Seaweed and help for endemic goitre

Thyroid enlargement caused by low iodine content in food will often be accompanied by mental retardation if aquired early in life, even physical retardation and, in most severe cases, cretinism. Public information, social welfare and iodized salt or seaweed food can theoretically eradicate this unnecessary disease. Simple goitre is the easiest of all known diseases …

Seaweed and metal binding protection properties of alginate

Possible application of alginate is for the inhibition of absorption of lead, the concentration of which is steadily increasing in our environment due to the anti-knock agents in gasoline, from where it contaminates food products and finally raises blood lead-level. These findings can be extended to barium, cadmium and zink and alginates are recommended as …

Seaweed and metal binding and radiation protection properties of alginate

Marine algae have a high ability to concentrate metal ions from sea water. For this reason they are an outstanding source for trace elements and health-giving as food. Among the ions concentrated are also radionuclides with low concentration factors of  10 to 100 thus normally only at harmless levels. It has been suggested that hazardous …

Seaweeds and antitumour-active algae (2)

For obvious reasons, the species at present known to  curative are found in Japanese waters. The four genera mentioned represent green, brown and red algae. A variety of species were investigated, although the first reports did not specify exactly how many, which leaves the chance open that antitumour substances may be present in a considerable …

Seaweeds and antitumour-active algae

In folk medicine seaweeds have been used for a variety of purposes from anti-curare, cooling agent for fever, eczema, gallstone, gout, menstrual troubles, renal troubles, scabies, scrofula etc., to water purification. It appears that most of these uses have been regarded as superstition by serious therapeuts, in particular the idea that certain algas could be …