What Is Kelp Used For In Horses?

Kelp is most commonly fed to horses for the iodine content, as this mineral is necessary for thyroid hormones that regulate metabolism. When there is a deficiency or toxicity of iodine, hypothyroidism or abnormal thyroid activity can result.

How much kelp should I give my horse?

Horses are typically fed kelp at a rate of 5 – 20 grams per day, depending on iodine needs and the concentration of the product used. A 5 gram serving of kelp meal will yield between 3.5 to 15 mg of iodine. This is adequate to meet the minimum iodine requirement for a mature horse at maintenance of 3.5 to 4 mg per day.

What is kelp used to treat?

Kelp may improve sensory receptors. It may also promote healthy nails and blood vessels, aid in digestion, and ease constipation. It may also reduce hair loss and help with diabetes and weight management. Kelp may treat gastrointestinal ulcers.

What are the side effects of kelp?

Eating kelp as food is safe, but too much iodine from kelp supplements can overstimulate your thyroid, causing inflammation and increasing your risk of thyroid cancer. A very large dose of iodine can create nausea, fever, weak pulse or a burning sensation in the throat, mouth and stomach.

Is kelp an anti inflammatory?

Research has also shown that kelp can possess powerful cancer-fighting capabilities, particularly against breast and colon cancer. Its high levels of antioxidants not only fight free radicals, but can aid people with diabetes and act as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent .

Can you overdose on kelp?

Although sea kelp is safe to eat in plant form, taking sea kelp supplements can be dangerous. They contain concentrated doses of heavy metals that occur naturally in kelp, but can be toxic to humans in supplement form.

What does kelp and alfalfa do?

The blend of minerals and trace elements in this natural combination of kelp and alfalfa helps to keep the body strong and through its iodine content, contributes to maintaining a healthy thyroid function.

Is kelp a natural antibiotic?

in herbs, Studies point to seaweed kelp having far greater benefits to chickens than previous thought. Working as a natural antibiotic is one.

Is kelp an antifungal?

Seaweed produces metabolites aiding in the protection against different environmental stresses. These compounds show antiviral, antiprotozoal, antifungal, and antibacterial properties.

Does kelp help the liver?

Consuming sugar kelp also helped prevent the development of steatosis, the accumulation of fat in the liver. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a condition often associated with obesity that can cause inflammation and reduced functionality in the liver.

Is kelp the same as seaweed?

Sea kelp has a number of health benefits and a high nutritional value, making it a popular sea plant but it is not the same as seaweed. Seaweed is a term which can be used to describe many different marine-based species of plants and algae. But sea kelp is more specific. It describes the largest subgroup of seaweed.

Is kelp and iodine the same thing?

Sources of Iodine. Seaweed (such as kelp, nori, kombu, and wakame) is one of the best food sources of iodine [5]. Other good sources include fish and other seafood, as well as eggs (see Table 2). Iodine is also present in human breast milk [2,5] and infant formulas [8].

Is kelp good for kidneys?

Seaweed contains a high amount of potassium, which can be harmful to individuals with kidney disease. Seaweed also contains vitamin K, which could interfere with blood-thinning medications such as Warfarin.

Does kelp have healing properties?

Kelp is high in antioxidants, including carotenoids and flavonoids, which help fight against disease-causing free radicals. Antioxidant minerals, such as manganese and zinc, help combat oxidative stress and may help protect cardiovascular health and prevent cancer.

Is kelp a laxative?

Apart from thyroid imbalance, excessive consumption of kelp can lead to gastrointestinal problems like nausea and diarrhea, as kelp is a natural laxative.

Is kelp good for arthritis?

Kelp and seaweed – Contain an anti-inflammatory complex carbohydrate called fucoidan. Research has demonstrated health benefits of brown algae consumption, including anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-cancer properties.

Does kelp give off oxygen?

Because kelps and other macroalgae are primary producers and absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, one might expect the effects of hypoxia to be modest. However, kelps and macroalgae also respire, which requires oxygen.

Does kelp detox the body?

Kelp has a long list of health benefits, from being nutrient-dense and high in antioxidants to being useful for detoxification.

Does kelp contain mercury?

Seaweed can absorb and store minerals in concentrated amounts ( 60 ). This poses a health risk, as seaweed can also contain large amounts of toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead.

Is kelp a growth hormone?

The most important aspect of kelp is the growth hormones. Kelp contains ample quantities of auxins, gibberellins, and cytokinins. All growth hormones play a part in how a plant functions, and are more accurately called growth regulators. Kelp has very high amounts of a particular hormone, cytokinin.

Who should not use alfalfa?

Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises children, pregnant women, older adults, or anyone else with a compromised immune system to avoid alfalfa sprouts and supplemental products derived from alfalfa seeds ( 16 ).