We don’t need much of them—but without them, we can’t function. Trace elements and micronutrients like iron, iodine, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and boron play critical roles in our bone strength, immune defences, hormone balance, brain function, and recovery. Yet they rarely get the spotlight.
These nutrients operate under what we call the Goldilocks principle—you need not too much, not too little, but just right. And getting that balance wrong can quietly undermine health for years before symptoms emerge.
Deficiency is more common than you think
Globally, iron deficiency is one of the most widespread nutrient shortfalls, contributing to persistent fatigue and even 20% of maternal deaths. Iodine deficiency remains the leading cause of childhood brain damage, particularly in regions with low iodine soils. More recently, selenium deficiency has been linked to poorer recovery outcomes from COVID-19 infections, showing how these tiny molecules matter, especially under stress.
Many of us carry lifelong deficiencies without knowing it, until age or illness brings them to light.
Why seaweed is such a potent solution
Unlike land plants grown in depleted soils, seaweed draws from a mineral-rich marine environment. A small amount of seaweed in your daily diet can help bridge gaps, especially for people on low-meat, plant-based, or restricted diets. But not all seaweeds are the same—and not all deliver micronutrients in the same way.
That’s why at PhycoHealth, we’ve made it our mission to track the precise nutrient profiles across different species of seaweed and even different parts of the seaweed tissue. With every product, we calibrate both benefit and safety, and we use only species that we cultivate and test ourselves—including our signature Ulva species 84.
Micronutrient targets in our food range
Our seaweed-enriched products deliver trace elements in a way that is:
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balanced with whole food delivery
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backed by lab assays and research
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and integrated with other functional nutrients like fibre and polyphenols
Here’s how some of our products stack up:
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PhycoMuesli – Contains 10% PhycoNibs™, delivering over 50% RDI manganese, 40% RDI iron, 100% RDI selenium, and beneficial levels of iodine, boron, and magnesium.
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Phettucine, SeaSpirals, and Sea C’s – Whole seaweed meals delivering over 30% magnesium, 40% manganese, 60% boron, 60% iodine, and 100% selenium per serve.
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SeaFibre-3 – A concentrated glycan fibre supplement, with 10–40% of magnesium, boron, iodine, and selenium in a 2g dose.
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PhycoDigest – Focused on gut health polysaccharides, taken in small doses but part of your trace element toolkit when combined with other foods.
From micro to mighty
These minerals don’t just prevent disease—they can enhance energy, mental clarity, physical performance, and long-term resilience. They’re foundational, not optional.
We’ll continue to expand our trace element education in upcoming blogs and newsletters, including deep dives into how each mineral works, and how to safely maintain optimal levels—especially from whole-food, regenerative marine sources.
Let the ocean top up what the land has lost—just enough, and just right.