Seaweeds Are Good For Your Health

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Seaweeds are oftentimes referred to as sea vegetables, evidently because they are plants that grow in the sea. And just like land vegetables, sea weeds are also loaded with nutrients and minerals. Not a lot of people recognize the nutritional value of seaweeds but historically, people around the world have been using it as part of their diet and medication for thousands of years.

So, what are sea weeds?

Seaweed is an algae that typically grows in salt or brackish water with enough exposure to sunlight to allow photosynthesis. They are often classified by their uses: food, medicine, and other uses (fertilizer, industrial, etc.).

For many years, people who live along the coastal area have been eating seaweeds. In Japan, these sea veggies are hand picked and considered as staple food. In fact, they are quite popular with their seafood and gourmet seaweeds, just like in China. In the Philippines, noodles made from seaweeds are known for its health benefits, while farmers in Scotland supplement their seafood diets with some of the local seaweeds.

There are many types of edible seaweeds but the more common ones are kelp, dulse, and nori. Each of them has a distinct shape, color and flavor. One thing they have in common is that they contain abundant amounts of calcium, iron, iodine, potassium and other minerals. They also contain vitamins A B, C, etc., as well as folic and pantothenic acid.

Reason why these ocean plants are a good source of these nutrients and minerals is that they thrive in sea water, which is rich with everything essential to life. Just as land veggies are saturated in nutrients present in the soil they’re planted in, sea veggies are immersed in the mineral rich environment they grow in. Naturally, these water-based plants absorb all the healthy goodness they are submerged to.

If you want to add more minerals and nutrients to your diet, then you have to consider adding seaweeds to your meals. There are many ways to consume seaweeds. It mostly depends on what type of seaweed you are going to use. Here are a few things that you can do with them:

Grind and store in jars or salt shakers. They make a good substitute for salt.
Include in soups or wrap sushi. There are a lot of seaweed food recipes available on the web.
Use as food additives. You may want to check out seaweed products in the market next time around.