Nutritionists Explain Why Seaweed Is Incredible for Your Health

Seaweed Might Just Be the Food Your Diet Is Missing

It’s a nutritional powerhouse.
By Perri O. Blumberg   Published: Aug 18, 2022

This article is a repost which originally appeared on Men’s Health.

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

Our Takeaways:

· There are many types of seaweed suitable for human consumption.

· Many ingredients for cooking and food additives are derived from seaweed.

· Seaweed can be an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE the power of seaweed for your diet.

“Seaweed is a salty, slightly fishy tasting food that is found in oceans around the world,” says Wendy Lord, R,D., consultant for Sensible Digs. “It has been used in Japanese cuisine for centuries, and due to its high nutritional value, it was used as a tax [payment] and served in imperial courts and shrines as early as 3000 B.C.”

“Seaweed has been a staple in Asian diets for thousands of years, but it’s only become popular in North America in the past few decades. You can harvest it yourself if you’re near an ocean, but it’s also available in many supermarkets,” says Kim Yawitz, R.D., a gym owner in St. Louis, MO.

Yawitz notes that seaweed can be a bit tricky to identify on store shelves because most ready-to-consume products are labeled by species, not simply as “seaweed.” She says some of the most common varieties to look out for in North America are nori, wakame, kombu, kelp, sea lettuce, and dulse. “You can find these products in the form of sheets, strips, and noodles, often in the Asian foods aisle.”

Yawitz says that it’s also possible to consume seaweed without even realizing it. “Some types of seaweed—like carrageenan and agar—are used as thickeners for creamers, cottage cheese, jellies, meat products, and other packaged foods,” she says.

Here’s everything you need to know about seaweed, including the superfood’s health benefits and nutritional stats.

What is seaweed?

Seaweed, also known as macroalgae, refers to vegetables from the sea or another body of water. Yet not all seaweed is edible.

“Seaweed is an umbrella term for thousands of different species of algae that grow in oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water,” says Yawitz. “In addition to providing nutrients and shelter for marine animals, seaweed filters pollutants from the water,” she says, adding that while most saltwater seaweed is edible, freshwater algae shouldn’t be eaten due to a higher risk of toxicity.

Now, let’s dive into some of the better-known types of seaweed enjoyed by humans.

First, you’re likely familiar with dried nori sheets, which are used with rice to make sushi. “It is made from the dried red seaweed called pyropia. After harvesting, it is cleaned and minced before being laid out on flat trays to dry into sheets,” says Lord. “Besides sushi, nori adds the slightly sweet, salty ocean taste to noodle dishes, soups, and salads. It also makes a crispy snack.”

Other popular seaweed species? “Kombu, wakame, and hijiki are common types of seaweed used to make soups and broths and to add flavor to stews and casseroles. Kombu is a source of glutamine, an amino acid that gives this type of seaweed its rich umami flavor,” says Lord, noting seaweed can also be ground and sprinkled over food in place of salt. Try cooking rice with kombu to impart a hint of umami flavor.

“Arame is a good option to consider if you are looking for a milder, less fishy sea vegetable. The flavor is mild and slightly sweet, and the taste of the fish is more subdued,” she adds. “Arame has a firm texture, making it a versatile ingredient in soups, sauces, stews, and salads, but the dried arame must be reconstituted before being used.”

Is seaweed nutritious?

As Yawitz puts it, just like carrots have different vitamins and minerals than peppers, different types of seaweed vary a bit in terms of nutrients. “But in general, seaweed is a good source of iodine, manganese, folate, antioxidants, and fiber,” she says.

Seaweed also has some good-for-you sugars in it. Yes, you read that right. “You might not think of sugar as being particularly healthy, but seaweed also contains specific types of sugar that are thought to improve health,” says Yawitz. “For example, fucoxanthins and alginate are both types of sugar that appear to regulate blood sugar, while fucoidans are sugars that have been shown to reduce inflammation and boost the immune system.”

Recently, many dietitians have been extolling the virtues of seaweed.

“For starters, it is an excellent source of soluble and insoluble fiber, which are important in our diet to promote gut health and keep blood sugar levels and cholesterol in check. Soluble fiber, in particular, is essential for maintaining the ideal balance in the gut microbiome — the bacteria living in the digestive system,” says Lord. “Depending on the type of seaweed you are eating, the fiber content is between 36 percent to 60 percent of its dry weight, with the soluble fiber accounting for 55 percent to 70 percent of the total amount of fiber. Red algae, such as that used to make nori, has the highest soluble fiber content.”

It gets even better: “Some seaweed contains 10 to 100 times more vitamins and minerals than the equal amount of dry land vegetables or animal-derived foods,” says Lord, elaborating that the exact amount depends on the type of seaweed you are eating. Per recent research, the list of micronutrients found in seaweed includes:

  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin K
  • Vitamin C
  • B-group vitamins: B1, B2, B9, B12
  • Calcium
  • Iron
  • Iodine
  • Magnesium
  • Phosphorus
  • Potassium
  • Zinc
  • Copper
  • Manganese
  • Selenium
  • Fluoride

What are the health benefits of seaweed?

Living forever. Well, perhaps that’s a stretch. But seaweed consumption might play a role in reaching centenarian status. “Seaweed is a diet staple in Okinawa, which has been home to some of the longest-living humans on earth. And while Okinawans certainly have other lifestyle habits that contribute to their longevity, some studies have linked seaweed with a longer lifespan,” says Yawitz. “In two large and recent studies, adults who ate the most seaweed had the lowest risk of dying from heart disease and stroke. Other, smaller studies suggest that seaweed oil could help reduce blood sugar levels, decreasing the risk for diabetes.”

Lord ticks off some more impressive potential health benefits of eating seaweed regularly: “Seaweed consumption has been associated with managing arthritis, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, eye conditions, and cardiovascular diseases. In brown algae, the active compound that is being studied with regard to health is fucoidan. It has not yet been approved for medical applications, but it can be bought in nutraceutical form. Research is promising and shows that it has antibacterial and antiviral properties. It also acts as an anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, and antithrombotic agent. Plus, it can be used to prevent cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease.”

Lord also says that brown algae are commonly used in traditional Japanese medicine to treat hypertension, goiter, obesity, sore knees, and relieve constipation. “Many of the health benefits of seaweed can be attributed to the variety of phytonutrients found in it,” she says. “Along with the vitamins and minerals, the phytonutrients help to prevent oxidative damage in the body and prevent disease.”

The best ways to eat seaweed

Convinced you should be adding seaweed to your diet more frequently? Here’s how to get started in the kitchen…

“Seaweed is most commonly used in Asian cooking, but its popularity is growing worldwide,” suggests Lord. “Almost any savory dish can be lifted by adding seaweed. It adds a salty, earthy flavor to soups, stews, broths, and casseroles.”

She adds, “If you are new to using seaweed in your cooking, it might be a good idea to opt for one such as arame, which has a milder flavor until you get used to it and feel ready for the stronger umami flavor that comes with other forms of seaweed. Nori sheets are most commonly used to make sushi, but they can be added to any number of dishes. You can snack on it as it is in the form of seaweed crisps, or cut it and add it to salads or cooked vegetable dishes. You can even grind it and use it to add flavor to your food instead of salt.”

Yawitz suggested adding a cup of miso soup to meal time—which typically has seaweed stirred into it—or to start your meal with a seaweed salad to boost your intake of sea greens. “You can also add seaweed to stir-fries, soups, steamed rice, or even smoothies,” she says. “Finally, seaweed snacks are a great alternative to chips and other salty snacks. You can buy them in stores or make them using a food dehydrator.”

 

How to improve brain function effectively — from exclusive biohacking clinics to simple age-old advice

How to improve brain function effectively — from exclusive biohacking clinics to simple age-old advice

1st November 2021 by Alec Marsh

This article is a repost which originally appeared on SPEAR’S

Edited for content.

There are a few ways to effectively improve brain function — and thanks to exclusive biohacking clinics catering to clients willing to pay large sums to fine-tune their bodies, it’s more possible than ever now to actually “buy intelligence”, writes Alec Marsh

Can you buy intelligence? Of course, you can’t. Like or lump it, when it comes to the little grey cells, we are born with what we’ve got – and unlike breasts, lips or hips, we can’t make them bigger or better with a timely cash injection at a Harley Street clinic.

Or so I thought. Actually, the idea that our brains are static is increasingly out of date. Experts now believe we can increase our mental agility – and there are people who will help you achieve this goal, for a fee.

A case in point is Natalia Ramsden, the founder of Sofos Associates, who charges £30,000-£35,000 for a year-long, all-inclusive programme intended to improve brain function. This comes with a case manager and access to the KX gym in Chelsea (where there’s an infrared sauna), and even sessions in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber ‘to get more oxygen into the brain’.

Working with around six clients a year, Ramsden, an occupational psychologist by profession, describes the firm as sitting ‘between a quasi-medical facility and a consultancy’. Clients begin by submitting to assessments of their intelligence, psychological state, lifestyle and wider health (including tests on blood, urine, hormone levels and vitamin D). They also undergo a qEEG test, which creates a ‘brain map’ of their electrical neuro-activity and reveals whether one’s gamma waves (the ones that we create when concentrating) are up to speed.

Once they’ve got all this, ‘the team curates an enhancement process’ to optimise the client’s brain. At the heart of it are fundamental things such as getting more sleep – at least seven to nine hours a night is the sweet spot, depending on the person. That alone will do much to improve an individual’s ‘fluid intelligence’ – the smarts required, for instance, to read, process and recall a board report efficiently and accurately. According to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, sleep serves a critical ‘housekeeping’ function for the brain, ‘removing toxins from the brain that build up while [we] are awake’.

However, Ramsden says, just knowing you need more sleep is meaningless, particularly for clients with high-powered jobs. So the Sofos approach is about ‘edging [clients] towards a better cognitive space and working with them as an individual as a whole’. In other words, helping them stick to the plan.

The company aims to support people through a transition to a lifestyle that helps them change their brain – and then works with them to embed those changes. This includes exercise, stress management and dietary changes (the brain consumes 25 to 30 per cent of our energy, so fuel is important) to help promote conditions for ‘neuronal growth’ which can lead to faster-firing synapses.

Ramsden says that when clients repeat all the tests at the end of a year’s programme, she’s seen improvements of six to 13 points in fluid intelligence scores.

California-based behavioural neurologist and Alzheimer’s specialist Dr. Sharon Sha puts ‘exercise, exercise, exercise’ at the top of her list of ways to improve brain function. She notes that scientific research on mice put on treadmills shows that those that exercise have better memories than those that have sedentary lifestyles. Additional research on mice, published in the journal Neurobiology of Disease, shows that a four-month treadmill programme ‘induced a significant improvement in spatial learning and memory abilities’.

In addition to exercise, Dr. Sha advises following the Mediterranean diet, which among other things is shown to be good for promoting gut diversity, thereby improving the microbiome, the kilo or so of bacteria in our bodies that are now known to be critical for efficiently working immune systems and can even affect ‘brain fog’.

So can you buy intelligence? Absolutely. But there are lots of things you can do to boost it free of charge, too.

A gut feeling: Understanding how our gut microbiome communicates with our immune system

An international team of scientists has identified a new connection between certain molecules produced by the microbiome and the function of a protein that impacts gut inflammation.

This article is a repost which originally appeared on ScienceDaily
University of Bath - October 26, 2021 
Edited for content and readability - Images sourced from Pexels
DOI: 10.1186/s40168-021-01137-3

This finding takes researchers from the University of Bath and the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) closer to understanding how a good balance of microbes in our guts is linked to the body’s immune system and intestinal health. It also raises the possibility of new treatments being found to manage debilitating inflammatory diseases of the gut, such as Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.

The two classes of molecules identified by the study’s authors are short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids. The researchers have not established exactly how these molecules influence the production of P-gp. They plan to examine the role these molecules play in gene and protein regulation in future work.

Both molecules exist in the gut in healthy quantities only when certain microbes are given the right conditions to thrive in the microbiome. These microbes contribute to the digestion of food elements, such as fiber and green leafy vegetables. The researchers’ findings support the growing bank of evidence that the health of a person’s microbiome, and therefore their overall wellbeing, is closely linked to diet.

The intestinal microbiome differs from person-to-person, but overall, an appropriate balance of key microbes is known to be linked to a healthy intestine. This balance can be disturbed by changes to the diet. In particular, a western diet high in simple sugars and fats, and low in plant-based protein, has been associated with a decrease in the quantities of bacteria in the gut that produce short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids.

The protein that gets the gut speaking to the immune system

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) — the protein studied in this work — allows the intestine to communicate with the immune system through the gut wall.

For some years, this has been a protein of concern in cancer research because of its capacity to pump chemotherapy drugs out of cancer cells, thus reducing the drugs’ ability to fight tumors. However, the very mechanism that makes P-gp problematic in treating certain cancers makes it beneficial in helping the intestine maintain homeostasis — that is, a state of equilibrium where chronic inflammation is subdued.

For the past 10 years, scientists have been aware that through its action of pumping out foreign substances, including toxins, P-gp plays a critical role in protecting the surface of the gut. High levels of the protein correlate with a healthy intestine. In inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, expression of P-gp appears to be reduced.

Yet, despite an understanding of the role of P-gp, until now the mechanisms controlling its expression and regulation have remained unknown. The findings of the new study, combined with earlier work at UMass Chan, explain how the microbiome can affect P-gp expression. This gives important insight into a key aspect of the microbiome and how it regulates health and disease in the gut.

Inflammatory bowel disease

In earlier research, the team of scientists from the US and UK demonstrated that P-gp releases anti-inflammatory compounds into the gut. These molecules, known as endocannabinoids, are chemically similar to cannabis but produced by the human body, and are key to keeping inflammation in the gut in check. If these endocannabinoids are reduced or not present, inflammation can flare up. The molecules identified in the new study prompt P-gp to release those all-important endocannabinoid molecules.

The research, led by graduate student Sage Foley and Professor Beth McCormick at UMass Chan in collaboration with graduate student Merran Dunford and Professor Randy Mrsny from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology at Bath, builds on previous research by the team that demonstrated how the anti-inflammatory P-gp pathway is constantly balanced with a pro-inflammatory process. These opposing pathways communicate to keep the gut healthy: in the absence of an infection, the anti-inflammatory P-gp pathway is active to suppress unnecessary inflammation, while the pro-inflammatory pathway is poised ready to launch an immune response to protect against intestinal infection.

In inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, this balance is poorly managed.

The team’s findings provide exciting new opportunities for the management of inflammatory intestinal diseases. Potential future treatments could include the delivery of specific bacteria or bacterial products to a person’s gut, or dietary changes that would support a microbiome to promote or sustain P-gp expression in the intestine, thereby protecting against unwanted inflammation.

Inflammatory bowel disease is linked to genetics and environmental conditions that include (but are not limited to) diet, exercise, lifestyle and antibiotic use. Ulcerative colitis, the most common form of inflammatory bowel disease worldwide, is a chronic, debilitating disease with no cure. Symptoms include abdominal pain, severe cramps, persistent diarrhea or constipation, weight loss and severe intestinal inflammation. While current treatments can reduce inflammation and symptoms, there is nothing available today to treat the underlying disease.

Ms Dunford said: “The upshot of this research is that we now know the specific molecules produced by the microbiome bacteria that are linked to P-gp, and hence, a healthy intestine. These molecules work in concert to stimulate P-gp to increase the release of endocannabinoid molecules, which suppress intestinal inflammation.”

Ms Foley added: “We are excited to find that not only is there a link between the gut microbiome and P-gp regulation in the intestine, but that two classes of microbial molecules actually work together to trigger expression of P-gp.

“This highlights the importance of a functioning core microbial community to have maximal impact on the human body. While even within an individual the relative abundance of microbes can fluctuate, we’re beginning to understand the importance of nourishing the microbial community as a whole. Though there is still much to explore, we suspect this may be possible through changes to the diet or through the delivery of groupings of microbes.”

Commenting on the research, Ruth Wakeman, director of services, advocacy and evidence at Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said: “We welcome research that helps increase understanding of how environmental factors, diet and gut microorganisms may influence conditions such as Crohn’s and colitis. We hope that research such as this will lead to new and improved methods of managing the conditions in the future.”

Background

What is the microbiome?

The human microbiome is a hot topic for research worldwide. Research in this area has surpassed $1.7 billion in the past decade.

The microbiome is the name for the population of microorganisms (including bacteria) that live in a person’s intestine. We have over 100-trillion different microbial organisms in our gut — that’s 10 times more than all the human cells in a body. The intestinal microbiome is vital in keeping us healthy. The new research shows for the first time the core microbes that are important for regulating levels of P-gp in the gut and its ability to function.

Distinct microbial communities live in and on nearly every part of the human body, including on the skin, in the nose and in the gut. These microbes live symbiotically with the host and are essential for our bodies to function. No human has the same microbiome. Our gut microbiome changes throughout our lives and is largely dependent on the microbes passed on to us from birth and diet.

Disturbances to the microbiome are linked to diseases including inflammatory bowel diseases. Understanding how the microbiome communicates with the cells lining our intestine and how that process is affected in disease is important. Moreover, as part of the symbiotic relationship between the microbiome and the human body, bacteria of the microbiome depend on components of the diet, such as fermentable fiber, for their growth.

Dietary changes such as alterations in fiber, protein or fat content have been linked to shifts in the relative amounts of bacterial species in the microbiome. Therefore, it is possible that certain alterations to the diet may drive beneficial bacteria to promote P-gp in the intestine, thereby promoting health. Conversely, a loss of these microbes may trigger or exacerbate inflammation.

Ms Dunford said: “Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a lifelong, debilitating disease that affects at least one in 250 people in the UK alone. Prevalence is increasing, especially in western countries. (https://polytechnologiesinc.com) In diseases such as IBD, the body’s immune response, which is normally helpful in fighting infection, is massively over promoted. This aggressive immune reaction in the gut damages the lining of the patient’s intestine, causing symptoms such as severe abdominal pain and diarrhea.”