Witnessed by: TCM
Kelp (Laminaria japonica), of the Laminariaceae family. Large brown seaweed with long leathery ribbon-like blades; native range: cold coastal waters of the north-west Pacific, harvested off China, Korea, and Japan. Globally recognized as kun bu (昆布) in Chinese, and sea tangle, kombu in English. The part used is thallus. Broad dark olive-brown fronds, tough and salty, with the cold briny taste of the sea.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
KELP
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- kelp
- Scientific name
- Laminaria japonica Aresch.
- Family
- Laminariaceae
Form
- Part used
- thallus
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- salty
Temperature
- TCM
- cold
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Liver · Stomach · Kidney
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- softens hardness, dissolves phlegm, dissipates nodules, promotes urination and reduces swelling
Cautions
- Contraindications
- caution in Spleen and Stomach cold from deficiency with dampness
- Toxicity
- none significant at customary dose
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