Many New Englanders this time of year go to the beach and often have a variety of seafood: cod, salmon, swordfish, shellfish, etc. but did you know that sea vegetables are more and more becoming a larger part of the seafood category? While the Japanese were one of the first groups of people to jump onto the benefits of seaweed, the nutritional benefits are quite surprising! Seaweed has been known to be nourishing for those who have certain deficiencies.
Check out some of the key nutritional benefits of seaweed below. 93 Bio-available nutrients have been identified in Seaweed… more than any other class of food!
Iodine, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, B-Complex, Protein, Amino Acids, Fatty Acids, Chlorophyll, Antioxidants, Myostatin, Antibodies, Fucoidan, Alginate, Laminarin, Glyconutrients, Lignans, Sulfate, Galactans, Phloroglucinols
In addition to the key nutritional benefits, there are 56 minerals and trace elements in seaweed: it is very high in Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Iron & Iodine, Perfect Potassium to Sodium ration.
Seaweed is also Antiviral, Antibacterial, Antiparasitic has more vitamin C than oranges, 10x the calcium in milk, 25x the iron in beef
Nutritional experts recommend eating seaweed from all three-color groups:
Green: Sea Lettuce, Spongeweed, Ulva
Brown: Kelp, Wrack, Bladderwrack, Wake, Combo, Fucus
Red: Dulse, Nnori, Laver, Irish Moss, Carrageen Moss
Many of the above nutrients are helpful for those who have an autoimmune disease, to eat the vitamins, minerals and trace elements already found in food that their autoimmune disease is causing a deficiency in.
At the co-op, there are many products available in our snack and international food aisles that have seaweed as a key ingredient. Aside from grounding up sheets of seaweed used for sushi making, there is a popular seasoning called Nori Fume Furikake. It only has organic seaweed, organic sesame, salt and sugar and is great to mix in with some California Jasmine Rice that is found in our bulk section.
Seaweed has also been beneficial as a natural seaweed supplement for dogs, cats, birds, fish, horses and other farm animals.
Below are some recipe suggestions to use these products to incorporate seaweed’s nutritional benefits into your diet. These have been reposted with permission from NCG:
Asian Cabbage Salad with Pan-Seared Tofu Steaks
Orange Wakame Salad
If you are someone who happens to fear seaweed while swimming in the ocean, the ugly truth is that seaweed has a lot of nutritional value that can provide a huge source of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are important for your day-to-day diet.
Sourced from: www.allnaturalpetcare.com
FDA Disclaimer: Statements on this website may not have been evaluated by the FDA, Health Canada nor any other government regulator. The information and products provided by AllNaturalPetCare.com are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and are intended for educational purposes only.
