In communities along the coasts of Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries, seaweed is a dietary staple. In centuries past, the inhabitants of coastal European countries enjoyed seaweed as well, including those living in Scotland, Ireland and England. Ten thousand types of seaweed dwell in our oceans, and the many edible seaweeds available are healthy foods to add to your diet, according to the website of the European Union Food Information Council, or EUFIC.
Description
Most people are familiar with the red seaweed, nori, used in the preparation of sushi. The Welsh name for nori is laver, and in Scotland it is called sloke, where the people cooked it as bread, according to EUFIC. A kind of salt-water algae, seaweed must be exposed sunlight to grow. Healthy seaweeds such as raw sea lettuce and sea grass are used in salads. Other widely available culinary seaweeds are dulse, kombu, arame, hijiki and wakame. Yogurt, puddings and other processed foods often contain the seaweed products agar-agar or carrageenan, which are full of water-soluble fiber and are used as thickeners.
Nutrition
Dried seaweed is a healthy food and contains high levels of calcium, fiber and iron. A good source for vitamins A, C and E, it also contains iodine, a necessary nutrient for the thyroid. The EUFIC notes that certain varieties contain considerable amounts of protein. For vegans, seaweed provides vitamin B-12, a micronutrient rarely found in plant sources.
Health Benefits
Brown and red seaweeds contain carbohydrate structures called sulfated polysaccharides. Medical research has found that these structures act against herpes simplex virus, which can cause herpes, and cytomegalovirus, a virus that often infects immunosuppressed patients, according to a 1997 article in "General Pharmacology." The article also notes that sulfated polysaccharides show promise as the active ingredient in a vaginal cream to prevent HIV infection.
Safety
Seaweed can absorb high levels of metals, iodine and sodium from the ocean, which can be detrimental to your health. The German government has advised the European Union to ascertain safe upper limits for iodine in seaweed consumables. Additionally, the United Kingdom Food Standards agency cautions that hijiki should not be eaten due to its high levels of arsenic, according to the EUFIC website. Be sure to purchase seaweed from reputable growers and harvesters.
References
- "Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry"; Suppression by Fucoidan of Liver Fibrogenesis ; San-Wong Hong, et al.; 2011
- "Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry"; Suppression by Fucoidan of Liver Fibrogenesis via the TGF-β/Smad Pathway in Protecting against Oxidative Stress; 2011
- European Union Food Information Council; Seaweed: Exploring Its Nutritional Value; October 2010
- "General Pharmacology"; Sulfated Polysaccharides Extracted from Sea Algae as Potential Antiviral Drugs; M/ Witvrouw et al.; October 1997
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