But some news about arsenic poisoning and kelp supplements this past week caught our eye. A study coming from UC Davis public health researchers reports on a woman who started taking kelp supplements for some mild menopausal symptoms. She took the kelp supplements pretty regularly, and over the course of several months her symptoms went from normal to bad. Nausea, rashes, memory loss. By the end, she couldn’t even remember her own address.

Doctors found she had high levels of arsenic in her body. She stopped taking the supplements -- and all her symptoms went away. Researchers found over-the-top arsenic levels in just about all of the different kelp supplements sent they tested. Arsenic is pretty common in marine plants and animals, but it just usually gets diluted before we eat it.

Kelp is supposed to be good for a variety of things like your memory, skin, and metabolism, although we’ve never actually taken it. (Yes, the link goes to a live web cam of a kelp forest at Monterey…)

We don’t like spreading bad news about any natural or herbal supplements - already enough disbelievers out there keeping good remedies on the fringe. But for those who share in our sludge-free fantasies, always a good reminder to do your research first…

By SFist Jessie