* Please Note: Traditional Use information is provided as a courtesy only. Although we have done our best to review the validity of these uses and we continue to revise this information as new data emerges, the traditional uses indicated on this page for this product may be wrong. This information is based on Traditional and Folklore Medicine which uses natural materials to support health. This information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA and is not necessarily based on scientific evidence from any source. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor.
A type of seaweed found along both coasts of North America and the Atlantic shores of Europe, bladderwrack has been used medicinally since antiquity. Perhaps its most remarkable application was in the 18th century, when a British physician prescribed it as a treatment for goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. No one knows whether the doctor had scientific knowledge of the plant's action or was just lucky in his recommendation, but there is a pharmacological basis for his prescription: bladderwrack, like other seaweeds, contains iodine, subsequently found to be essential for the healthy functioning of the thyroid.
Iodine pills and extracts gained particular favor as treatments for obesity, perhaps because of their ability to stimulate a sluggish thyroid gland. These treatments remained in favor well into the 20th century. Other, sometimes justifiable claims made for bladderwrack were that the fresh seaweed rubbed on the skin softens it and stimulates blood circulation, that a syrup prepared from the dried seaweed eases throat irritation, and that a liniment prepared from the juice of the plant's bladders is good for rheumatism. Bladderwrack and other seaweeds have been replaced in medicine by cheaper, more reliable sources of iodine.
Research has proved bladderwrack's efficacy in treating iodine deficiency, but its use is not recommended because of difficulty in controlling dosages. The mucilage in bladderwrack softens the skin and the mucous membranes - a fact that probably accounts for its use on the skin and in treating throat irritations.
General Herb Information
Habitat: Submerged rocks along seacoasts.
Range: Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America; Atlantic coast of Europe.
Identification: A light yellow to brownish-green perennial seaweed, bladderwrack grows about halfway between the high- and low-water marks. It has a branched, ribbonlike plant body that reaches 2-3 feet high when held afloat by water during high tide. The plant anchors itself to rocks by means of a rootlike suction disc at the base. Air-filled oval bladders, 1/2 inch in diameter, usually occur along the body's midrib and keep the plant afloat. Each branch ends in a fruiting structure.
User Group Forum
Share your questions and information with the ZooScape community!
Be the first to post!
Directions
Take 1 capsule, 3 times daily, with meals.
Additional Information
The TerraVita Premium Collection uses only the finest, purest and most potent plant extracts from around the world.
The TerraVita Premium Collection is hallmarked by the highest possible standards of purity, potency, stability and freshness. Our highest possible standards are certified by independent laboratories and backed by our personal guarantee.
The TerraVita Premium Collection is packed in child-proof, tamper-proof pharmaceutical-grade recyclable containers.
ZooScape is proud to be the exclusive distributor of TerraVita teas, herbs and supplements in the United States, Canada and around the world. Please direct all wholesale and bulk inquiries to Simona Heather at 905-494-1785.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Products are intended to support general well being and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. If conditions persist, please seek advice from your medical doctor. The essence of the current American rule on Traditional Uses is, as stated by FTC, "Claims based on historical or traditional use should be substantiated by confirming scientific evidence, or should be presented in such a way that consumers understand that the sole basis for the claim is a history of use of the product for a particular purpose."
