Iodine Helps Kelp Fight Free Radicals and May Aid Humans, Too
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 - 14:35
in Biology & Nature
When human cells are attacked by free radicals, the antioxidant vitamins and minerals in the food we've eaten come to our defense. However, when brown kelp (Laminaria), a kind of seaweed, is stressed, the plant flushes large quantities of iodide as a powerful antioxidant out of its cells, which combines with highly reactive oxygen in the water and air to produce molecular iodine, which commonly is used in hospital surgeries as an antiseptic.