Seakura Grows the Solution for the Next Pandemic - Iodine Deficiency

While the world was preoccupied with the coronavirus pandemic, another pandemic was continuing to cause significant physical damage. The list of its negative effects is nothing less than surprising – from attention and concentration problems, through neurological disorders to abnormal brain development in children. It also causes fertility problems, fatigue and lack of energy, is responsible for hair loss and hormonal imbalance and, in fact, for a long list of symptoms due to abnormal functioning of the thyroid gland. Pregnant women may even experience miscarriages or premature birth as a result.

All of these phenomena can be attributed to a lack of the mineral iodine. Just a small iodine deficiency can lead to major systemic disruption and somehow, in the absence of sufficient awareness, this fact escaped the media radar. Lack of iodine has already resulted in a 40% increase in the consumption of drugs to treat the thyroid gland in recent years and it turns out that two billion people in the world currently suffer from it. The data show that one in eight women suffers or will suffer from thyroid problems due to a lack of iodine, as do 65% of children. In the latter, a lack of iodine during the fetal period can lead to developmental delay in extreme cases.

So why is this happening? There are several hypotheses. The increasing use of desalinated seawater, reduced consumption of milk (by vegetarians and vegans), lack of iodine in food due to the depletion of minerals in the soil, and more.

"Today it is difficult to get the daily iodine intake needed by a person from food alone," says nutritionist Avital Harel, who is the VP of Marketing and Business Development at the Israeli company Seakura, which develops seaweed-based dietary supplements that contain natural iodine. “In order to reach the required level of iodine you need to eat at least ten eggs a day, or about half a kilo of fish. That’s impossible. In contrast, seaweed contains everything we need. Truly a gift from nature. In fact, it is extremely rich in minerals – not only iodine but also calcium and magnesium – and is an excellent source of antioxidants. Seakura seaweed, for example, contains minerals, protein (32%), vitamins and dietary fiber (38%). If you will, it is a multi-mineral, a complete food, whole from nature."

Growing the same quality seaweed throughout the year

Seakura was founded in 2007 by businessman Yossi Karta, who is guided by a vision to feed the world's population with seaweed. Although he owns several companies, Seakura is the closest to his heart. He established a farm in Mikhmoret, where organic seaweed is grown on land using sustainable technology. Over the years, the farm has become a role model and attracts researchers and entrepreneurs from all over the world.

"We developed a unique patent-protected technology, for growing seaweed in ponds on land," says Harel. "The process begins with pumping water from the depths of the sea and continues with cleaning the water from biological pollutants and pesticides through a filtration process done using sand. The water is transferred to the ponds and then returned clean to the sea. The controlled conditions in the ponds allow the seaweed to be grown throughout the year and control its growth so that it contains the essential nutrients, in a more concentrated amount than in the sea.

Until 2015 the company was mainly engaged in research and development. Since then, it has successfully produced seaweed in commercial quantities, as well as dietary supplements and food products intended for export abroad. "The formulas we developed include 150 Mcg of natural iodine, the daily dose recommended by the Israeli Ministry of Health, the FDA and the European equivalent. Some products also contain probiotic bacteria and turmeric to create a strong and fast therapeutic effect. In addition, we have developed an entire line of food products that also contain complete protein, minerals, nutritional fiber which help with weight loss and reduce sugar and antioxidants. In Israel we market health crackers, such as spelt crackers, and in Canada we market gluten-free pastas – based on lentils, quinoa and corn – various dips and even delicious and healthy falafel for baking. And in all these products, we have incorporated seaweed as an integral component."

Seaweed as a biological filter

Seakura's vision is to expand its scope and, in the future, to also produce cosmetics, animal feed and even medical products. But in order to realize the vision, huge investments are required and Seakura is currently working to recruit strategic collaborations. "Seaweed is a raw material that can provide a wide spectrum of solutions, and our technology has numerous potential uses related to different industries," concludes Harel. "We are currently looking for investors, distributors and manufacturers, around the world, to collaborate in marketing our dietary supplements and food products abroad and in developing the great economic potential inherent in the seaweed market."

In collaboration with Seakura