I have read that algin is made from kelp. Kelp is LOADED with iodine and I have read in a number of places that someone like me with autoimmune thyroid disease has to be careful not to get a lot of iodine.
2 Questions:
1. Is there anything else that does the same job of binding mercury in the intestine as algin??
2. I read in Hal Huggins' book "It's All in Your Head" that kelp is another source of mercury! Does anyone know anything about this?

I think because the alginate in Kelp attracts mercury, unless the kelp or alginate comes from good seas and a quality manufacturer, then someone taking it might just be putting in more mercury.

Yes, algin is derived from brown seaweeds like kelp. This is why it is SO important to be sure you get your supplements from a reputable company that tests for heavy metal contaminants, pesticides, etc.

In the U.S., there is no mandatory regulation requiring such tests to be performed, to my knowledge, EXCEPT in California. Proposition 65 requires such testing to make sure products sold within California do not contain any hazardous materials at harmful concentrations.

Nature's Sunshine voluntarily complys with this California law even though they are in another state. In addition, Nature's Sunshine's Quality Assurance Department uses the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) to screen raw material for unwanted compounds. This device can detect the presence of elements down to parts per million.

This is exactly why I use Nature's Sunshine products almost exclusively. I depend on Algin for my long-term mercury detox and I've never had any reaction to it (not even before they started complying with Proposition 65).

I don't know if other companies do such careful testing of their raw materials. Based on the feedback I've heard from friends and customers about other products they've tried, it would seem that a lot of other companies don't.

If you're going to use "sea-derived" supplements (i.e. kelp, fish oils, etc.) from another company, make sure you find out what kind of testing they do and if they reject raw materials that contain heavy metal contaminants.

Thanks, Laura, This is very helpful to know. I thought, if algin is a mercury magnet, then it must be so in its home environment also, and must be loaded with mercury if the area it is in is toxic. Therefore, it is good that there is a company testing for this.
Last night, I noticed a post that mentioned that algin is just one part of the seaweed with everything else removed, so I guess the iodine is not an issue.

I recently contacted NSP's Health Sciences department to ask if Algin contains iodine. The Health Sciences department was kind enough to email me the following response, which confirmed my theory that there is little or no iodine in algin.