Should You Eat Dry Seaweed?
According to research dry seaweed holds significant nutritional value. Seaweed absorbs all of the natural elements and minerals in the ocean, and when dry can be added to salads and other foods for high nutritional value. Dry seaweed has been undervalued, but many just find it hard to comprehend eating seaweed because it’s not something that is typical of the American diet.
Dry seaweed holds what we refer to as macronutrients, and includes minerals such as sodium, magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, iron and many more. In addition, seaweed has an extremely high amount of iodine, which occurs naturally. Iodine has been undervalued in America for what it can do for the body, not to mention the thyroid. The thyroid loves iodine, and for those who have thyroid disease, adding dry seaweed to your diet could be just what you need to help you feel better.
Whether you are eating dry seaweed or cooked seaweed it is very low in fat, and has a low to moderate level of carbohydrate, high in protein, and has extremely high levels of calcium and iron. It’s naturally high in vitamins A, C, K and Folate. Its nutritional value is so high and yet it’s hardly ever mentioned.
One warning to those who wish to indulge in this tasty sea plant is the level of sodium it contains, so those with high blood pressure should use it conservatively. The only downside of dry seaweed is that it’s high in sodium. This could possibly be due to the fact that seaweed is plentiful in saltwater environments.
There are different forms of dry seaweed available to you today. The most common types of dry seaweed are Nori and Kelp. Nori is the Japanese name for seaweed, and in Japan they use this plant on a daily basis as a part of their diet. Nori is more or less a generic term for seaweed, but when scanning the shelves at health food stores this is probably how you will see it listed. Nori is generally imported from Japan to the United States in its dry form, so this is usually the most common way it’s packaged and presented in America.
Kelp is also referred to as seaweed, or a sea vegetable. We don’t think about finding the vegetables in the sea, but with all the health benefits you might be able to get past the looks too. Kelp is a form of seaweed, but it’s also a form of algae. Because it lies deep in the sea bed, it absorbs tons of minerals that are essential to good health. Because of the minerals, when kelp is harvested, it is dried like other seaweed, and then it’s ground down so it can be used in tablets. There are many nutritional supplements on the market that have kelp listed as an ingredient.
Kelp, like other forms of seaweed is naturally rich in Iodine. Iodine is extremely beneficial to thyroid patients. Whether the thyroid is overactive or underactive, Iodine is needed. Thyroid patients around the world are misdiagnosed everyday because the symptoms of thyroid disease can make it feel like something else is going on. Many who choose to move near the ocean feel better because they are able to get more Iodine absorption. Where people live inland, they don’t pick up as much Iodine as it falls to the ground.
Adding kelp to your diet can help as well. Putting it in your salad is usually the easiest way to make dry seaweed edible. If you don’t live near the ocean, but you are planning a vacation near the ocean, you might find that many of the restaurants implement dry seaweed into their menu. Dry seaweed isn’t pretty to look at, but it sure is good for you.