If you think that the healthful properties of sea vegetables are a recently discovered advantage, you’d be wrong. The truth is that, because of their benefits, sea vegetables have been a diet staple in many cultures for thousands of years. The use of sea vegetables in China, for example, dates back to Zhou dynasty in 800 b.c.
Sea vegetables are among the earliest life forms on the planet, and with the deeper understanding that modern science has given to us regarding the advantages of macrobiotic foods, they are achieving a never-before-seen level of popularity among those who understand the benefits.
Sea vegetables appear to give a natural boost to our immune systems; they are dense in nutrients such as vitamin A, D, E, B1, B2, and C. They also contain phosphorous, potassium, calcium, iron, iodine, fiber, folic acid and small amounts of sodium and protein. (By the way, it is the potassium that gives sea vegetables their salty flavor, not less-desirable sodium.) They are also rich in amino acids, carotenes, enzymes and fiber.
It is precisely this immune-boosting capability that has so many scientists and nutritionists excited about sea vegetables, because it is through increased immunity that our bodies successfully fight off cancers, specifically breast cancer as shown in some current studies. Sea vegetables have been shown to contain large amounts of lignans, which are compounds found in plants that carry cancer-protective properties. Additionally, it is thought that sea vegetables act as an anti-inflammatory, and help increase energy and alertness.
Perhaps the reason for all these benefits lies in the fact that sea vegetables contain all the minerals found in the ocean, which, in turn, mirrors all the minerals found in human blood. It is also important to know that as we reduce the amount of iodized salt in our diets, we are allowing iodine levels to slip well below recommended levels. Sea vegetables are a wonderful and natural way to replenish the iodine in our blood, and iodine deficiencies are the most common cause of the disease known as goiter.
Folic acid, so abundant in sea vegetables, is proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as playing an important protective role in the reduction of birth defects like spina bifida. The regular addition of sea vegetables to the diet is a smart strategy for those who suffer from atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease, and the magnesium present in these vegetables helps reduce hypertension, a leading cause of strokes.
Women who suffer from distressful symptoms of menopause may find relief from abnormal sleep patterns: it is the magnesium in sea vegetables that helps to regulate this. Additionally, the lignans we discussed earlier are also a weak form of estrogen - a hormone whose levels decrease during menopause. The introduction of sea vegetables as part of a regular dietary regimen may be just enough to ease the discomfort of hot flashes.
Sea vegetables are a natural gift from our wonderful planet. Long before the age of modern medicine, mankind’s health was provided for only by Mother Nature, and sea vegetables were an important part of her arsenal to fight disease. You would be wise to make it part of yours.
