Why is Edible Seaweed so healthy for us?
I am always talking about how we all need to be adding more greens into our diet! (And that’s where we need to be getting our iron and protein from!). A commonly overlooked source of greens are marine greens – that is all types of edible seaweed and plants that live in the sea.
Edible seaweed types have been a centuries-long staple of many cultures and are full of vital minerals and vitamins! Edible seaweed is also a fibre and iodine rich source of nutrition – two things which are often lacking in standard western diets. Iodine is REALLY important for women to keep their thyroid and hormones functioning well.
An important source of B12 for Vegans:
A recent study also found that consuming seaweed can also be an important source of B12 for vegans and they should be able to meet the recommended dietary needs of B12 through eating seaweed alone! (the study tested nori but there are plenty of other seaweeds that also contain B12).
B12 is actually a type of bacteria mostly found in soil. Traditionally we would have got plenty of B12 just from growing food ourselves and eating organic. Not all marine algae are edible some contain acids that can irritate your digestive tract and freshwater algae are toxic to us.
However, there are many many varieties of edible seaweed that are really healthy and good for our bodies! Marine greens are also really amazing for our skin because they contains loads of skin nourishing nutrients and essential fatty acids.
6 Different types of Edible Seaweed to try
Green Algae Varieties:
1. Spirulina
Apparently, spirulina was around long before we even arrived on the planet! Spirulina is very nutrient dense and is made up of around 55%-70% protein (which is much more than red meat or even soy!) (1). It also contains a wide variety of amino acids and includes gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), linoleic acid, arachidonic acid, beta-carotene, B12, iron, calcium, chlorophyll and phycocyanin – the latter is only found in blue green algae (1).
Spirulina also contains the compound zeaxanthin which is really amazing for our eye health and it helps to protect the eye against the common diseases of ageing. This miracle food also boosts immune function and helps to support our kidneys, heart and liver (1). Spirulina also helps our bodies to naturally cleanse, detoxify and purify our blood (1).
It is also full of antioxidants and reduces body wide inflammation (which has links with all major diseases of ageing). Because it is high is so many vitamins and minerals it provides a super-charged energy boost to whoever consumes it! Is there anything that this ancient super food doesn’t do?!
How do you eat it?
You can buy powdered spirulina from most health food shops or organic groceries. It has a really strong taste! You can just simply add a spoonful to water and drink it everyday as an addition to the greens that you currently eat. You can also easily add it into your smoothies which can help disguise the strong flavour.
Add it into your home made hummus, salad dressing, or energy bars. Spirulina is best consumed raw but you can still get half as much benefits if it is cooked so you could try adding it into your tofu scramble on the weekends or as a healthy addition to home made pastas and soups.
2. Chlorella
Chlorella is very similar to spirulina in that it is one of the oldest life forms on earth! Chlorella is actually a single celled organism with a nucleus where spirulina is multi celled (fun fact!). NASA has actually been conducting experiments with chlorella (for space food!) because it contains pretty much everything we need to sustain human life.
It is also a super powerful whole-body detoxify-er! If you think your body is particularly toxic and you might have a build up of heavy metals in your system (go get a hair strand test – available at some natural health food shops) or visit a naturopath and get a customised protocol. Suddenly starting chlorella without expert knowledge and guidance can make you very sick as your body can start detoxing very quickly so it’s something that you want to begin slowly and then build up over time as your body becomes more accustomed to it.
Chlorella contains unique properties which allow heavy metals and unwanted chemicals to bind to it in order to remove them from the body (2). Chlorella is a great source of B vitamins, amino acids, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, phosphorous, biotin, protein, iron, and magnesium and also contains nutrients in much higher concentrated amounts than spirulina (3).
It also helps to boost immune function and has been shown to increase “natural killer” cells (3). Consuming chlorella regularly can be a great preventive method against the build up of heavy metals and dangerous chemicals in our body’s organs and soft tissues (3). Chlorella is often used by naturopathic doctors to help remove chemotherapy and radiation drugs from people who are fighting cancer.
How do you eat it?
You can buy powered chlorella and also find it in tablet form. Chlorella needs to be eaten raw and you can easily add into into a glass of water, fresh juice or smoothie. Or easily sprinkle it into a salad or muesli. Do not take vitamin C with chlorella or within three hours of taking chlorella!
For the best detoxifying properties and to reduce your chances of feeling unwell it is better to take small amounts or chlorella throughout the day. Again it is best to see a holistic health doctor get your heavy metal toxicity checked and get a proper protocol developed just for your own needs!
Red Algae Varieties:
3. Nori
Nori is probably one of the more commonly consumed edible seaweeds as it is traditionally what is used to encase sushi! Nori contains a huge range of nutrients and is composition even resembles human blood! Due to this it is absolutely excellent at helping to keep our blood healthy and clean (4).
Nori contains many key nutrients that we are often deficient in these days. High in calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, selenium zinc plus many more (4). Nori is also claimed to contain up to ten times more calcium than milk!
It is also very high in vitamin C which helps to make the iron content of the seaweed more available to our bodies (4). Nori also contains chlorophyl which is super effective at helping our bodies to detox (4). It is also really high fibre – perfect for our digestive health and high protein!
How do you eat it?
You can buy the flat sheets of nori from any supermarket to make your own sushi or to cut up and eat as a snack. You can also buy special snack packs of nori squares which are great for kids! (my daughter is somewhat of an addict!). It is really easy to make vegan sushi at home (although a little time consuming so it makes for the perfect Sunday afternoon activity!).
You will need to buy and cook the special sushi rice then try adding combinations of avocado, nut cheese, pineapple, carrot, capsicum, marinated cooked tofu, sesame seeds – the list is really endless, get creative! You can also eat it like a wrap and put cooked veggies inside or spread some hummus, nut cheese or sprouts inside and then roll it up. Or chop it up small and sprinkle it on top of your salads and soups! I recently also saw small cupcake cups made from nori!
4. Dulse
Like many other seaweeds dulse is very rich in fibre and protein along with vitamins, trace minerals, essential fatty acids and those all important antioxidants! Dulse is also fantastic for bone health because of its high mineral content of calcium, magnesium and iron (5). Dulse is also an excellent source of potassium which has strong links with heart health (5).
Potassium acts as a vasodilator and can help to naturally lower blood pressure and also work to reduce any strain and damage to arteries and blood vessels (5). Due to it’s high iodine content dulse also works to strength the thyroid gland and strengthen the overall nervous system (5). Dulse is also very iron rich which helps to aid in the production of hemoglobin and increase circulation and blood flow around the body, particularly to the brain! (5)
How do you eat it?
Dulse looks somewhat similar to red lettuce! It is hard to find fresh dulse so you will mostly buy it dried in packets online. Apparently when you pan fry dulse it can take on some savory and smokey characteristics that very closely resemble bacon! This makes dulse perfect to add as a garnish to soups and also into sandwiches and salads for some tasty crunch.
Kelp:
5. Wakame
Wakame has many positive characteristics similar to other types of edible seaweed. A recent study has also found that it may be particularly useful in helping to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Because it contains high levels of calcium, iron and manganese it also been linked with helping to naturally balance out hormones and reduce PMS symptoms (apparently wakame has around four times the iron content that beef has!).
This gives it fertility boosting characteristics due to it’s high level of antioxidants and ability to regulate hormones (6). Wakame is also super rich in iron and those omega 3 fatty acids – which are really important for our skin and brain health!
Wakame also contains B12 which is great for vegans and vegetarians to get their B12 in! And it also helps our liver to produce DHA another important omega 3 fatty acid that we need for our optimal brain health (6). Wakame has also been proven to been preventative against diabetes because it can help to reverse insulin resistance caused by a high fat diet (6).
How do you eat it?
You can by dried Wakame in bags from an Asian grocer or online. You can sprinkle the dried seaweed on top of your breakfast or bring it back to life and soak it in warm water for around five minutes then drain and rinse to create a yummy seaweed salad! Wakame is also the perfect seaweed to add into your miso soup for a extra nutritious boost.
6. Kombu:
Kombu is a type of edible Kelp found in sea forests. The nature in how it grows allows it to absorb a large variety of nutrients (7). Kombu originates from Japan and has been widely used there for centuries! Kombu is highly anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting! And it contains plenty of minerals that our bodies need including calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc (7).
It is also super high in iodine more so that any other seaweed! As mentioned before iodine is super important for thyroid hormone synthesis and also has links with our heart health (7). However, don’t get too much of a good thing and make sure you mix up your edible seaweeds and use them sparingly – a little goes a long way for your overall heath and nutrition.
How do you eat it?
Kombu contains various amino acids that help our bodies to better break down the starches found in beans. Soak your beans overnight then add a strip of kombu while you cook them! Kombu can also be used to make a stock called ‘Dashi’ – no other seaweed has this ability.
This makes kombu perfect for making delicious, nutritious soups, sauces and stews out of! You can also cut it into strips steam it then add it into your next nourish or buddha bowl. Kombu can also be powered and added as a sprinkle over veggies and rice. Boiling kombu with beans or as a stock also helps to reduce it’s iodine content ♡
Links:
1 – What Exactly is Spirulina? from Nutrex Hawaii
2 – Chlorella from Wellness Mama
3 – Seven Proven Benefits of Chlorella from Dr Axe
4 – Nori ‘The Superfood You Should be Eating’ from Ceres Organics
5 – Dulse from Organic Facts
6 – Wakame from Dr Axe
7 – Kombu from Dr Axe
If you live in New Zealand you can also order a wide variety of edible seaweed from Pacific Harvest!
(Photo: Natural Geographic)
*Last page update: 19/5/22*