All food contains all of the nutrients we need to be healthy, it is necessary to eat various foods in sufficient amounts. A good diet will include many different foods, and sufficient in quantity and quality to meet an individual’s need for food energy and other micro nutrients.

Soft Drinks

Soy

Spinach

Squash

Sugar

SEAWEED

Typical serving size:

Varies depending on recipe

HOW IT HARMS

High in sodium

WHAT IT HEALS

Thyroid function Muscles Immunity Metabolism Seaweed is a versatile and tasty vegetable that can be used in a broad spectrum of ways
There are more than 2,500 varieties of seaweed, which include everything from the algae that forms on ponds to kelp and other marine plants
Seaweed is usually classified according to its color—brown, red, green, and blue-green

QUICK TIP:

Swap seafood for seaweed Protein-rich sea vegetables make a terrific replacement for fish and shellfish for vegetarians
In Japan, seaweed is also used to enhance flavors in a variety of dishes, due to its high natural MSG content
Kombu, a type of kelp (a brown plant that is one of the most common seaweeds), is used to flavor soup stocks
Wakame, another type of kelp, is used in Japan in soups and stir-fries
Nori, the algae used to make sushi rolls, is known as laver by the Irish and Welsh

Health Benefits

Boosts thyroid health
Most seaweeds are a rich source of iodine, which the thyroid gland needs to produce the hormones that regulate body metabolism
Helps build muscles
A ½-cup (113-g)serving of raw nori has a mere 40 calories yet provides about 6 g of protein, with no fat or cholesterol
Boosts the immune system
Beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, boosts the body’s resistance to disease while aiding vision, bone growth, and cell function
A ½-cup serving of raw nori provides 5,200 IU of vitamin A as beta-carotene
Prevents folate deficiency
A ½-cup serving of kelp contains almost 200 mcg (micrograms) of folate (50% of the adult Recommended Dietary Allowance) which the body uses as folic acid to build DNA and red blood cells
Because folate is not stored in the body in large amounts, you must eat it regularly to maintain levels of it in the blood
Health Risk High in sodium
A ½-cup portion of raw wakame contains approximately 900 mg of sodium; an equivalent amount of dried spirulina yields more than 1,100 mg
(A recommended daily sodium intake for a healthy person should not exceed 2,300 mg
) The same amounts of kelp and nori are lower in sodium, containing 250 mg and 60 mg, respectively
Anyone on a low-salt diet should avoid foods containing seaweed

Allergies

Stir crumbled nori into tuna salad

Add arame or dulse seaweed to miso soup

Stir-fry soaked dried hijiki seaweed with kale, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil

Buying Tip

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Sold in Asian groceries, natural food stores, and specialty grocers, nori are dried, and sometimes toasted sheets of seaweed used to season salads, soups, and noodles

Nori can be soaked to use as wrappers for rice cakes and sushi

Fresh or bagged salted seaweeds are available in Asian markets

Arame has a particularly high calcium content and can be bought already shredded in a dark-green tangle
A small amount makes an exciting addition to mushroom or seafood risottos as well as Asian rice dishes
It needs a 5-minute soak and then 30 minutes of cooking

Kombu seaweed can be cooked with dried beans
It speeds up their cooking time and contributes flavor

Dulse seaweed, available fresh and dried, is good in soups and in vegetable or grain dishes
You can eat it deep-fried or, after a brief soak to soften it, shred it into salads or their dressings
Storing Tip

Dried seaweed can be stored, well-wrapped in a cool cupboard for up to a year
25% of dishes in Japan are made with some type of seaweed