Is Seaweed A Wonder Food?
Seaweed is receiving a lot of acclaim these days. From helping to reduce weight, to being a great source of nutrition, a lot of people are declaring seaweed to be the next "wonder food." But does seaweed really live up to all the hype?
The truth is that the jury is still out on whether or not seaweed is as beneficial as all the claims being made about it. That isn't to say that all the claims are false, but a lot of the claims just aren't supported by evidence through studies yet.
What is known is that data shows that seaweed is beneficial in reducing inflammation and premenstrual syndrome symptoms. A seaweed component called alginate has been found to yield excellent healing results in wounds. Research continues to find that certain seaweeds may have other medical benefits
It's also known that seaweed is chalk full of many nutritious substances such as fiber, minerals, omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, protein and vitamins. Seaweed may also contain as much as up 10 times the amount of calcium as is found in milk. This alone would suggest that adding a little seaweed to your diet is not going to be a negative.
That being said, the current evidence doesn't yet support that you should go out and begin eating an exclusively seaweed diet. In fact, a lot of seaweeds have toxic substances. One of the main concerns is that eating too much seaweed may have negative health consequences because of these.
(Photo Credit: stevendepolo)
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