| aders often ask me if seaweed is a healthy food | | | | Mainly, the reason people like seaweed is because |
| and is it necessary to include it in the diet in order | | | | it contains a lot of salt. Yes, this salt comes from |
| to get enough minerals. | | | | the ocean, but it's not any better to use than any |
| Typically, the reasons people eat seaweeds are: | | | | other type of refined salt. It potentially adds too |
| 1- They believe it's good for them. | | | | much sodium to our diet, and this contributes to a |
| 2- They miss the “salt” taste, and | | | | large number of health problem, including high |
| want a natural replacement. | | | | blood pressure, which is now epidemic in our |
| Before I answer the question about whether or | | | | society as well as in all other cultures eating |
| not we should eat seaweed, let's first ask | | | | high-salt diets |
| ourselves: | | | | Our sodium requirements are so low that we do |
| What is Seaweed? | | | | not ever need to add any type of concentrated |
| The National University of Ireland gives the | | | | salt to the diet. We know for example that about |
| following definition: | | | | 90 percent of the salt consumed in the standard |
| “Seaweeds are marine algae, saltwater | | | | American diet is eliminated in the urine, as it is in |
| dwelling, simple organisms that fall into the rather | | | | excess of the body's needs. |
| outdated general category of "plants". Most of | | | | There is enough sodium in the fruits and |
| them are the red (6000 species), brown (2000 | | | | vegetables that we eat to meet all of our needs.* |
| species) or green (1200 species) kinds (...) and | | | | The so-called benefits of the minerals in seaweed |
| most are attached by holdfasts, which just have | | | | is a curse in disguise. In the end, we're just |
| an anchorage function.” | | | | entertaining our addiction to salt and burdening the |
| Generally, when people look at seaweed, they do | | | | body with an excess of minerals, mostly sodium |
| not view it as “food.” Seaweed | | | | chloride, it must expel. |
| doesn't appeal to our senses. It is an | | | | * The sodium issue will be discussed in a future |
| “acquired” taste, not an innate one. | | | | article. |
| If you present a variety of natural foods to | | | | Seaweed is Contaminated |
| people of all ages, they are not likely going to | | | | Seaweed does to the ocean what plants do to |
| jump at a pond of slimy seaweed to eat it! | | | | our air. They purify it. The downside is that the |
| Eventually, some people get to like it. Personally, I | | | | ocean is much more polluted than our air. |
| have always found most types of seaweed too | | | | Seaweed catches and filters a lot of pollution. |
| “fishy” for my taste. There are | | | | Heavy metals, toxic material, and any type of |
| just a few that I have liked, and mostly for the | | | | junk that finds its way into our water also has a |
| salty taste. | | | | strong possibility of ending up in your food: in that |
| I think it's a highly overrated | | | | seaweed that you eat. |
| “food” and is certainly not | | | | The Food Standards Agency even advised people |
| important to have in the diet. | | | | not to eat a type of seaweed called hijiki because |
| There are several considerations that make | | | | of the high levels of arsenic that it contains. There |
| seaweed a poor choice for nutrients in the human | | | | are probably various types of toxins that could |
| diet. Although I'm not “against” | | | | end up in the seaweed that you eat, simply |
| some occasional consumption of seaweed, I | | | | because the ocean has never been so polluted |
| believe there are more reasons to opt for not | | | | and it keeps getting worse. |
| having it than there are for having it. | | | | When seaweed is labeled as |
| The Dry Truth About Seaweed | | | | “organic,” it simply means that the |
| Out of the thousands of varieties of seaweed on | | | | seaweed has been tested to make sure the |
| the planet, none are poisonous, but very few are | | | | levels of heavy metals they contain is not above |
| eaten by humans. Most varieties are too tough or | | | | a certain level judged |
| unappealing to be eaten. In fact, most types of | | | | “problematic.” It doesn't mean that |
| seaweeds sold have been | | | | the seaweed doesn't contain any heavy metal. In |
| “tenderized,” which means that | | | | fact, it would be impossible to make such a claim |
| they have been boiled for a long period of time. | | | | because seaweed sold is a wild food that comes |
| These include the popular hijiki, wakame, and | | | | from the same ocean that everybody knows to |
| many other varieties. | | | | be polluted. |
| A few varieties are eaten raw, but rarely fresh. | | | | This, to me, is probably the biggest argument |
| Seaweed is sold dried. | | | | against regular seaweed consumption. |
| Is Seaweed Vegetarian? | | | | Seaweed Addiction |
| Although seaweed appears to be a vegetarian | | | | It's hard to believe, but some people get addicted |
| product, it often contains small fish or other | | | | to seaweed. I must confess that I have been one |
| forms of ocean life. I was told by a number of | | | | of them. I was buying dulse by the pound, and it |
| credible sources that there is no such thing as | | | | didn't take me very long to go through it. Even |
| vegan “nori”. The way nori is | | | | though I was rinsing it to get salt off, I was |
| processed almost inevitably invites various little | | | | probably still getting a lot. That's why I liked eating |
| fish to “join the party” before the | | | | it. It had that concentrated salty flavor, and a |
| seaweed is pressed and sold as nori sheets. | | | | certain chewiness reminiscent of foods I'd eaten |
| I don't know about you, but when I learned that, | | | | in the past. |
| nori kind of instantly lost its appeal. Is it any | | | | The more I ate dulse, the more I wanted to |
| wonder that it smells so fishy? | | | | have dulse, even though I wasn't feeling that |
| Seaweed Has a High Mineral Content | | | | great after eating it! While, it wasn't a big addiction |
| Seaweed's high mineral content is one of the main | | | | to break, at some point I just got sick of it. I |
| reasons people eat it. | | | | decided to really give up salt and since then |
| The mineral content of seaweed - measured by | | | | everything has been working better. My energy |
| their “ashes”, can reach the | | | | has increased, my craving for dulse and salt are |
| proportion of 10 to 50%. It means that if you | | | | gone, and overall I feel much better without it. |
| burn seaweed half of the volume of ashes | | | | The Bottom Line |
| remaining will be composed strictly of minerals. | | | | The bottom line is that most people do not have |
| In comparison, the mineral “ashes” | | | | to worry about whether or not seaweed is a |
| of fruits and vegetables are much lower. | | | | problem to them, because they rarely eat it. For |
| - Apples leave mineral ashes of 0,3% | | | | raw-foodists or vegans who regularly consume |
| - Carrots leave mineral ashes of 1% | | | | seaweed in order to “supplement” |
| - Almonds leave mineral ashes of 3% | | | | their diet, or for those who think they are on a |
| Personally, I find that “too much” | | | | salt-free diet, but simply have replaced the salt |
| is not any better than “too little.” I | | | | shaker with the bag of dulse, it might be time to |
| actually think the mineral concentration of | | | | revise your ideas about seaweed. |
| seaweed, especially sodium chloride, is too high, | | | | You might find, like I do, that an occasional taste |
| and that this excess is a burden to our filtering | | | | of it is perfectly okay. More than that, however, |
| and elimination organs. | | | | is likely to become problematic. |
| Do We Need It? | | | | |