The Health Benefits Of Sea Vegetables (plus recipes)
*
Sea vegetables are very rich in nutrients and phytochemicals. They are loaded with chlorophyll, fiber, and minerals, including signifi cant amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine and many other trace minerals naturally found in the ocean. When reconstituted, sea vegetables expand three to seven times their original volume, so small amounts go a long way. Available in dried form year-round, most sea vegetables are re-hydrated before adding to dishes.Some, like kelp, dulse, , nori and sea palm are delicate enough to eat dry.Others, like arame, wakame and ,hijikia become more tender and appealing when they soaked in water to soften. Irish moss can be soaked and used as a thickener in puddings, pies and gravies. Still others like Kombu are usually not eaten by themselves, because they are tougher, but are either ground and used as a seasoning or used whole as a flavoring in soups and stews.
To make a basic sea vegetable salad, simply soak the sea vegetables in water to soften. Drain, reserving the soak water for future use. I usually do equal amounts of sea and land vegetation, like carrots or cucumbers. Kale, collard greens and cabbage make great additions as well. Combine the sea vegetable with the land vegetable and pour a sauce or marinade over them. Let it stand at least 15 minutes to absorb fl avor. One of my favorite marinades contains ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice, cayenne and salt.
While there are thousands of diff erent types of sea vegetables, a small handful are mostcommonly used.The sweet, mild flavors of arame, dulse and bullwhip kelp make them perfect choices for the novice.
(Irish Moss)
Healing Properties of Sea Vegetables
Sea vegetables have been studied and used in clinical practice and shown to have many health benefits. For example, the effects of regular Kombu consumption can be resolution of coronary artery disease, healthier liver function, higher metabolic rate, faster food transit time, lower LDL cholesterol, and higher HDL cholesterol blood levels. What follows is a summary of some of the healing effects that have been attributed to sea vegetables.
• Anti-Microbial Function: Sea vegetables are powerfully antiviral and anti-parasitic. Various red algae, dried, powdered and encapsulated have been used as effective genital herpes and shingles suppressants.
• Lung Function: Hijiki and Sargassum, brown algae, seem to improve lung capacity. 3-5 grams of powdered kelp daily has been effective in treating asthma. Irish Moss gel is an effective long-term treatment for damaged lungs, especially after pneumonia, smoking, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
• Erectile Dysfunction: Tropical species of red seaweed are used to prepare a male virility drink in the Caribbean.
• Tissue Repair: Dr. Ryan Drum uses a broth of powdered Sargassum unpasteurized 3 year old Barley Miso paste for cancer, radiation, chemotherapy, post-surgical, and whole body impact trauma patients. Pre surgical treatment with 3-5 grams of brown seaweed containing Fucoidan significantly reduces blood loss and shock risk afterwards.
• Nervous Disorders: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Insomnia, Depression, Hostility and Schizophrenia have improved greatly with
regular daily consumption of 3-5 grams of powdered kelp.
• Cardiovascular Disorders:Regular consumption of Kombu tends to result in lowered blood pressure and decrease in arterial plaque.
• Cancer: Regular dietary consumption of WakaAme and other brown algae may prevent breast cancer. One of the constituents of brown algae, Fucoidan, shows strong antitumor activity by enhancement of inflammatory responses.
• Thyroid Disorders: Fucus species of brown seaweeds, also known as Bladderwrack, have been used as treatment for thyroid disorders because they contain DIT, a weakly active thyroid hormone. Two DIT molecules combine to produce T4, Thyroxin. 3-5 grams daily of powdered Fucus, results in similar effects to thyroid medication. Up to 10% of the iodine found in brown seaweeds, especially laminaria species of Kombu and Sargassum has been found to be in the preformed thyroid hormones, T4 and T3. This is exciting news for those who have been on synthetic thyroid hormone and told that they needed to stay on it for life.Daily consumption of sea
vegetables has the potential to restore thyroid functioning.
• Male Pattern Baldness: Daily Nori consumption is recommended in Japan as a preventative for male pattern baldness.
• Joint Pain: Used topically, extended soaks with powdered Fucus (bladder wrack) can be very helpful to improve joint pain.
Other conditions that have been found to respond favorably with the use of sea vegetables are anemia, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue, yeast infections, ulcers, and prostate problems.
***
Minerals, Trace Elements, Vitamins and Fats in Sea Vegetables. Sea vegetables provide all 56 minerals and trace elements required for the human body’s physiological functions in quantities greatly exceeding those of land plants. According to Dr.Ryan Drum, noted herbalist and sea vegetable gatherer, and an international expert on sea vegetables, 3-5 pounds of sea vegetables will fully mineralize an adult human for one year! He claims his personal consumption to be about 10 pounds a year.
A 1/3 cup (1/4 oz.) serving of Dulse or Kelp provides up to 30% of the RDA for iron, which is 4 times the amount of iron in a serving of spinach. Magnesium is twice as abundant in Kelp and Alaria asin collard greens. Sea vegetables contain the following essential nutrients in a chelated, colloidal, optimally balanced, bioavailable form: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Iron, Chromium,Copper, Lithium, Manganese, Selenium, Vanadium, Sulfur, and Iodine.Sea vegetables are the best natural food sources of iodine. According to Dr. Drum, since no land plants are reliable sources of dietary iodine, you’d have to eat about 40 lb. of fresh vegetables and/or fruits to get asmuch iodine as you would from 1 gram of whole leaf kelp! Sea vegetables also contain signifi cant amounts of vitamins, especially the B vitamins. And fi nally, while low in fat, sea vegetables have signifi cant amounts of Omega-3 fa y acids, containing an ideal ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3.
(source)
Types of Sea Vegetables
***
Mediterranean-Style Roasted Vegetables with Arame
1/2 cup arame
4 baby onions, or 1 medium onion, quartered
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 courgettes cut into thick rounds
1 red pepper, cut into pieces (discard seeds)
handful of mushrooms, cut in half
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp concentrated apple juice (optional)
1 tbsp dry oregano
2 bay leaves
pinch of sea salt
Rinse the arame under cold water quickly. Soak it in just enough cold water to cover for 7 minutes, then drain well. Heat the oven to medium heat (200°C/375°F/gas mark 6). In an oven casserole dish, mix the vegetables, arame and seasonings well. Add a small amount of water to just cover the bottom of the dish. Cover with the lid and bake until the vegetables are sweet and tender (approximately 30-35 minutes).Garnish with 1tbs capers and chopped parsley.Serves 2
Braised Hijiki Salad:
1 ounce hijikia
1 medium carrot
1/2 medium gobo(also known as edible roots)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablepoons gluten free soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 cup water (or dashi if you have it)
Rinse hijiki well, then soak in filtered water to cover for about 20 minutes or until plump. Drain (you can use this mineral rich soak water for your plants - they'll love it).
Julienne carrot and gobo, and soak gobo in cold filtered water until ready to use.
Heat 1/2 sesame oil in large skillet, and add carrot and gobo. Stir over medium heat about 2 minutes. Add hijiki, soy sauce, mirin and water (or dashi) and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until liquid is fully absorbed into the seaweed.
Turn off heat and drizzle with remaining sesame oil. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds, if desired.
Cabbage Nori Rolls
By Fatfree Vegan
(serves about 4 as a side dish)
1/2 head Napa or Chinese cabbage
1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
6-8 ounces baked tofu, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
baby corn
4-5 sheets toasted nori
pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi, for serving
Cut the cabbage into half lengthwise. Cut one half into 4 wedges lengthwise. Place the wedges in a steamer basket with the carrots and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Once the cabbage has cooled, dry it thoroughly by placing it on a kitchen towel or sushi mat covered with paper towels. Roll up in the towel or mat, squeezing lightly to remove excess moisture. Remove any thick, tough pieces and set them aside.
Place a piece of nori on the sushi mat, and have a small bowl of water nearby. Lay a thin layer of cabbage starting about one inch from the bottom and stopping 2 inches from the top. Be sure the cabbage stretches to the side edges. Near the bottom end, lay a strip of tofu, carrots, and baby corn or any combination of the three.
Lift the mat at the edge closest to you and bring the bottom edge of the nori over the tofu and other fillings. Roll forward to tightly wrap the nori around the fillings. As you approach the far edge, dip your fingers into the bowl of water and use them to moisten the top inch. (This will help the nori to seal.) Complete the roll. Place it seam-side down on a cutting board. Repeat with remaining cabbage, and cut rolls into 6-8 pieces with a sharp knife. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi.
Tofu in nori
By Laura A
5 oz firm, plain tofu
5 sundried tomatoes
1 spring onion (scallion)
Couple of cloves of garlic
touch of olive oil
a few olives
Blended together and refrigerated for an hour, then wrapped up (messily!) in a sheet of Nori.
Dulse, Avocado, and Tomato Sandwiches
4 slices multi-grain sandwich bread
2 T Vegan mayo
1 tomato
½ avocado
1 handful of dulse
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Bake the dulse for about 8-10 minutes, until it is dried out and crispy.
Toast the bread slices.
Slice the tomatoes horizontally.
Slice the avocado half into thin pieces horizontally as well.
Spread the mayo on one slice of the bread.
Arrange the tomatoes in one even layer on the bread, and do the same with the avocados.
Place an even amount of dulse on top of the avocados.
Cover with the other slice of bread, slice in half for easy handling, and enjoy!
Note: As will all seaweeds, please try to purchase organic or wild harvested seaweed from a reputable company. There have been warnings of contaminated hijiki and other seaweeds, the well known companies harvest from clean waters and test their products regularly for contamination.
Sea vegetables are very rich in nutrients and phytochemicals. They are loaded with chlorophyll, fiber, and minerals, including signifi cant amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, iodine and many other trace minerals naturally found in the ocean. When reconstituted, sea vegetables expand three to seven times their original volume, so small amounts go a long way. Available in dried form year-round, most sea vegetables are re-hydrated before adding to dishes.Some, like kelp, dulse, , nori and sea palm are delicate enough to eat dry.Others, like arame, wakame and ,hijikia become more tender and appealing when they soaked in water to soften. Irish moss can be soaked and used as a thickener in puddings, pies and gravies. Still others like Kombu are usually not eaten by themselves, because they are tougher, but are either ground and used as a seasoning or used whole as a flavoring in soups and stews.
To make a basic sea vegetable salad, simply soak the sea vegetables in water to soften. Drain, reserving the soak water for future use. I usually do equal amounts of sea and land vegetation, like carrots or cucumbers. Kale, collard greens and cabbage make great additions as well. Combine the sea vegetable with the land vegetable and pour a sauce or marinade over them. Let it stand at least 15 minutes to absorb fl avor. One of my favorite marinades contains ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice, cayenne and salt.
While there are thousands of diff erent types of sea vegetables, a small handful are mostcommonly used.The sweet, mild flavors of arame, dulse and bullwhip kelp make them perfect choices for the novice.
(Irish Moss)
Healing Properties of Sea Vegetables
Sea vegetables have been studied and used in clinical practice and shown to have many health benefits. For example, the effects of regular Kombu consumption can be resolution of coronary artery disease, healthier liver function, higher metabolic rate, faster food transit time, lower LDL cholesterol, and higher HDL cholesterol blood levels. What follows is a summary of some of the healing effects that have been attributed to sea vegetables.
• Anti-Microbial Function: Sea vegetables are powerfully antiviral and anti-parasitic. Various red algae, dried, powdered and encapsulated have been used as effective genital herpes and shingles suppressants.
• Lung Function: Hijiki and Sargassum, brown algae, seem to improve lung capacity. 3-5 grams of powdered kelp daily has been effective in treating asthma. Irish Moss gel is an effective long-term treatment for damaged lungs, especially after pneumonia, smoking, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.
• Erectile Dysfunction: Tropical species of red seaweed are used to prepare a male virility drink in the Caribbean.
• Tissue Repair: Dr. Ryan Drum uses a broth of powdered Sargassum unpasteurized 3 year old Barley Miso paste for cancer, radiation, chemotherapy, post-surgical, and whole body impact trauma patients. Pre surgical treatment with 3-5 grams of brown seaweed containing Fucoidan significantly reduces blood loss and shock risk afterwards.
• Nervous Disorders: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Insomnia, Depression, Hostility and Schizophrenia have improved greatly with
regular daily consumption of 3-5 grams of powdered kelp.
• Cardiovascular Disorders:Regular consumption of Kombu tends to result in lowered blood pressure and decrease in arterial plaque.
• Cancer: Regular dietary consumption of WakaAme and other brown algae may prevent breast cancer. One of the constituents of brown algae, Fucoidan, shows strong antitumor activity by enhancement of inflammatory responses.
• Thyroid Disorders: Fucus species of brown seaweeds, also known as Bladderwrack, have been used as treatment for thyroid disorders because they contain DIT, a weakly active thyroid hormone. Two DIT molecules combine to produce T4, Thyroxin. 3-5 grams daily of powdered Fucus, results in similar effects to thyroid medication. Up to 10% of the iodine found in brown seaweeds, especially laminaria species of Kombu and Sargassum has been found to be in the preformed thyroid hormones, T4 and T3. This is exciting news for those who have been on synthetic thyroid hormone and told that they needed to stay on it for life.Daily consumption of sea
vegetables has the potential to restore thyroid functioning.
• Male Pattern Baldness: Daily Nori consumption is recommended in Japan as a preventative for male pattern baldness.
• Joint Pain: Used topically, extended soaks with powdered Fucus (bladder wrack) can be very helpful to improve joint pain.
Other conditions that have been found to respond favorably with the use of sea vegetables are anemia, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue, yeast infections, ulcers, and prostate problems.
***
Minerals, Trace Elements, Vitamins and Fats in Sea Vegetables. Sea vegetables provide all 56 minerals and trace elements required for the human body’s physiological functions in quantities greatly exceeding those of land plants. According to Dr.Ryan Drum, noted herbalist and sea vegetable gatherer, and an international expert on sea vegetables, 3-5 pounds of sea vegetables will fully mineralize an adult human for one year! He claims his personal consumption to be about 10 pounds a year.
A 1/3 cup (1/4 oz.) serving of Dulse or Kelp provides up to 30% of the RDA for iron, which is 4 times the amount of iron in a serving of spinach. Magnesium is twice as abundant in Kelp and Alaria asin collard greens. Sea vegetables contain the following essential nutrients in a chelated, colloidal, optimally balanced, bioavailable form: Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium, Iron, Chromium,Copper, Lithium, Manganese, Selenium, Vanadium, Sulfur, and Iodine.Sea vegetables are the best natural food sources of iodine. According to Dr. Drum, since no land plants are reliable sources of dietary iodine, you’d have to eat about 40 lb. of fresh vegetables and/or fruits to get asmuch iodine as you would from 1 gram of whole leaf kelp! Sea vegetables also contain signifi cant amounts of vitamins, especially the B vitamins. And fi nally, while low in fat, sea vegetables have signifi cant amounts of Omega-3 fa y acids, containing an ideal ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3.
(source)
Types of Sea Vegetables
***
Mediterranean-Style Roasted Vegetables with Arame
1/2 cup arame
4 baby onions, or 1 medium onion, quartered
2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
2 courgettes cut into thick rounds
1 red pepper, cut into pieces (discard seeds)
handful of mushrooms, cut in half
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp concentrated apple juice (optional)
1 tbsp dry oregano
2 bay leaves
pinch of sea salt
Rinse the arame under cold water quickly. Soak it in just enough cold water to cover for 7 minutes, then drain well. Heat the oven to medium heat (200°C/375°F/gas mark 6). In an oven casserole dish, mix the vegetables, arame and seasonings well. Add a small amount of water to just cover the bottom of the dish. Cover with the lid and bake until the vegetables are sweet and tender (approximately 30-35 minutes).Garnish with 1tbs capers and chopped parsley.Serves 2
Braised Hijiki Salad:
1 ounce hijikia
1 medium carrot
1/2 medium gobo(also known as edible roots)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
3 tablepoons gluten free soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 cup water (or dashi if you have it)
Rinse hijiki well, then soak in filtered water to cover for about 20 minutes or until plump. Drain (you can use this mineral rich soak water for your plants - they'll love it).
Julienne carrot and gobo, and soak gobo in cold filtered water until ready to use.
Heat 1/2 sesame oil in large skillet, and add carrot and gobo. Stir over medium heat about 2 minutes. Add hijiki, soy sauce, mirin and water (or dashi) and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until liquid is fully absorbed into the seaweed.
Turn off heat and drizzle with remaining sesame oil. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds, if desired.
Cabbage Nori Rolls
By Fatfree Vegan
(serves about 4 as a side dish)
1/2 head Napa or Chinese cabbage
1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
6-8 ounces baked tofu, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips
baby corn
4-5 sheets toasted nori
pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi, for serving
Cut the cabbage into half lengthwise. Cut one half into 4 wedges lengthwise. Place the wedges in a steamer basket with the carrots and steam until tender, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Once the cabbage has cooled, dry it thoroughly by placing it on a kitchen towel or sushi mat covered with paper towels. Roll up in the towel or mat, squeezing lightly to remove excess moisture. Remove any thick, tough pieces and set them aside.
Place a piece of nori on the sushi mat, and have a small bowl of water nearby. Lay a thin layer of cabbage starting about one inch from the bottom and stopping 2 inches from the top. Be sure the cabbage stretches to the side edges. Near the bottom end, lay a strip of tofu, carrots, and baby corn or any combination of the three.
Lift the mat at the edge closest to you and bring the bottom edge of the nori over the tofu and other fillings. Roll forward to tightly wrap the nori around the fillings. As you approach the far edge, dip your fingers into the bowl of water and use them to moisten the top inch. (This will help the nori to seal.) Complete the roll. Place it seam-side down on a cutting board. Repeat with remaining cabbage, and cut rolls into 6-8 pieces with a sharp knife. Serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and wasabi.
Tofu in nori
By Laura A
5 oz firm, plain tofu
5 sundried tomatoes
1 spring onion (scallion)
Couple of cloves of garlic
touch of olive oil
a few olives
Blended together and refrigerated for an hour, then wrapped up (messily!) in a sheet of Nori.
Dulse, Avocado, and Tomato Sandwiches
4 slices multi-grain sandwich bread
2 T Vegan mayo
1 tomato
½ avocado
1 handful of dulse
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Bake the dulse for about 8-10 minutes, until it is dried out and crispy.
Toast the bread slices.
Slice the tomatoes horizontally.
Slice the avocado half into thin pieces horizontally as well.
Spread the mayo on one slice of the bread.
Arrange the tomatoes in one even layer on the bread, and do the same with the avocados.
Place an even amount of dulse on top of the avocados.
Cover with the other slice of bread, slice in half for easy handling, and enjoy!
Note: As will all seaweeds, please try to purchase organic or wild harvested seaweed from a reputable company. There have been warnings of contaminated hijiki and other seaweeds, the well known companies harvest from clean waters and test their products regularly for contamination.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brandon on -
Interesting stuff. I've always been intrigued by see weed veggies since that infomercial by Scott Kennedy aired promoting that particular see weed supplement. I had thought about getting that supplement once but I wonder getting raw see weed veggies is better. Isn't see weed rather bad tasting though? Also where could you get good quality see weed veggies?
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Permalink Reply by Cayce H Cronk on -
I love sea veggies! I just made some raw, vegan nori rolls today. They are delicous!
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Permalink Reply by Dorcas on -
Thanks for the great recipes. I enjoy eating sea vegetables and it's easy to prepare.
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