Seaweed/Sea Vegetables Benefits

margaretthedevil

I've always loved my sea vegetables as it is a part of Chinese cuisine and has quite a subtle, tasty flavor if prepared correctly or even eaten by itself.
The kind of sea vegetable that people are probably most familiar with is nori (the seaweed used in the making of sushi). But there are many other kinds the most common ones being: kelp, arame, nori, and wakame. I've eaten all of these. They should be quite agreeable with everyone as they mostly have no taste haha, but they definitely do not taste nasty. Sea vegetables are extremely rich in essential vitamins and minerals (they do come from the sea after all; sea vegetables contain many nutrients that land plants do not have) and extremely low in calories (we're talking less than 50 calories). They also contain a lot of fiber (more fiber than land vegetables!) and NO SUGAR.

Below are nutritional benefits of each:

Nori is a great multi-tasker: it has twice as much Vitamin C as oranges, packed with beta-carotene like carrots, rich in calcium for your bones, iodine and iron for thyroid, and are great in making sushi.

Arame is laden with macro minerals like magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium and iodine.

Kelp is high in iodine, which must be present for proper glandular function and metabolism. It also contains phosphorus and calcium, as well as magnesium and potassium. Kelp is a source of vitamins A, B1, B2, C, D and E, plus amino acids. Because kelp is the saltiest of seaweed, it makes a popular salt substitute. However, it’s been tested to be low in sodium.

Wakame is iron-rich and 10 times more calcium than a glass of milk!

Health Benefits

Why would anyone want to eat sea vegetables? Because they offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.

Concerns: Sea vegetables will absorb heavy metals in the water so make sure to get from nonpolluted water sources! Get WILD sea vegetables! A lot of seaweed can be bought online even from American sources (northeast atlantic).

For more information:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=135

margaretthedevil

bump!

mrd232

Put kelp or small pieces of nori it on a salad. It's very yum

margaretthedevil

Also very good in soups, especially with miso base.

SusieSonshine

Thanks for the reminder, Margaret!!! :flowerforyou:

margaretthedevil

Your welcome! :flowerforyou:

firedragon064

oh cool!
I can use nori instead of rice paper so I can do my salad rolls.
I'm on a low carb diet