Algin is a non-digestible dietary fiber found in brown seaweeds such as kelp. Algin has the unique quality of being able to absorb large quantities of water—it can swell to approximately 25 to 35 times its original bulk in an alkaline environment. In the intestines, algin exerts a bulk laxative action, binding to toxins to inhibit their absorption, then promoting their excretion by drawing these substances out of the body.1-5

Researchers classify algin as a high-molecular-weight polysaccharide (the major polysaccharide in brown seaweeds) and a hydrophilic colloidal substance (hydrophilic—readily absorbs moisture; colloid—microscopic particles suspended in some sort of liquid medium).4-6

Algin has been shown to protect against radioactive and heavy-metal contaminants by binding (or chelating) with these toxins in the gastrointestinal tract and forming an insoluble “gel-like” salt (sodium alginate) that is then excreted in the feces. Research conducted in the early 1970’s found that algin absorbs radioactive materials, including strontium-90, barium, cadmium, manganese, mercury, tin and zinc. Additional studies have determined that algin exhibits a high specificity for the binding of strontium in particular.5,7,8


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