC Davis is a research institution and has clients like Monsanto. This particular study seems designed to discredit all supplements.

"Although the report has several methodologic shortcomings, the most serious flaw is the authors’ failure to recognize that the arsenic most commonly found in seaweed and seafood products is relatively nontoxic. This is in contrast to inorganic arsenic, which has well-documented acute and chronic toxicity. Amster et al. (2007) did not discuss the possibility that the arsenic measured in the kelp supplement was in the organic form, nor did they address the great variability in toxicity among arsenic compounds. These two oversights lead to the unsupported conclusion that the arsenic found in kelp is responsible for the unique set of medical conditions observed in their patient."
...
"They used their findings to comment on safety in the dietary supplement industry as a whole, implying that their results indicate that heavy metal contamination in supplements is a major health concern."

[www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov]

UC Davis has a natural bias to raise fears in order to generate more research income.

Globally, kelp products have been studied and found safe.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2009 12:17PM by loeve.

The UC Davis study was published in the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives, in April of 2007, and they are nice enough to have the full text available online [www.ehponline.org] . Their examples of arsenic poisoning are drawn from the far east (Singapore, Korea, Bangladesh, China) where soils tend to be higher in arsenic. They say little if anything about the quality of seaweed in the Sea of Japan or surrounding waters. It would not help their case...

..from the conclusion of the study --

"Given the numerous studies demonstrating unsafe levels of heavy metals in dietary herbal preparations, the growing number of case reports connecting heavy metal toxicities to ingestion of herbal dietary supplements, and the growing popularity of herbal remedies for self-medication in the general public, it is prudent that companies demonstrate safety and efficacy before their products are placed on the market. Concentrations of materials contained in the preparations, as well as expected benefits and potential side-effects, should be studied, standardized, monitored, and accurately labeled."

It sounds like an advertisement for codex.

Yes, and I have a feeling that those interested in exploiting health have a disinformation campaign out on iodine...as it is cancer/candida protective and increases intelligence and energy...and removes the Borg-making chemicals chlorine and fluoride from the body...helps bring the body to hormonal fruition and protects against radiation.

As an exercise try and go out and buy Lugol's or iodine pills in your local community. You will probably only find Lugol's in an aquarium store. I bought my 2% from swansonsvitamins.com


Best one of the bunch on no compliance.
[video.google.com]#

Yes, I like UC Davis a lot as a source of learning and quality studies but this one on arsenic in kelp seems to cross the line towards disinformation -- (good for discussion though).

I missed the regulation of Lugol's iodine solution in the US a few years back, that must have caused a stir. I tried to buy Lugol's last spring at a local pharmacy and was told by the druggist I could get my iodine in seafood. Ha! The local health food store carries no seaweed except kelp tablets labeled 325mcg iodide?/tablet (I didn't want to go over 1000mcg/day). And when you enquire around here (northeast US) about eating the local fresh seaweed they look at you like you were from space, but that's the path I chose and am liking it.