Nutritional Therapist, Sarah Brereton on how nature’s algae and seaweeds can enrich our diet.
Our ancestors added seaweeds and algae to foods for many different benefits, including to help maintain metabolism, breakdown catarrh, increase antioxidants and to support healthy skin function. Here are a few of my favourites.
Sea Moss is a small sea algae which grows abundantly on the rocky shores of Ireland. It got its name when it was made famous during the potato famine in Ireland in the 1800s because people were starving and desperate for food, they began eating the red algae that was on the rocks as it was so nutritious.
Wakame is a type of edible seaweed that has been cultivated in Japan and Korea for centuries. Even in small amounts, it can help boost your intake of minerals like iodine, manganese, folate, magnesium, and calcium and fucoxanthin, which is a brown seaweed carotenoid that is essential to health. Wakame is low in calories and can contribute to weight control.
Norwegian kelp is another amazing sea vegetable that is rich in organic iodine, fucoidans, alginates, fucoxanthins and laminarins. It contains many different traces of minerals that people in the Western World often lack. All these edible seaweeds are an excellent source of fibre, calcium, potassium, iron, and iodine. Depending on the variety, they can also be a valuable source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, B, C, E, K, copper, zinc, manganese, magnesium, and selenium. Norwegian seaweed also contains pantothenic acid and riboflavin, which are needed to produce sufficient energy in stressful situations, making them an excellent choice to increase your nutrient profile and add variety to your meal.
Another highly sought after algae is spirulina, which is a naturally-rich source of protein, which supports the maintenance of muscle mass, is cholesterol free and bursting with more green goodness than you might think. Nutrients include calcium, niacin, potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, and iron, as well as high antioxidant levels. Spirulina can be mixed with water, juices, smoothies, protein drinks and added to porridge or yogurt.
One Nutrition Organic Spirulina is an excellent source of spirulina that has undergone a very high standard of third-party testing to ensure quality and potency of the final product. Take 3-6 capsules or 1-2 teaspoons of powder daily with water.
There is an exciting new algae product supplement in health stores and pharmacies nationwide. New Nordic Irish Sea Moss is a handy one-a-day tablet to help you obtain all these nutrient dense algae and seaweeds which contains 92 of the 102 minerals found in the human body. It is a convenient combination formula containing wakame, which contributes to weight control and Norwegian kelp, which contains an abundance of nutrients that can benefit the human body.
