A nutritionist from Japan has said that there is one food her family includes in their daily diet saying some of her family members are now approaching 100 years old – and thank the dish for their longevity. Dietary expert Nara says “seaweed is one of the most nostalgic foods” saying that her family eat it a lot – and for good reason.
She says that even now, the “most lively and robust elders in my life, my 99-year-old aunt (she will be 100 in January!) and my in-laws who are 95 and 88, swear by a daily bowl of miso soup with wakame seaweed.”
Seaweed has been a staple of Japanese cuisine and can be added to so many dishes. Nara says that she has a “top priority six seaweeds in my pantry: kombu, wakame, nori, hijiki, kanten and aonori. Bonus points if I can get some red tosaka seaweed.”
What benefits does seaweed have?
Harvard’s The Nutrition Source says that seaweed is consumed globally for centuries and it’s a staple of East Asian and Pacific cuisines. However not many people know they are rich in polysaccharides. This is a type of carbohydrate used by the food industry as a thickener and emulsifier. They explain: “These polysaccharides act like dietary fibers and promote gut health as a prebiotic food source for beneficial gut bacteria.”
As well this, it has disease-preventive components including polyphenols, carotenoids, and omega-3 fatty acids. In more good news, seaweed is low in calories due to its high content of fiber and water with the expert stating it is also “potentially rich in minerals absorbed from seawater”. They add that seaweed may contain the following:
- Fiber, soluble and insoluble
- Polysaccharides
- Polyunsaturated essential fatty acids (DHA and EPA)
- Iodine (Laminaria and other brown seaweed)
- Potassium
- Iron (Sargassum brown seaweed)
- Magnesium (Laminaria japonica brown seaweed)
- Sugar alcohol (mannitol, sorbitol)
- Phytochemicals (polyphenols, carotenoids)
- Sodium varies widely: 100 grams or about 1/4 cup raw provides 9 mg in agar, 48 mg in laver, 233 mg in kelp, 872 mg in wakame
Epidemiological research was conducted and revolves around finding out how diseases and health conditions affect and spread in populations. It looked at the association of dietary seaweed and cancer, mainly from Japan with Harvard saying “it has not shown any clear associations.” However “a large prospective study of Japanese men and women showed that diets including seaweed were associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and deaths from any cause.”
In fact, there may even be weight loss benefits with the researchers adding that when it comes to shedding the pounds, “some research suggests alginate, a fiber in brown seaweed, suppresses hunger and reduces calorie intake. Alginate and beta glucan in seaweed may prevent blood sugar surges and control appetite by slowing digestion”. On top of this, they add that the “fermentation of seaweed fibers by bacteria in the colon into short-chain fatty acids is also associated with weight regulation.”
In yet more research, a study has said that seaweed is considered a nutrient-rich food as they are a good source of minerals, vitamins including:
