Seaweeds are remarkable for the sheer number of nutrients they contain. A more accurate term would be sea vegetable. Of course, now that we are aware of their value, they are grown commercially.
Some of the wild versions are actually in danger of being over harvested and there are laws about when and who can harvest them. Luckily, you cannot patent an entire plant and, so for not much money, you can receive amazing health dividends by consuming sea vegetables.
You’re probably aware of sea vegetables from eatng sushi, but they are useful in many other ways. There are French texts dated from the 1890s that talk about the anti -cellulite properties of sea plants. Nowadays, people in the spa industry know that the iodine in seaweed somehow stimulates the body’s own fat removal system.
It may not be scientifically proven, but clients seem to be satisfied for the last 100 years or so. The schlime that forms when sea vegetables are soaked in fresh water is aliginic acid and helps the body to eliminate toxins and increase the ability to discharge harmful substances from the body. For a detoxifying bath add fresh sea vegetables and soak away.
There have been many studies done on sea vegetables in the diet. People who have diets rich in sea vegetables have lower breast cancer rate; less obesity, heart disease, rheumatism, arthritis; lower blood pressure; less thyroid disease; and fewer gastrointestinal problem. Kelp alone has 10 vitamins, 17 amino acids, 20 trace elements, and no calories—talk about a superfood! The 5 most popular seaweeds are:
- Kombu
- Wakame
- Dulse
- Nori
- Arame
You can easily get more seaweed in your diet. Substitute seaweed for salt in reciples. Of course there is sushi (rice and vegetables wrapped in Nori), but you can also crumble it over rice, potatoes or vegetables, make a broth with it, add it to beans to prevent gas, or toss it in a salad. Many supermarkets sell fresh seaweed salad which doesn’t taste fishy and is a wonderful green side dish that goes with many things.
Recently Japanese scientists have found that brown seaweed, used in many Asian soups and salads, contains a compound that appears in animal studies to promote weight loss by reducing the accumulation of fat. Researchers believe the compound, fucoxanthin, could be developed into a natural extract or drug to help fight obesity.
Unless you’re allergic to iodine, there doesn’t appear to be a down side to eating this food.
Related article: Sea Herbs and Vegetables
here on the isle of bute in scotland we harvest bladderwrack for bathing it’s very popular :)