Hidden Username
Agree on that.
I'm a "why" kind of guy and like to know reasons behind things. One puzzling aspect has been why some people who drink the molasses and kelp deal have had bad experiences. I don't purport to know the answer, but submit the following possible explanations.
We know molasses has substantial copper in it. It could be that there are some people who are already borderline high in copper levels relative to zinc and other trace minerals, and when they ingest the blackstrap, it puts them over the edge. It may not be the copper even, the same argument could possibly be applicable to manganese in the blackstrap also. For most people, it is not a problem, but for those few it could be. In those cases, I'd suggest the persons analyze their lifestyles - are they cooking on bare copper pans ? Do their homes have copper plumbing and the water is just below pH of 7 ? These are unknowns that the people themselves need to look at.
Additionally, not all molasses is created equally. There is undoubtedly variance from batch to batch, depending on the sugar plantation where the cane is grown, and what they do to the soils such as fertilizer. These plantations aren't typically in the USA and subject to EPA regulation, and God only knows what they might be doing to the soil. Whatever it is, it probably isn't that bad, except for one thing which is that people do make mistakes. It could be that some batches of blackstrap are super-high in copper, manganese, etc. and the next batch is not due to processing variances. Unfortunately each bottle does not contain a lot analysis. Maybe someone else can take these theories farther...
But in any event, inherently, molasses and kelp should pose no problems for most and should provide benefits.
Let me add however that if I were to imbibe in it, (and I do take molasses by the spoonful), I'd probably ditch the hydroxide and in its place I'd add potassium citrate at a concentration of between about 0.7 and 1.0 grams per quart. Calc hydroxide is a 2:1 electrolyte which reduces the blood colloid's zeta potential, whereas the citrate when consumed at that level adds dispersivity, it being a 1:3 electrolyte. I think then you'd have a near-perfect drink.
best regards,
Chrsi