29 Sep Healthy Benefits of Superfood Sea Vegetables
Considered one of the hottest food trends in 2015, edible sea weed has gained considerable popularity. It is now a common ingredient in such dishes as: chips, snacks, pizza, desserts, sushi and salads.
Studies have shown promising health benefits of sea weed including its potential anticancer effects, digestive health enhancement, therapeutic properties for degenerative diseases, and immune modulating potential. There are also numerous nutritional benefits of seaweed such as it’s high levels of fiber, protein, essential fatty acid content, antioxidants, and carotenoids. Its mineral content is also very high, particularly in calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, and iodine.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
The consumption of edible seaweeds could be beneficial for individuals with chronic diseases linked to inflammation, such as: insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Digestive Health
Seaweed is rich in complex carbohydrates that function as prebiotics, or non-digestible compounds that gut bacteria can ferment and from which they receive benefit. They are resistant to digestive enzymes so they can reach the lower intestine where they undergo selective fermentation by intestinal microbiota. Studies show that the non-metabolized fiber in edible seaweed helps to reduce colonic transit times, supporting gut health and detoxification.
Incorporating Seaweed into the Diet
-Garnish with strips in miso soup
-Wrap rice, vegetables, and fish
-Eat toasted nori strips as a snack
-Cook kombu strips with beans or soup for flavor and added minerals
-Use dulse flakes as a salt substitute, sprinkling it on breads or salad
-Eat a wakame seaweed salad
-Add rehydrated arame, a species of kelp, to a stir fry
-Add spirulina or chlorella powder to a smoothie
-Use kelp noodles instead of grain pasta
-Blend dulse or kelp into a salad dressing
Choosing seaweed from a reliable company and selecting whole food dietary sources over supplementation due to increased dangers of toxins in a concentrated form is recommended.
