Seaweed salad is a Japanese dish. It has many health benefits and is growing in popularity in Western countries. It’s filled with nutrients like fiber and vitamins, and minerals like iron.
How Seaweed Salad Improves Your Health
The most common type of seaweed used in seaweed salad is wakame. It may boost your immune system to fight off viruses like those that cause cold sores.
Seaweed is also a good way to get the mineral iodine, which helps your body make thyroid hormones.
Another benefit of eating seaweed salad is that all of the minerals and vitamins are loaded inside. Some minerals in different varieties of seaweed are:
- Calcium
- Copper
- Iodine
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Selenium
- Vanadium
- Zinc
On top of that, the vitamins found in these leafy sea vegetables include:
- B vitamins
- Vitamins A and E
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
The Benefits of Seaweed Salad
Wakame is the most common kind of seaweed used, but there are a variety of seaweed types included. Some of the possible health perks are:
Good source of B12. Nori seaweed is the best source of this vitamin, and it’s a good option for vegetarians.
Filled with vitamin K. Some raw seaweed is a good source of this vitamin, which is important for blood clotting.
Anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties. Seaweed may help lower inflammation. In Japan, low rates of cancer have been linked to seaweed in the diet.
Heart health. Seaweed has nutrients that may help lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
Weight control. It’s low in calories and fat. It also has fiber, which can help you stay full longer.
Risks of Overdoing It With Seaweed Salad
Eating too much seaweed can cause problems because of its high levels of certain vitamins and minerals. Currently, there’s limited regulation on the disclosure of how much minerals, heavy metals, or iodine are in seaweed products. There’s also not much guidance on safe portion sizes.
Getting too much iodine and vitamin K can be bad for you if you have certain health conditions. If you get too much vitamin K, it can interfere with medications for kidney problems. Too much iodine may harm your thyroid. If you’re concerned about how much iodine you’re getting, you can wash or blanch seaweed to remove some of this mineral.
When it comes to eating seaweed salad, like all foods, balance and moderation are important.
Tips for Eating Seaweed Salad
The traditional Japanese seaweed salad looks different from what you’ll find in an American sushi restaurant. The common Japanese dish includes different sea vegetables, and it’s dressed in a rice vinegar dressing.
This is a simple dish to make at home. Common ingredients for it include:
- Mixed dry seaweed
- Rice vinegar
- Toasted sesame oil
- Soy sauce
- Sugar
- Salt
- Ginger juice
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Scallion
If you’re buying seaweed salad from a store, check the ingredient label. It’s better to see less additives and more whole-food ingredients.
Sources:
- Food and Nutrition: “Edible Seaweed.”
- marine drugs: “Potential Bioactive Compounds from Seaweed for Diabetes Management.”
- National Ocean Service: “What is seaweed?”
- Nutrients: “Vitamin B12-containing plant food sources for vegetarians.”
- NutritionFacts.org: “Eating Seaweed Salad May Boost Immune Function.”
- Nutrition Reviews: “Risks and benefits of consuming edible seaweeds.”
- PBS: “Seaweed Salad.”
- PLOS ONE: “Characterisation and chemometric evaluation of 17 elements in ten seaweed species from Greenland.”
- U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: “Seaweed, kelp, raw.”
- NIH: “Iodine.”.
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.webmd.com by WebMD Editorial Contributorswhere all credits are due. Reviewed by Jabeen Begum.
Disclaimer
The watching, interacting, and participation of any kind with anything on this page does not constitute or initiate a doctor-patient relationship with Dr. Farrah®. None of the statements here have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products of Dr. Farrah® are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information being provided should only be considered for education and entertainment purposes only. If you feel that anything you see or hear may be of value to you on this page or on any other medium of any kind associated with, showing, or quoting anything relating to Dr. Farrah® in any way at any time, you are encouraged to and agree to consult with a licensed healthcare professional in your area to discuss it. If you feel that you’re having a healthcare emergency, seek medical attention immediately. The views expressed here are simply either the views and opinions of Dr. Farrah® or others appearing and are protected under the first amendment.
Dr. Farrah® is a highly experienced Licensed Medical Doctor certified in evidence-based clinical nutrition, not some enthusiast, formulator, or medium promoting the wild and unrestrained use of nutrition products for health issues without clinical experience and scientific evidence of therapeutic benefit. Dr. Farrah® has personally and keenly studied everything she recommends, and more importantly, she’s closely observed the reactions and results in a clinical setting countless times over the course of her career involving the treatment of over 150,000 patients.
Dr. Farrah® promotes evidence-based natural approaches to health, which means integrating her individual scientific and clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise, I refer to the proficiency and judgment that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice.
Dr. Farrah® does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of any multimedia content provided. Dr. Farrah® does not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed, linked, or referenced to, in, or by any multimedia content.
To be clear, the multimedia content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen on any website, video, image, or media of any kind. Dr. Farrah® hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental, or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.
