Edible algae, more commonly known as seaweed and collectively called sea vegetables, comes in a range of shapes, tastes and textures, and it’s not just for wrapping sushi rolls. While some parts of the world like Japan, China and Korea have embraced seaweed as food for centuries, few Westerners put seaweed on their weekly grocery lists. There’s reason for you to considerate adding it, however. Seaweed is rich in essential vitamins and minerals and naturally low-fat.
Seaweed Nutrient Value
Seaweed absorbs minerals from the sea, making it a concentrated source of trace elements needed for human nutrition. A typical serving of dried kombu seaweed contains significantly more calcium than a cup of milk, according to the European Food Information Council. Seaweed is also rich in iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and vitamin K and contains useful amounts of vitamin E, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin and folate. In addition, seaweed is high in soluble fiber and, if you're like most Americans, you're not getting enough. A bonus if you're vegetarian: seaweed is one of the few plant sources of B-12.
Three Common Types of Seaweed
Nori is one of the most common types of seaweed. Purplish-black in color, with a very thin and flat texture, it has a slightly sweet, somewhat meaty flavor. It’s one of the most nutritious types of seaweeds. Kombu is a large, thick, brown alga with a savory, mushroomlike flavor. Brown algae are known for their rich iodine content, which is lacking in nori and other red seaweeds. Dulse is another common seaweed; it's a thin, red alga with a nutty, smoky flavor. It's richer in nutrients than spinach, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What Scientists Say
If the nutrition value of edible algae is not enough to convince you to add it to your diet, consider that brown seaweed may prevent cancer, according to a review published in the September 2013 edition of the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. Fucoidan, a major polysaccharide component of brown seaweed, causes death in cancer cells and prevents cancer from spreading and invading healthy cells, wrote the authors of the study.
Incorporating Algae Into Your Diet
Seaweed is a versatile food, making it easy to add to your diet. Add dried flakes to your soup stocks to enhance salty, savory flavor profiles. Saute fresh seaweed in stir-fry dishes, or use it in place of other dark eafy vegetables in your salads. Experiment with different recipes, adding it to casseroles, pasta dishes and stews, as well as lightly toasting it and eating it as a snack.
Global demand for macroalgal and microalgal foods is growing, and algae are increasingly being consumed for functional benefits beyond the traditional considerations of nutrition and health. There is substantial evidence for the health benefits of algal-derived food products, but there remain considerable challenges in quantifying these benefits, as well as possible adverse effects. First, there is a limited understanding of nutritional composition across algal species, geographical regions, and seasons, all of which can substantially affect their dietary value. The second issue is quantifying which fractions of algal foods are bioavailable to humans, and which factors influence how food constituents are released, ranging from food preparation through genetic differentiation in the gut microbiome. Third is understanding how algal nutritional and functional constituents interact in human metabolism. Superimposed considerations are the effects of harvesting, storage, and food processing techniques that can dramatically influence the potential nutritive value of algal-derived foods. We highlight this rapidly advancing area of algal science with a particular focus on the key research required to assess better the health benefits of an alga or algal product. There are rich opportunities for phycologists in this emerging field, requiring exciting new experimental and collaborative approaches.
Seaweeds offer a wide range of therapeutic possibilities both internally and externally. The term seaweeds refer only to macrophytic marine algae, both wild and cultivated, growing in saltwater. Botanically, seaweeds are classified as green, brown, or red. A particular seaweed’s placement in one of these groups is determined first by its photosynthetic pigments, then its reproductive mode, then its micro and macro morphologies, and finally by its phycopolymers. In the last three decades the discovery of metabolites with biological activities from macroalgae has increased significantly. However, despite the intense research effort by academic and corporate institutions, very few products with real potential have been identified or developed. Substances that currently receive most attention from pharmaceutical companies for use in drug development or from researchers in the field of medicine-related research include: sulphated polysaccharides as antiviral substances, halogenated furanones from Delisea pulchra as antifouling compounds, and kahalalide F from a species of Bryopsis as a possible treatment of lung cancer, tumours and AIDS. Other substances such as macroalgal lectins, fucoidans, kainoids and aplysiatoxins are routinely used in biomedical research and a multitude of other substances have known biological activities. Fucus vesiculosus is a brown seaweed that grows on the northern coasts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and the North and Baltic seas. This species is often included in kelp preparations along with other types of seaweed. As an herbal medicine, seaweed has been used for traditional cosmetics, treatments for cough, asthma, hemorrhoid, boils, goiters, stomach ailments, and urinary diseases, and for reducing the incidence of tumors, ulcers, and headaches.
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