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I know that with some herbs, our home "processing" of them helps to release certain elements; such as when we introduce boiling water to a dried herb to make a tea, or make a "decoction" of a dried root (bringing to the boil, then simmering for 15 minutes) Or making an alcoholic tincture of the herb or root, where the properties are drawn out slowly into the medium over a period of 6 weeks or longer.
For instance, allicin (in raw garlic) is only activated by crushing the clove, or finely chopping then allowing to stand for a few minutes. Alternatively, chewing it helps release the allicin. Swallowing a whole clove would be useless. And quite often, garlic powder in capsules is not nearly as potent as the raw clove eaten (with food)
Dried powders, added to capsules and swallowed work for some things well, and not so much for other things.
For a herb/food such as Kelp, then I am unsure. I feel in capsule form....would there be enough volume of the herb consumed to make any noticeable difference? Even using 00 capsules you may have to swallow a lot of those to get a workable dose. I am guessing a teaspoonful 3 times a day? That may be 9 capsules a day or so....
Kelp can be added to soups and stews easily, and is very nutritious and pleasant to eat like that. But I do agree. Get a reputable source, as some sources can be polluted.
The one thing about capsules is they are fast and easy. But I feel that sometimes the slower old fashioned methods of taking herbal medicines might be the best.
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