Seaweed

Seaweed and Sea Vegetables

Seaweeds are not animals or plants, but are actually classified as algae.  Biologists prefer the term “marine macroalgae” (meaning large plants living in the ocean) to seaweeds.  Edible seaweed is very thin and membranous, and types are classified as brown, red and green based on the color of their pigment.  It is gathered from the rocky places where it grows along the ocean coast and may be dried and eaten as a sea vegetable.

Sea vegetables contain pheophytin, which has anti-inflammatory properties.  They contain lignans, which are plant compounds with anti-cancer properties.  They are a source of high levels of iodine, which promotes healthy thyroid function.  Sea vegetables are also a source of folate, which is needed to prevent certain birth defects and to promote cardiovascular health.  They also contain magnesium, calcium and iron.  Sea vegetables are the original food source that monosodium glutamate (MSG) was mass-produced from in the early 1900’s.           

There is evidence that seaweeds have been consumed for over 10,000 years.  Sea vegetables have been used as food by people living in coastal regions, particularly in Japan and Korea, but also China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Peru, Canada, Scandinavia, Ireland, Wales, Philippines and Scotland.

• Porphyra is a red alga.  In Japan itis dried and formed into sheets called nori which is commonly used in soups and for wrapping sushi.  It is a dark purple-black color that turns phosphorescent green when toasted.  In Wales it is used to make a traditional Welsh delicacy called laverbread. 
• Kelp is light brown or green and is often available in flake form.
• Hijiki has a strong flavor and looks like small strands of black wiry pasta.
• Wakame is dark in color and is usually sold in strips or sheets.  It is commonly used to make miso soup.
• Dulse has a soft, chewy texture and is red in color.
• Seaweed byproducts such as agars, carrageenans and alginates are added to many processed foods for their gelling and thickening properties.

Though medicinal benefits of many marine algae have not yet been substantiated, seaweed has a long and varied history of use for its healing properties.  As an herbal medicine, sea vegetables are traditionally used for treating cough, asthma, hemorrhoids, boils, goiter, stomach ailments, urinary diseases and for reducing the incidence of tumors, ulcers and headaches.  Various species of seaweed have been used in China for the treatment of cancer, in obstetrics to dilate the cervix and in bone-replacement therapy.  Consumption of sea vegetables has been linked to lowering cholesterol levels and providing anti-viral protection.  In addition, seaweed is considered to have antibiotic properties.

Ideas to increase sea vegetables

• Slice nori into small strips and sprinkle on top of salads
• Use kelp flakes instead of salt to season foods at the table
• Combine hijiki with shredded carrots, ginger, olive oil and tamari
• Add sea vegetables to miso soup
• Make homemade vegetable sushi rolls by wrapping rice and vegetables in sheets of nori
• Add kombu to the cooking water of dried beans.  It will expedite the cooking process and reduce the flatulence sometimes caused by the natural compounds found in beans.
• Store sea vegetables in tightly sealed containers at room temperature and they will stay fresh for several months.

Resources:

Edible Seaweed
Simon Fraser University
www.sfa.ca
Accessed July 7, 2006

Monosodium Glutamate
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org
Accessed July 26, 2006

Scottish Seaweeds in Medicine
Flora Celtica website
http://193.62.154.38/celtica/Medicineb.htm
Accessed June 15, 2006

Sea Vegetables
The World’s Healthiest Foods
www.whfoods.com
Accessed July 18, 2006

Seaweed
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org
Accessed July 7, 2006

Seaweed, kelp, raw
National Agricultural Laboratory
United States Department of Agriculture
www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp
Accessed July 7, 2006

The Seaweed Site
National University of Ireland, Galway
www.seaweed.ie
Accessed July 18, 2006

Original Research and Review Articles

Dang DH et al.  Nutritional analysis of Vietnamese seaweeds for food and medicine.  Biofactors.  2004:22;323-325.

Teas J et al.  Algae – a poor man’s HAART?  Medical Hypotheses.  2004:62;507-510.

Yamori Y, et al.  Implications from and for food cultures for cardiovascular diseases:  Japanese food, particularly Okinawan diets.  Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  2001;10;144-145.