How and where on earth can we start trying to condense the extensive and fascinating health benefits of seaweeds into just a few mouthfuls, pulling together a mountain of scientific research, medical literature, age old cultures & traditions, treatments & therapies without being too wordy?!

THE BASICS

Seaweeds are the most powerful food that we have on this planet. It contains all the minerals that our body needs and has the highest number of vitamins, minerals and trace elements of any other food group. Unsurprisingly, it has played a vital part in the diets of a large number of cultures, including the Inuit, Japanese, Incas and the Irish. Did you know that the Inuit get all their vitamin C from seaweeds?

Seaweeds contain unique compounds that help the body remain healthy. Plus, they taste amazing and has wonderfully unique cooking properties too!

ARE SEAWEEDS REALLY THAT SPECIAL?

Seaweeds live in a very complex environment and are exposed to extreme and rapidly changing environmental conditions, including great changes in salinity, desiccation, exposure to high UV-radiation, temperature and nutrients. To survive and adapt to these conditions they have developed special mechanisms that are unique or are present at much higher concentrations than in any other plant or animal1. These mechanisms include chemical components which cannot be found in other organisms and many of these prove to be very valuable for human health.

A wide range of benefits, from reducing the risk of disease to improving the state of health or well-being, have been attributed to various seaweed species. Here is a list of some of the health properties of seaweed.

SEAWEED CONTAINS

  1. more vitamins, minerals and proteins than any land vegetable
  2. Many Vitamin B’s including Vitamin B12 (particularly useful for vegetarians and vegans)
  3. important quantities of iodine
  4. antioxidants
  5. many essential amino-acids (proteins) and fatty acids
  6. essential glyconutrients (essential for the immune system)
  7. a perfect Potassium – Sodium ratio (2.4:1)
  8. natural antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and anti-parasitic substances
  9. myostatine (counteracts deformities in muscle development)
  10. easily absorbable calcium
  11. large amounts of fibre
  12. very little fat, but the fat it contains is high in unsaturated and omega-3 fat

(The above list is adapted from www.zeewierwijzer.nl/zeewier-voeding/nutritionele-voordelen.html)

Together with its low fat content (a few % only) and relatively high unsaturated fat percentage seaweeds make for very healthy food which, when consumed regularly, can greatly enhance a balanced diet.

 

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