Table of contents:
- What are the benefits of seaweed?
- 1. Helps maintain or lose weight
- 2. Helps accelerate wound healing
- 3. Strengthens bones and teeth
- 4. Increase energy
- 5. Good for diabetics and cholesterol
- 6. Avoid swelling of the thyroid gland
- 7. Fight disease
- 8. Slows the spread of breast cancer
- How much should we eat seaweed?
For those of you who like foods such as sushi or onigiri, you are definitely familiar with the alias seaweed seaweed. Seaweed belongs to the algae group and consists of several types such as brown algae, red algae, and green algae. The food served with this seaweed mostly comes from Asia. However, did you know that seaweed is not only delicious, but also beneficial for health? What are the benefits of seaweed for body health?
What are the benefits of seaweed?
Seaweed is also called sea vegetable, or marine vegetables. We know that vegetables are low in calories. A bowl of raw seaweed or wakame seaweed has less than 20 calories. Want to know what are the health benefits of seaweed? Check out the following:
1. Helps maintain or lose weight
Some types of seaweed, such as brown seaweed, contain the pigment fucoxanthin, which helps the body's metabolism to convert fat into energy. This is confirmed by a study published in Food Chemistry, found that alginate (a natural fiber found in brown seaweed) can help about 75% to block the absorption of fat in the intestine.
2. Helps accelerate wound healing
The benefit of seaweed that is no less important is that it helps wounds heal quickly. Seaweed is rich in vitamin K, and this vitamin coordinates with platelets - the type of cells that can form blood clots / clots. Vitamin K sends a chemical signal where platelets collect blood and clot it, so that when you are injured, the wound stops flowing. You can choose any type of grass, but be aware that wakame has less vitamin K content.
3. Strengthens bones and teeth
Seaweed also contains calcium. If you are allergic to cow's milk, consider other foods that contain calcium. Seaweed and wakame contain 60 mg of calcium, about 6% of the daily calcium requirement. Lack of calcium can impact muscles, and cells that coordinate with the nervous system.
4. Increase energy
Another content found in seaweed is iron. The benefit that you can get from iron is to produce energy that the body needs to burn during daily activities. Lack of iron can lead to anemia, leaving you easily weak and lethargic. You can increase your iron intake by eating seaweed. A bowl of seaweed provides 1.1 or 0.8 mg of iron. Including seaweed in your daily diet can help you reach your 8 mg daily requirement of iron for men, or 18 mg of iron for women.
5. Good for diabetics and cholesterol
Seaweed also contains omega-3 fatty acids. A sheet of seaweed contains the same omega-3 fatty acids as two avocados. The function of omega-3 fatty acids is to increase good cholesterol or HDL, and reduce bad cholesterol or LDL.
6. Avoid swelling of the thyroid gland
The iodine content in seaweed is something that is quite rarely found in other foods. Consuming healthy levels of iodine is important for maintaining a healthy thyroid. Thyroid problems can cause several symptoms such as weakness, muscle weakness, high cholesterol, even in severe cases it can cause serious medical conditions such as goiter, palpitations, and impaired memory.
7. Fight disease
There are many vitamins contained in seaweed, such as magnesium, copper, zinc, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, vitamins A, B12, B6, and C. Some of these nutrients are antioxidants. Apart from containing flavonoids, seaweed also contains high levels of other antioxidants such as carotenoids. Antioxidants themselves function to prevent damage to the body from free radicals, and are good for cardiovascular health.
8. Slows the spread of breast cancer
Recent research has found that sea vegetables can regulate estrogen levels, thereby reducing the risk of developing breast cancer. However, this does not mean that seaweed is used as a treatment for various diseases, or guarantees protection against disease.
How much should we eat seaweed?
Too much consumption of seaweed can cause excessive iodine in the body. You have to eat in moderation, not overdoing it. For those of you who suffer from hyperthyroidis - an overactive thyroid gland - you should avoid it, because iodine will stimulate the thyroid even more.
Seaweed takes minerals in the sea, where they live. It is possible for these plants to absorb arsenic and other heavy metals. When consumed in excess, of course it will not be good for the health of the body.
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