Health Benefits of Seaweed – We often see the seaweed is processed as food and beverage. In fact, seaweed can also be used as a snack with a particular spice mixture. Seaweed that commonly cultivated is red algae, green algae, brown algae, and blue algae.
The health benefits of seaweed are inseparable from many nutrient contents therein. Among the nutrients can be found in seaweed is 27.8 percent water, 33.3% carbohydrates, 8.6 percent fat, 3 percent crude fiber, 5.4 percent protein, vitamin B, Ash 22.25%, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin C, and vitamin K, amino acids, nucleic acids, oxygen, nitrogen, selenium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and iron.
With many nutrients content and vitamins as above, so the seaweed can be sure to have a myriad of health benefits. Here are health benefits of seaweed.
Various Health Benefits of Seaweed
1. Preventing Cancer
Fiber, zinc, and selenium in seaweed may reduce estrogen, due to high estrogen levels can cause cancer. Many studies show that women who consume many grains and low in fat have low estrogen levels. Meanwhile, a study in Japan showed that women are always adding seaweed in the diet cause pre-menopausal women have a lesser chance of developing breast cancer.
2. Prevent stroke
The health benefits of seaweed to prevent stroke. Nutrition in seaweed could balance the salt levels in the body, thus preventing high blood pressure.
3. Prevent premature aging
Seaweed contains vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and enzymes that have the potential as an antioxidant that plays a role in skin rejuvenation. Thus, the health benefits of seaweed enormous to prevent premature aging. While vitamin A and vitamin C in seaweed capable of maintaining collagen. Also, the protein content can help the formation of new tissue in the skin.
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4. Avoid reduction of intelligence
Seaweed health benefits because they contain high iodine so that it can cope iodine deficiency. It can prevent the decline or reduction of intelligence.
Read more: health benefits of sprouts
5. Boost immunity
Chlorophyll and vitamin C contained in seaweed can act as antioxidants to rid the body from free radicals that have an impact on improving the immune system. Also, seaweed also works to increase the production of cytokines, antibodies, and other cells that can develop immunity and cure infection. It is extraordinary health benefits of seaweed.
6. As diet food
Seaweed is a diet food because they contain many fibers that can maintain satiety for longer. Also, fiber also helps expedite the process of fat metabolism. So, can be reduced the risk of obesity, cholesterol and blood sugar.
7. Preventing osteoporosis symptoms
The health benefits of seaweed for osteoporosis. Seaweed is the highest source of calcium, even ten times higher than milk. So, seaweed is recommended to consume regularly to prevent osteoporosis.
8. Efficacious for pregnant and breastfeeding
Seaweed nutrition is excellent for pregnant and lactating mothers. Omega-3 and omega-6 fats in the seaweed is paramount for the formation of the retina, nerve, blood plasma, brain tissue membranes, and reproductive organs.
9. Prevent digestive disorders
The health benefits of seaweed for digestive health. Nutrition in seaweed can help overcome constipation, colitis, treatment of peptic ulcers and other digestive system problems.
Also see: Unlimited Beets Health Benefits for Chronic Disease, Pregnancy, Infants
10. Accelerate wound healing
Vitamin C that contained in seaweed can help the wound heal and strengthen blood vessels.
Those are some health benefits of seaweed. Seaweed is now widely cultivated. Type of seaweed that is widely grown are red algae because it contains gelatin, porphyrin, or pigment furcular fi ko bilin (consisting of fikoeretrin and phycocyanin) which is a food reserve.
However, there is also use the type of brown algae (Phaeophyceae). Brown algae are rich in pigment chlorophyll A and C, beta-carotene, violaxanthin and fucoxanthin, paranoid, and sheet photosynthesis. Also, brown algae also contain food reserves in the form of laminarin, cellulose, and Algin.
10 Benefits of Seaweed for Skin
Seaweed is a treasure given by the sea to humans. That is why we must preserve the sea because it is not only fish that are the result but also seaweed which is very beneficial for human health and even for beauty. Here we will provide some of the benefits of seaweed for the skin.
There are at least 10 benefits of seaweed for the skin that we should know. Our sea with its salty water and direct sunlight that shines into the ocean turns out to provide a lot of life in the sea that is useful for humans like seaweed.
So, it is not surprising that seaweed has strong skin stature properties. Seaweed nourishes the skin with proteins, enzymes, bioactive peptides, polysaccharides, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids.
The various nutrients present in seaweed provide extraordinary benefits for our skin. With these ingredients, seaweed provides antioxidants, anti-microbials, anti-inflammatories, and anti-aging. So, it is very good for skin beauty. Therefore, now many skin beauty products are produced from raw materials in the form of seaweed.
So, with the various benefits of seaweed for the skin, it is natural that various skin beauty products use seaweed. Below we look at 10 benefits of using products made from seaweed. You can also get this great benefit when you are diligent in consuming seaweed in your various foods. Ok, let’s just take a look at the benefits of seaweed for the following skin.
- Cleanses the skin and detoxifies
- Improve skin pigmentation or brighten it
- Increases skin hydration so skin looks fresh and radiant
- Balancing oil production on the skin
- The content of antioxidants provides protection against skin damage caused by free radicals
- Helps collagen production
- Remove wrinkles on the skin
- Soothes the skin and acts as an anti-inflammatory
- Being free for the skin in the process of sending vitamins and minerals and other nutrients
- 100% safe to use.
Thus some of the benefits of seaweed for the skin, seaweed provides beauty, health and makes you always look healthy and beautiful until old.
Is Seaweed Healthy? See What the Experts are Saying
Seaweed is a staple in many Asian recipes. While in America it is difficult to find food with seaweed-based ingredients unless you go out of the house to enjoy sushi. So, as a result, many are not familiar with seaweed so many ask “is seaweed healthy?”, Is grass classified as a vegetable, what are the nutrients in seaweed and other questions.
A registered dietitian, Miho Hatanaka, a Japanese national and lives in Oregon, says that seaweed is a decent food to eat. “Japanese people link a long life to good health by consuming seaweed, which even nourishes the skin and hair.”
Some things you need to know about seaweed
1. So many types of edible seaweed
There are many varieties of seaweed and they provide different nutrients. There are three main groups of seaweeds (1) green algae such as sea lettuce, (2) brown algae such as kombu which is used in making dashi, and (3) red algae such as nori, nori is often used in wrapping sushi rolls and as a garnish on soup.
In addition to these three types of seaweed there are various other variations that are also often used in many recipes. Among them is dulse, a special red algae that was bred by researchers from Oregon State University, the purpose of breeding this type of seaweed is so that the taste is similar to smoked pork when it is cooked.
Seaweed also comes in snack form like seaweed with algae oil. Seaweed snacks are foods that contain additives and sodium. However, Hatanaka says snacks could be a healthier choice of chips. Algal oil is a healthy oil that contains omega fatty acids.
2. Eating seaweed is a low-calorie way to eat
Overall grass is a low-calorie food, but we are difficult to mention specifically because of the many types of seaweed. Many types of seaweed are lower in sodium than salty.
Some people use dried seaweed as an alternative to salt. So, to reduce the use of table salt, dried seaweed is sometimes often used in cooking.
Seaweed is also rich in fiber, for example 5 grams of brown algae contains 14% of the recommended daily fiber. As we know that fiber is useful for filling and healthy for digestion. In addition, fiber-rich foods are also very good for avoiding chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
In seaweed there is also a compound called “alginate” whose benefits are controlling appetite. Many varieties of seaweed also contain polysaccharides that are beneficial for gut health.
In addition, in general, seaweed also contains many nutrients such as magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin K, folate, iron, vitamin B12, although not all varieties of seaweed contain vitamin B12.
Side Effects of Eating Seaweed?
We have seen various explanations about seaweed, including the benefits of seaweed in general and its benefits for skin health. However, are there any side effects from eating seaweed?
Now many snacks are available from seaweed with a salty taste and are marketed as healthy snacks. There is even a market that specializes in developing pills from seaweed (containing a variety of sea vegetables and seaweed). These foods are claimed to be good for health, especially in preventing iodine deficiency.
Actually there are no side effects from healthy food, but if consumed in excessive amounts, it is very possible to appear side effects. So, when we eat too much seaweed there will be some side effects that occur. Before we look at the side effects of consuming seaweed, let’s look at the nutritional facts of seaweed below.
Seaweed Nutrition Facts
Among the types of seaweed are nori, dulse, kombu, chlorella, and spirulina. Usually nori is used in wrapping sushi, while spirulina and chlorella are often consumed in supplement form. While kelp and dulse seaweed can be used by sprinkling it on top of food because it tastes a bit salty.
Based on information from the USDA, one sheet of nori contains the following nutrients:
- 10 calories
- 1 gram of protein
- 6 percent daily value (DV) of vitamin A
- 1 gram of fiber
- 1 gram of carbohydrates
- 0 grams of fat
- 4 percent DV of vitamin C
Side Effects of Seaweed
The health benefits of seaweed can go hand in hand with its side effects. Sometimes it’s good for some people and bad for others.
High fiber in grass can provide many benefits for digestive health. However, excess fiber can cause indigestion, so to get the benefits of seaweed you must eat standard portions.
Seaweed side effects can also be related to thyroid problems. If you have a thyroid disorder, then you should be careful with seaweed because it is an iodine-rich food. Consuming iodine-rich foods usually has no effect for those who are otherwise healthy but for people with thyroid problems it can cause problems with their thyroid function.
Another side effect of consuming seaweed is because seaweed is considered a food high in heavy metal content. Among the heavy metals present in seaweed are copper, nickel, these are like those in red seaweed.
So those were some of the possible side effects of seaweed. However, when grass is consumed in reasonable quantities, it is usually safe for health.
