Sea Vegetables
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
Written by Brooke Gibson
"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."
—Thomas Edison
History
Sea vegetables have long been used by societies that live close to the sea or island-dwellers. They have been a staple in the diets of Aztecs, Vikings, Irish, Scots, Maori, Japanese, and many other island cultures. Today in America, there are several types of sea vegetables that are gaining popularity. From Annemarie Colbin’s book Food And Healing (1986) we find, “The most popular sea vegetables available, usually in health food stores or Oriental markets, are kombu or kelp, wakame, hiziki, nori (used in sushi making,), and kanten or agar, a seaweed that acts like gelatin. Irish moss and dulse, extensively used in the British Isles, are also increasingly available, as are some seaweeds like alaria and kelp, harvested of the coasts of Maine and Massachusetts.”
Walking around health food stores today, it’s obvious that sea vegetables are growing in popularity, which is a good thing. They are high in many essential nutrients. With the ocean making up such a large portion of the earth’s surface, why not use some of the food that lives in it for consumption? The ocean contains within it all 92 minerals. Therefore, eating the foods that are steeped in these minerals passes those on to our bodies.
Nutrition Of Sea Vegetables
Food And Healing goes on to tell about the nutritional content of sea vegetables, saying “Dried dulse and nori are 20 to 34 percent protein, and all seaweeds are rich in calcium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, sodium, zinc, and of course iodine because they grow in sea water. They also contain appreciable amounts of vitamins A, C, and the B complex, including B12… Seaweeds are known to aid the healthy growth of nails, hair, bones, and teeth; ensure proper metabolism; reduce blood cholesterol; stimulate the reproductive organs; act as antiseptics; help digestion; and keep the endocrine glands, especially the thyroid, functioning well.” A little side note about the thyroid: today thyroid problems are becoming more and more common in the adult population in America. The reasons for why this is happening are being researched, but nothing is known for sure. At any rate, any food that has beneficial effects on the thyroid and its functioning is vital at this time in history.
Seaweed is also noted for its ability to bind heavy metals and radioactive pollutants. Dr. Yukio Tanaka, of the Gastrointestinal Research Lab at McGill University, demonstrated that kelp may inhibit the absorption of lead, cadmium and radioactive strontium (one of our most hazardous pollutants). 80 to 90 percent of radioisotopes of strontium 90 could be removed from the intestinal tract in the presence of seaweeds. Sodium alginates actually chelate the remaining amount out of the bone structure. So much strontium 90 has been released by nuclear explosions, power plants, and nuclear weapons facilities that it is believed that people have detectable levels in their bone tissue. Various cancers are attributed to this contamination. Seaweeds can serve as a protective agent in a polluted environment. (www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lseavegetables.htm)
Nutrients in sea vegetation appear also to help cleanse the colon and improve digestion and absorption. A study of fecal flora in the Japanese diet versus the Western diet showed significant differences in the numbers of beneficial aerobic (oxygen-loving) organisms in fecal flora. This is believed to be due to the antibiotic activity of seaweed that destroys harmful anaerobic bacteria. Seaweed provides organic chlorine compounds that are important in the manufacture of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The mucilage in seaweeds is soothing to the intestinal tract and promotes peristalsis. The gels in sea vegetables are nutritious and provide roughage as well. Vitamins A, D, and C found in seaweed help to rebuild the mucous membranes of the intestinal tract. A 1946 Philippine Medical Journal reported the use of seaweed as an anti-helmintic, or destroyer of intestinal worms. During the war, anti-helmintic medication was unavailable, so powdered sea vegetation was used. It proved itself to be 73 percent effective - and non-toxic.
A certain type of well-known seaweed is called carrageen, or Irish moss. Sally Fallon tells us a bit about this type of moss in her book Nourishing Traditions (2001). “Irish moss is a red algae that the Irish have gathered and made into refreshing drinks and desserts. It contains a gel, similar to agar, called carrageenan that has many uses… The Irish have always valued their carrageen moss as a health food. Used in moderation as a tea, Irish moss seems to be helpful for digestive disorders, including ulcers, kidney ailments, heart disease and glandular irregularities. It is high in carotenoids, iodine, iron, sulphur, sodium, copper and numerous trace minerals.”
Don’t Eat Too Much
One thing to be careful for, however, is consuming too large a quantity of sea vegetables because they are so high in iodine. The body really doesn’t need that much iodine to function properly and if too much is taken in, it can cause your thyroid to go haywire. Annemarie Colbin tells us (about iodine), “Considering that we are already ingesting large quantities of this mineral because of its presence in fertilizers and table salt, the situation definitely bears watching.” Warning signs of an overdose of iodine include: being underweight, hyperactivity, rough skin, acne, mental and emotional imbalances, and a “spaced-out” feeling.
Sea vegetables have many industrial uses in our society, which I will mention briefly just because its kind of interesting. They are used in fodder and fertilizers, as thickeners and emulsifiers, in ice cream and other processed foods, in beauty aids such as creams and lotions, in paints, paper, and many other products. Seaweed Harvesting
Most commercially available seaweed has been picked in beds far from polluted areas. Do not gather seaweed near a city or polluted environment. Small amounts can be sprinkled into soups, stews, or mixed with other seasonings in salad dressings. Seaweed, such as nori, added to beans during the cooking process helps to de-gas the beans and add flavor. Consult an herbalist or registered nutritional consultant if you are dealing with health problems. (http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lseavegetables.htm, written by Irene Yaychuk-Arabei, Ph.D, MH, RNC.)