Seaweed species number in the hundreds, and take many forms and colors. Many varieties of seaweed are used for food, either whole or in the form of additives or stabilizers. Some seaweeds are also used in the manufacture of drugs and some are fed to livestock. Research has revealed a host of healthful benefits of seaweed.
Trace Minerals
Seaweed contains high levels of trace minerals, according to researchers of a study published in the October 2010 "Talanta" journal. The study compared trace mineral content of several forms of seaweed, including seaweed harvested from the Spanish coast, several red and brown Japanese types of seaweed and one green seaweed known as sea lettuce, and found that the greatest digestibility and nutrient availability occurred in dulse--a type of red seaweed. Trace minerals are necessary for a variety of functions in the body and are used in minute--microgram--quantities, as opposed to other minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, that are required in milligram or gram quantities.
Polysaccharides
Polysaccharide compounds in seaweed provide important health benefits, according to a study published in the September 2010 "Phytochemistry" journal. Levels of two compounds in the brown seaweed, Saccharina longicruris, were evaluated in the study: laminaran, known for its anti-tumor and anti-apoptosis--programmed cell death--properties, and galactofucan, known for its blood-thinning, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. Extracts of seaweeds such as Saccharina longicruris, which contain high levels of bioactive compounds, may be useful in commercial dietary supplements and functional foods.
Antioxidants
The brown seaweed, Ascophyllum nodosum, contains considerable amounts of antioxidants that may be helpful for managing diabetes, say researchers of a study published in the April 2010 "Journal of Food Science." Ascophyllum nodosum grows along the Northeast coast of the U.S. The study, which tested extraction methods for the phenolic antioxidant compounds, obtained yields of as much as 4.5mg of antioxidants per gram of seaweed. The researchers reported strong glucose-lowering and antioxidant effects from the seaweed extracted in the study.
Blood Sugar
A study published in the 2010 "Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology" found that eating seaweed decreases diabetes risk. The study included over 3,000 adults between the ages of 20 and 65 years and found that seaweed consumption was associated with less incidence of diabetes and pre-diabetes conditions, with greater protective benefits for men than for women. The researchers noted that seaweed consumption was also associated with higher consumption of other healthy foods such as legumes, fruits, fish and dairy.
References
- "Talanta"; Evaluation of an in vitro method to estimate trace elements bioavailability in edible seaweeds; Domínguez-González R, et al.; 2010
- "Phytochemistry"; Structural characterization of laminaran and galactofucan extracted from the brown seaweed Saccharina longicruris; Rioux LE, et al.; 2010
- "Journal of Food Science"; In vitro potential of Ascophyllum nodosum phenolic antioxidant-mediated alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibition; Apostolidis E, et al.; 2010
- "Journal of Nutrition Science and Vitaminology"; Algae consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2005; Lee HJ, et al.; 2010
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