I heard from a friend that taking bladderwrack can help a person lose weight. She said it will affect the thyroid. Is this true? Is it safe?

A.

Bladderwrack is part of the seaweed, Fucus vesiculosis. It is very high in iodine and thus its application for thyroid problems especially goiter. Personally I feel that thyroid hormone supplementation is the best treatment for low thyroid. Utilizing seaweeds as food can provide good levels of many minerals including iodine, however people with hyperthyroid should avoid too much iodine, including that found in seaweeds like bladderwrack and also kelp. High doses of iodine ( 150 mcg/day) can cause hyperthyroid in otherwise normal people as well.

If you think you might have low thyroid, I would recommend that you get your doctor to check your thyroid hormone levels and your TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels. If you have hypothyroidism (low thyroid), thyroid hormone supplementation is needed and your doctor can prescribe the correct dose. If your thyroid is normal, you should not use supplements that increase thyroid for the purpose of weight loss. High thyroid levels can cause many problems.

My best recommendation for weight loss is healthy diet and exercise. We all wish there was a pill or an herb or a supplement that will make us lose weight, but alas, there is not. Eating healthy foods in normal amounts and exercising to help burn calories and increase the metabolism are the key. Severe calorie restriction and repeated weight loss and weight gain will only slow metabolism further. Talk with your doctor about a sensible weight loss program and be sure to limit weight loss to 1-2 pounds per week.

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