Advantages Of Seaweed Soup

Seaweed soup is a common dish in Asian cuisine. The most well-known seaweed soup is miyeok guk in Korea. The soup uses wakame, or Undaria pinnatifida, algae and is used primarily in Korea and Japan, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Consuming this soup has many health benefits.

Stroke Resistance and Improved Survival Rate

According to John and Jan Belleme in their book "Japanese Foods that Heal," consuming wakame may improve stroke resistance and survival rates for those who experience stroke. This is most likely due to the presence of fucoxanthin, a carotenoid that has been shown to protect brain cells and reduce stroke-related issues in rats, according to a 2003 study conducted by K. Ikeda and colleagues entitled "Effect of Undaria pinnatifida (Wakame) on the Development of Cerebrovascular Diseases in Stroke-Prone Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats" and published in "Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology." Carotenoids are precursors to vitamin A, one of the most powerful antioxidants that protects the body from free-radical damage.

Improved Heart Health

Eating seaweed soup may increase your heart health, as wakame is often associated with a low risk of heart disease, according to Maureen Keane and Daniella Chace in their book, "What to Eat if You Have Heart Disease." Wakame is extremely high in iodine; B-complex vitamins; vitamins D, E and K; and calcium and magnesium, which help to boost immunity. Vitamin K, for example, makes proteins for blood clotting, while iodine helps to stabilize the heart rhythm and control blood pressure.

Anti-Cancer Benefits

Mekabu, which is part of the wakame plant, has a distinctive flavor that adds to the seaweed soup and may provide anti-cancer effects. According to a 2006 study entitled "The Role of NK Cells in Antitumor Activity of Dietary Fucoidan from Undaria pinnatifida Sporophylls" by Hiroko Maruyama and published in "Thieme," mekabu exerted antitumor activity through enhancing the immune response in mice. Additionally, a 2005 study conducted by Hiroomi Funahashi, published in the "Cancer Science" journal, found that mekabu specifically suppressed mammary tumors in an animal model of breast cancer, effectively suppressing three strains of human breast cancer cells.