Sea Vegetables

Sea Vegetables and seaweeds (aquatic plants) have been recognized for thousands of years, particularly in Asia, where they are highly valued for their nutritional content.

Sea vegetables are marine algae found in marine saltwater, freshwater lakes, and seas. They commonly grow on coral reefs or rocky landscapes and can thrive at great depths, provided that sunlight can penetrate the water to reach them. Like plants, they require light for their survival. Sea vegetables are classified into three categories by color: brown, red, or green, and each has a unique shape, taste, and texture.

The vast majority are edible, with only a few poisonous tropical species. Some types are more revered for their appealing flavors, textures, and culinary versatility, including dulse, nori, sea lettuce, kombu, wakame, arame, hijiki, and agar-agar.

Eating these vegetables is not the norm for many, but their use has a long history. Dulse was first used in Iceland by the Celts and Vikings during their long travels to restore strength and energy. The Irish, Scottish, and British have been using it since around 1200 AD. China first started using it around 2700 BC, and Japan has used six varieties since 800 AD. Today, 21 species are seen in their diets. When Captain Cook visited Tonga in 1777, he was given Limu Moui (algae) to restore his health and stamina. In Europe, Mediterranean seaweeds were used as food and as herbal medicines by the Greeks and Romans, and red algae were used as a drying agent and to treat parasitic worms.

Sea vegetables and seaweeds are low in fat and calories and rich in essential minerals, vitamins, and protein. Seaweeds provide all of the 56 minerals and trace minerals required for the body's physiological functions and contain approximately 15 times the minerals of land plants.

Seaweeds also contain vitamins A, B, C, and E, and nori contains vitamin D. Moreover, some seaweeds contain small amounts of vitamin B12, usually found in animal products. Seaweeds also provide 50 to 60% of their dry weight as polysaccharides (starches). Despite this large quantity of carbohydrates, sea vegetables add few calories because their starch consists of a substance called Algin (a polysaccharide found in cell walls of algae). Alginates are not easily digested by the body, acting like soft fiber to soothe and add bulk to the digestive tract, and are abundant in foods such as kombu, wakame, arame, and hijiki. Scientific studies have also shown that alginates inhibit the absorption of toxic metals and radioactive isotopes in the digestive tract.

Sodium intake is a health concern for many because of its link with hypertension. Still, it is crucial to realize that salt is an essential mineral, along with potassium, which provides electrolytes to cells and helps maintain proper fluid balance. If there is an imbalance, it can also affect magnesium and calcium levels, which also contribute to high blood pressure. The use of sea vegetables can provide bioavailability of essential sodium (in low amounts generally) along with potassium, calcium, and magnesium, promoting heart health.

An evolutionary assumption is that dietary sodium is not easily found in our environment. Therefore, the body retains sodium, but potassium (the salt's partner) is easily found in the evolutionary diet (vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits), so the body does not naturally retain potassium. Due to this assumption, humans today encounter difficulties because modern diets have altered the natural balance of sodium and potassium. Potassium is leached out of processed foods, and sodium is used extravagantly as a flavor enhancer and as a preservative.

Sea vegetables have traditionally been used in Asia to treat heart disease and thyroid problems, and recent scientific research is showing positive findings related to cancer, immune function, and overall inflammation.

Today, most Westernized societies use and ingest seaweed in everyday life as alginates, agars, and carrageenans (starches and thickening agents), which are found in many foods and pharmaceuticals.

Sea vegetables, typically dried, are widely available in many food stores, making them ideal for long-term storage. Some sea vegetables, such as dulse, wakame, nori, and sea lettuce, can be tender enough to eat raw or after a brief soaking; some, such as arame, need light cooking by boiling or steaming, while others, such as kombu and hijiki, require longer cooking times by sautéing or simmering. All sea vegetables expand after soaking, so use them sparingly.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, seaweed has the energetics of being salty and warming, and is especially beneficial for Vata and Kapha; however, the heat can increase the Pitta Dosha. Seaweed's biomedical actions include anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anticoagulant, antithrombotic, antiviral, and potent antioxidant properties. They are used for detoxification, improving circulation, lowering cholesterol, balancing mineral deficiencies, controlling the growth of bacteria and candida, and promoting thyroid function and elimination.

Kelp, also known as Wakame, and Kombu are the most widely available edible seaweeds, generally used in their dry state by soaking until pliable and edible, or added directly to soups.

Kombu is a type of brown kelp that comes dried for use in soup or broth, or fresh to be eaten as sashimi. Add a five-inch strip to a pot of water with salt and pepper for a simple, mineral-rich broth.

Wakame is another popular one in Japan and Korea, where restaurants often serve fresh (or reconstituted) wakame tossed with some sesame oil over a bed of lettuce.

Aramee sea vegetables are suitable for sautéing. Soak dried artichoke for five minutes before using (unless it’s going into a soup).

Dulse is a red seaweed that attaches to rocks in the North Atlantic and Northwest Pacific oceans. It’s often shredded, dried, and sprinkled on soups, but fresh dulse can be sautéed or roasted to make chips.

 

Agar-Agar, also known as agar. Just like any other gelatin, it can be used to firm up jellies, pies, and puddings.

Nori is the most recognizable seaweed used in sushi.  It’s the mildest form of seaweed, generally roasted in sheets or squares.

Irish Moss, also known as carrageen moss, is a common thickening agent that grows along the rocky coasts of Europe and softens into a jelly-like substance when heated in liquid.

Badderlocks, also known as winged kelp, is a traditional sea vegetable found in the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and Ireland. It’s a type of brown seaweed that is traditionally dried and then added to soups and stews.