Seaweed Nutrition
Sep 28, 2010 | By Noura Eleid
Source:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/263249-seaweed-nutrition/#ixzz2HNBYEklN
Seaweeds are the most mineral-rich of any vegetable and also contain a variety of vitamins, fiber and protein. A 2009 report in the Journal of Medicinal Food emphasizes the need for more studies on genetic factors affecting dietary responses to seaweed and the effects of cooking, and advises that it is best not to generalize too much about seaweed mineral and vitamin composition, as this varies according to the region of cultivation, species, season, environmental and physiological variations, processing methods, water temperature and time of harvest.
General Features
Seaweeds provide a rich source of iodine, calcium, iron and potassium. Coming from an ocean environment, they also contain sodium, but a much smaller amount compared with salt. Most seaweeds also contain the fiber molecule algin, which is capable of binding minerals.
Types
Seaweeds are classified according to their color, which is determined in part by the spectrum of light that reaches them and facilitates the process of photosynthesis. Edible forms include brown, green, red, blue-green and yellow-green marine algae. Each type of seaweed has a unique nutrient composition. The most popular seaweeds are the Japanese varieties, but other types are being wild-crafted on European and American shores, including ocean ribbons, sea palm, sea lettuce and bladderwrack. The most common types of seaweed include hijiki, arame, kombu, dulse, kelp, wakame, Irish moss, Corsican and nori. Agar-agar is usually included in this grouping, but it is technically a gelatin most often made from a type of red seaweed called gelidium.
Vitamin And Mineral Composition
Seaweeds generally contain ten to twenty times the minerals of land plants and many other vitamins needed for metabolic processes. Some seaweeds, like nori, have protein concentrations as high as 50 percent. Vitamin A, E, C and some B vitamins can also be found in certain seaweeds. Hijiki, arame and wakame contain ten times the calcium of milk. Wakame and kelp contain four times the iron of beef, while sea lettuce and hijiki each contain 25 and 8 times that, respectively. Seaweeds also contain the halogen, fluorine, in their uncooked form. Arame, kelp and kombu have 100 to 500 times more iodine than shellfish depending on the time they were harvested and about 600 to 3,000 times the iodine of the average sea fish.
Benefits
Seaweeds provide few calories because of their high water and low fat content, making them ideal for low-calorie diets. However, the Journal of Medicinal Food 2009 report points out that few controlled studies have been performed to analyze the effects of seaweed consumption on overweight and obese people. The main benefits of seaweed consumption appear to be associated with cardiovascular and intestinal health. Its effects on bone health and body weight regulation need further investigation. Additionally, the presence of the fiber molecule algin allows seaweed to attract various metals in the gastrointestinal track--like mercury and lead--and draw them out of the body.
Considerations
A detailed report in the April 2009 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food emphasizes the need for further, long-term studies on seaweeds and the effects of cooking on nutritional viability. The report also cautions against high consumption of seaweed and unregulated use in herbal medicine. Interestingly, genetic factors seem to significantly affect individual dietary responses. Finally, as with any vegetable, the origins of seaweed are important, especially considering the polluted state of the world's oceans today. However, it should be noted that regardless of where seaweeds are grown they detoxify and transform toxic metals, converting them to harmless salts which pass through the body's intestinal tract.
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