Seaweed for Fertility

The Beet recently published an article titled ‘8 Plant-Based Foods That May Help to Boost Fertility’. One of the foods listed was seaweed… seaweed for fertility! They said “Seaweed is a power food when you’re preparing for pregnancy. Seaweed is rich in iodine. This mineral is vital for a healthy conception because it is a building block for hormones,” offers Grace Goodwin Dwyer, MS, MA, RD, LDN. “People who eat plant-based diets need to pay particularly close attention to iodine. It is mostly found in animal foods (like meat, eggs, and dairy). Seaweed is the exception, with some species being as high as 2000% of your daily iodine needs in just one gram.” But what makes it so great and why is iodine essential?

Current Iodine Levels Within the UK

Iodine deficiency appears to be a growing issue within the UK. One study found that 66% of 15-year-old girls were deficient in iodine. This is a general statistic that doesn’t take into account pregnancy etc. In at least five recent studies, it has been reported that a substantial amount of women are deficient in their first trimester. In another UK study of 1040 mothers, a staggering 62% were found to be deficient in iodine. Although this issue isn’t one that is exclusive to the UK. Various studies from the likes of Norway and Italy are also displaying similar statistics. One study in Norway found that 28% of the participants could actually be classified as having severe deficiency.

The Role Iodine Plays Within Pregnancy

Iodine is an essential nutrient that is required to help develop the brain, the nervous system and plays a role in the growth of the organs. The hormones produced from the thyroid gland are known as T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine). They contain iodine and when there too much or little iodine in the diet it can cause health issues. Various studies also demonstrate an association between low iodine intake with a lower IQ in children. In the Norway study, they found that there was a trend with mothers who had iodine levels below 100 micrograms (μg) were associated with lower language development in children up to 18 months of age. Meanwhile, in the UK study, they reported similar findings stating that being deficient had a greater chance of their children being in the bottom 25% of IQ test results.

Sources of Iodine in the Diet

The main sources of iodine within the diet are predominantly found in white fish and dairy products. However, this can be an issue If you don’t often eat these products especially if you don’t each them at all! Various studies conducted on vegans have found that really high percentages are deficient in iodine. Therefore, it is generally recommended that those following this type of diet should take supplements. Although, there is one vegan source of iodine and that’s seaweed! Seaweed is interesting as it contains the highest natural source of iodine and can be used within ingredients to help reduce salt and increase taste profile through its natural umami properties.

The Issue with Seaweed and Kelp

One issue with seaweed and kelp is that they can often wide and ranging levels of iodine. Kelp is normally the highest levels out of the two. This has led these macro-algae to get a bad public reputation. Some health proffesionals often advise to be cautious or even exclude it altogether. The British Dietetic Association  state that “seaweed is a very concentrated source of iodine, but it can provide excessive amounts (particularly so in the case of brown seaweed such as kelp) and therefore eating seaweed more than once a week is not recommended, especially during pregnancy.”

Other Foods on their List

The Beet also listed cooked tomatoes, spinach, lentils, nutritional yeast, hulled barley, quinoa, and maca root as foods that may boost fertility. Interested to know more? Find the article here.