Edible Seaweed for Weight Loss and Healing

Edible seaweed has been used as a superfood for thousands of years. Seaside dwellers from the Mediterranean coasts, Nordic coasts, Japan, China, Iceland, Alaska and Hawaii have harvested and enjoyed sea vegetables since prehistoric times. In Japan they are believed to promote a long and healthy life.

Seaweed has special properties that draw out and transmute toxins. Seaweed can transform toxic metals into harmless salts. Edible seaweed is often used in weight loss programs to reduce cholesterol and fat in the blood. It is helpful in alleviating high blood pressure, building strong bones and regulating thyroid imbalances. Sea vegetables are used to relieve swelling, shrink tumors and ease skin disorders.

These marine plants are packed with nutrients including some key minerals that are hard to find from any other source. All of the trace elements required by the human body are found in edible seaweed. They also contain protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. All sea vegetables are excellent sources of iodine, calcium and iron. According to Paul Pitchford in Healing with Whole Foods, “hijiki, arame, and wakame each contain more than ten times the calcium of milk.”

The exceptional vitamin and mineral profile of edible seaweed is responsible for its ability to support a clear complexion, soft, wrinkle free skin and glossy, healthy hair. It’s the ultimate beauty food!

You can order a variety of edible seaweed from Mountain Rose Herbs, the best source for fresh, organic superfoods and herbs.

Dulse

Dulse’s salty flavor is mildly spicy and it makes a great condiment, as flakes, on salads, soups, and stir-fry dishes. Try it in our recipe for Herbal Gomasio (sesame salt) to reduce your sodium intake and cleanse sodium reserves from the body. It can be eaten dried or you can rehydrate large pieces of it for a chewy snack, much like a salty jerky.

Nori

Farmed in the sea, Nori is rich in calcium, iodine, iron, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, porphyran, copper, zinc and Vitamins A, B, C, E and K. It has the highest protein content of the all edible seaweed.

Nori’s sweet and meaty flavor makes it easily accepted by all cultures. Our kids love to eat the raw nori sheets right from the package as a crunchy sweet and salty snack. Making your own vegetarian sushi rolls is easy to do using rice and some vegetables for a filling. It’s also a popular seaweed to include in miso soup.

Kelp – Arame, Kombu, Wakame

Kombu is the deepest growing edible seaweed. It is slightly sweet with a “silky” taste. It contains mannitol, a natural sweetener, that enhances flavor in foods. Cooking beans with kombu will make them more easily digestible and prevent their infamous digestive disturbances. You can also add kombu to soups as they are cooking. It can be roasted and has a taste resembling bacon. It is packed with a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

Arame is a dark brown kelp that is stringy. It requires pre-soaking and can be added to soups, salads, beans, grains, noodles or eaten as a snack. It is rich iron, calcium, potassium and iodine.

Wakame, also known as badderlocks or “winged kelp,” grows in thick beds on surf-battered ledges. It is difficult to harvest making it a prized superfood. It has the highest calcium of all edible seaweed and is also high in all the vitamins and minerals. It is the classic choice for miso soup and is delicious in soups, salads and stir-fry.

For a delicious raw salad that will supercharge your detox, try our Exotic Seaweed Salad, using crushed arame and wakame. To learn a lot more about seaweed and all its uses, check out a great variety of recipes and healing information at the Ocean Vegetables website.