Sea Vegetables – A Valuable Food Source

Varieties of Sea Veggies

Asian populations, especially Japan, have enjoyed the health benefits of Sea Veggies for hundred of years. We have only recently discovered this powerful food in the West. There are a number of different varieties of seaweed in heath food stores throughout the year that are becoming increasingly popular as their benefits become more widely know.

Seaweed or sea veggies grow in salt or fresh water in lakes. Most often they are found on coral reefs or in rocky areas under the water, but they can grow very deep in the oceans where light can reach them. Sea veggies are classified as algae and categorized by color. Each has a red, green or brown hue with a variety of shapes and sizes. Seaweed that are consumed as food include: Nori: dark purple-black color that turns phosphorescent green when toasted, famous for its role in making sushi rolls. Kelp: light brown to dark green in color, oftentimes available in flake form.

Hijiki: looks like small strands of black wiry pasta, has a strong flavor. Kombu: very dark in color and generally sold in strips or sheets, oftentimes used as a flavoring for soups. Wakame: similar to kombu, most commonly used to make Japanese miso soup. Arame: this lacy, wiry sea vegetable is sweeter and milder in taste than many others Dulse: soft, chewy texture and a reddish-brown color.
Why East Seaweed?

Sea vegetables offer the broadest range of minerals of ANY food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.

Lignans, phytonutrients found in sea vegetables, have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis, or blood cell growth, the process through which fast-growing tumors not only gain extra nourishment, but send cancer cells out in the bloodstream to establish secondary tumors or metastases in other areas of the body. In addition, lignans have been credited with inhibiting estrogen synthesis in fat cells as effectively as some of the drugs used in cancer chemotherapy.

In postmenopausal women, fat tissue is a primary site where estrogen is synthesized, and high levels of certain estrogen metabolites (the 4OH and 16OH metabolites) are considered a significant risk factor for breast cancer.

In addition to lignans, sea vegetables are a very good source of the B-vitamin folic acid. Studies have shown that diets high in folate-rich foods are associated with a significantly reduced risk for colon cancer.

Some Specific Benefits of Sea Veggies
Magnesium helps to reduce high blood pressure and has shown to help prevent heart attacks and folic acid found in sea vegetables plays a number of preventative roles. Studies show that adequate levels of folic acid in the diet are needed to prevent certain birth defects, including spina bifida. Folic acid is also needed to break down an intermediate dangerous chemical produced during the methylation cycle called homocysteine. (Methylation is one of the most important cellular cycles through which a wide variety of important chemicals are produced.)

Homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls, and high levels of this chemical are associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hardening of arteries, and stroke.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties Including Headaches

Sea vegetables have been shown to be unique sources of fucans, which can reduce the body’s inflammation. Plus, because sea vegetables are a good source of magnesium and acts as a natural relaxant, has been shown to help prevent migraine headaches and can reduce the severity of asthma symptoms.

Menopausal Symptoms Affected by Sea Veggies

Sea vegetables provide magnesium which may also help re-establish normal sleep in females who experience the symptoms of menopause. The lignans in sea vegetables can act as small version of estrogen, one of the hormones whose levels decrease during the menopausal period. For women suffering from symptoms such as hot flashes, sea vegetable’s lignans may be just strong enough to help them through this period.

Good for the Thyroid

Sea vegetables, specifically kelp, are nature’s richest sources of iodine, which as a component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), is essential to human life. The thyroid gland adds iodine to the amino acid tyrosine to create these hormones. Without sufficient iodine, your body cannot synthesize them. Because these thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body and play a role in virtually all physiological functions, an iodine deficiency can have a devastating impact on your health and well-being.

A common sign of thyroid deficiency is an enlarged thyroid gland, commonly called a goiter. Goiters are estimated to affect 200 million people worldwide, and in all but 4% of these cases, the cause is iodine deficiency. This obviously indicates that an increase in one’s iodine intake could prevent you from having similar issues.

History of Sea Veggie Consumption

All around the world, sea vegetables have a long history. Archaeological evidence suggests that Japanese cultures have been consuming sea vegetables for more than 10,000 years. In ancient Chinese cultures, sea vegetables were a noted delicacy, suitable especially for honored guests and royalty. Yet, sea vegetables were not just limited to being a featured part of Asian cuisines.

Most regions and countries located by waters, including Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and coastal South American countries have been consuming sea vegetables since ancient times.

Currently, Japan is the largest producer and exporter of sea vegetables. This may explain why many of these precious foods are often called by their Japanese names.  50% of the Japanese diet or more consists of sea vegetables and Japan enjoys one of the lowest rates of disease in the world. Is this a coincidence?

Where to Find Sea Vegetables That Taste Good

One of the best Sea Vegetable supplements on the market today is Body Balance by Life Force International. Body Balance supports each of your core body systems and is a nutrition powerhouse formulated with SeaNine™, our proprietary blend of nine nutrient-rich sea vegetables, and Aloe Vera. Why sea vegetables? The mineral riches of the earth that have been washed into the oceans have been reclaimed by sea vegetation.

Our SeaNine™ blend provides a broad spectrum of trace minerals and phytonutrients that are more frequently deficient from land-based diets. These sea vegetables are sustainably harvested from pristine ocean waters around the globe.

The pairing of SeaNine™ vegetables with Aloe is dynamic. Aloe Vera alone contains over 75 nutrients and 200 active compounds, including 12 vitamins, 20 minerals, and 18 amino acids. The Aloe Vera used in Body Balance is carefully harvested under low temperatures to protect the key polysaccharides, grown and processed according to organic standards, and is inner-fillet aloe.

If you would like to learn more about Body Balance and Life Force International’s other products, go to www.best-nutrition.net

Health Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. The statements and products are not intended to diagnose, cure, prevent or treat any diseases.
References
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• Goldbeck N, Goldbeck D. The Healthiest Diet in the World. Plume (Penguin Putnam Inc.) NY, 2001, pp 378-80 2001.
• Terry P, Jain M, Miller AB et al. Dietary intake of folic acid and colorectal cancer risk in a cohort of women. Int J Cancer 2002 Feb 20;97(6):864-7 2002.
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