(NaturalNews) Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus), a brown seaweed similar to kelp, gets its name from the air sacs that keep the plant afloat in cold sea water. Bladderwrack is a great plant source of iodine thatis essential for the human body, but the body cannot make on its own. Iodine is needed for the thyroid gland to do its job. Without iodine, the thyroid cannot produce enough hormones. This is especially important in women's health because one of the consequences of an under-performing thyroid isthe inabilityto ovulate. In pregnancy, low thyroid function can cause high blood pressure in the mother and impaired mental function in the baby.