Seaweed are marine algae. Considered both a food and a medicine, their healthful properties are plentiful. Yet many people do not know much about them and putting them to culinary use is something of a mystery, except in Asia where seaweeds are part of a standard diet.

Seaweed is an oceanic superfood that comes in a wide variety of species, identifiable by color – there are brown, red, and green seaweeds. Most of these assist health and body functions in multiple ways. They improve mineral balance, prevent stroke and breast cancers, and alkalize the system to detoxify metals and potential carcinogens.

For reference I’ve included two tables in an effort to define the main attributes of seaweeds. The first one lists the common species and their general use, and the second table lists some specific health issues addressed by polysaccharides such as fucoidan and carageenan, unique to a particular species.

If you want to learn more about seaweeds for health, and sample some recipes, refer to Cooksley’s book listed in the References section at the end of this post.

Brown Seaweeds: Contain fucoidan a blood-sugar regulating nutrient and also good for anti-cancer. Protects breast and thyroid.* Binds harmful toxins and chemicals as a result of high sodium alginate content.	Broadly known as Kelps, the main ones being– Kombu Wakame
Red Seaweeds: Rich in carageenan and vitamin A and other trace minerals. Good for hair loss, skin and nails due to its high protein content. Detoxifies too.	Irish Moss Dulse Nori
Green Seaweeds:	Seagrass

Amazing Health Benefits

Seaweeds contain proteins, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as well as important classes of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, polysaccharides, and sterols, which can have nutritional and medicinal qualities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-diabetes properties. Seaweed contains over ninety-three nutrients with very high concentrations of minerals and vitamins. For example, sea lettuce has twenty-five times the iron of beef (Cooksley, 2007). Arame, hijiki, and wakame contatin at least ten times the calcium of milk. Studies in Japan show that wakame increases calcium uptake in the digestive tract to support healthy bone formation and prevent bone loss, as occurs in osteoporosis (Cooksley, 2007).

The U.S. has approximately seven times the incidence of breast cancers and thyroid disease than Asian countries. It is postulated that the type of iodine available in brown seaweed plays an important role in the prevention of both.

Alzheimers Disease and Parkinson Disease are two of the most debilitating neurological diseases in America and worldwide. Seaweeds contain bioactive compounds that have been shown clinically to penetrate the blood-brain barrier to deliver potent anti-neuroinflammatory and antioxidant actions, assisting in healing from neurological conditions (Jannet, et al., 2023). One exciting discovery is that seaweeds can promote neurite outgrowth, which allows for greater connection of the axons of neurons to outlying areas, and this impacts all activities of the nervous system. Since AD and PD are marked by deterioration of axons and dendrites (basically nerve endings) this is an important discovery that may enhance prevention as well as promote healing.

Other well documented and researched health benefits of seaweed include reducing blood sugar/glucose levels (Kim, et al., 2023), protecting cardiovascular function and improving kidney function. Added to this list is the cholesterol-lowering effect of seaweed (Abidov, et al., 2010). It should be noted that seaweed was used for all of these problems by indigenous cultures and in early western medicine before the advent of clinical trials.

Seaweeds are classified as herbs that “resolve phlegm” in Chinese medicine

Chinese herbal medicine has used seaweeds in formulas for centuries. Most types of seaweed share the ability to “soften hardness” and loosen phlegm. Phlegm is a broader concept in TCM and indicates congested tissues caused by sluggish metabolism of fluids, as well as internally generated lumps due to a combination of poor blood and lymph circulation. Seaweed helps dissipate nodules and soft swellings, as in lipomas, cysts, lumps and fat accumulation.

One example of TCM medicinals for thyroid issues is the combination of a traditional yang boosting formula with seaweed. The formula by Evergreen Herbs Thyrodex is effective in treating low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) and contains two seaweeds:

• Hai Zao (Sargassum)
• Kun Bu (Thallus Eckloniae)

Thyrodex also contains adaptogenic and basal metabolism-boosting herbs that support improved endocrine responses. In this way, fatigue and slowed metabolism are also addressed.

Myths About Seaweed

Some worry about the high sodium content of brown seaweed which is several thousand times that in regular table salt, yet because it is a whole plant food the body is able to absorb only that which is needed and excrete the rest. The use of natural sea salt actually helps keep blood vessels patent and flexible due to the complex array of over 90 other minerals. In the same fashion, seaweeds support and strengthen the circulatory system. Salt, in its organic form and not the stripped commercial form, is essential for many of the body’s functions from blood pressure to heart rhythm to metabolism.

Because of the high iodine content of seaweed it is important to consume it in small amounts, and no more than once or twice a week. Excess iodine is tolerated well by most people but is linked to thyroid dysregulation in susceptible individuals.

Try Seaweed Out

Recipe: A New Kimchee With Sea Veggies & Your Choice of Cabbage, Daikon Radish or Bok Choy

Adapted from Valerie Cooksley

The challenge: Make your own Kimchee.

The star ingredient: Seaweed! Choose your favorite – whole dried wakame, kombu or flaked kelp

The skinny: Fermented vegetables promote gut microbiome glory. And they are so tasty. Use alongside any main course as a side or spread on a sandwich for that delicious crunch.