Algae and Your Health

While not technically vegetables, algae are often called sea vegetables. They form an integral part of Japanese cuisine. And many other cultures around the world also include various forms of algae in their diets. The practitioners of macrobiotics have seaweed as a staple. There are several different types of edible plants, inhabitants of the sea, all of which have great nutritional value. Here are some of the most common algae and nutrients in them.

Arame - This dark algae has a large leaf that is crushed before being dried and packaged. It contains calcium, iron, vitamin A, niacin (vitamin B12), and significant amounts of yodo.Kombu - also high in iodine, kombu comes in strips and often cooked with beans to increase digestibility. It also contains calcium (though not as much as arame), iron, vitamins A and C and niacina.Hijiki - This tangy seaweed has the highest amount of calcium in all common algae. It contains vitamin C, but has varying proportions of other nutrients that have been identified anteriormente.Wakame - This sea vegetable is popular in traditional Japanese miso soup. It is a species of algae, and is rich in calcium and niacina.Nori - will recognize this if you eat sushi seaweed. Used toasted nori sheets pressed to wrap sushi rice sweet and various fillers. This algae has the highest protein content, vitamin A and niacin any otra.Dulse - Popular in dry form and eaten as snack salty, this alga is sometimes purple ground to a powder that is used as a condiment. It is lower in calcium and iron than other seaweeds, and contains vitamin A and niacin.

It has, however, high in vitamin C, protein and iodine. The dulse also contains a healthy ratio of omega-3 fatty acids in relation to omega-6.Agar-agar - tasteless and odorless, agar-agar is unique among marine plants. Gelatin is used as when developing the jelly-like dessert. It is also used in ice cream and other dairy products to give them a cohesive consistency thick. Has the least nutritional content of all marine plants included in this list, except for calcium - has more calcium than nori.

It has been shown, according to macrobiotic chef and author Wendy Esko, that consumption of sea vegetables helps reverse cardiovascular disease, reduce tumors, and even eliminate the harmful effects of exposure to radiation.

Brown algae, such as arame contain a carbohydrate called fucoidan, which studies have shown that it has, among other properties, antitumor action and anti-inflammatory. And the sea vegetables also contain soluble fiber, so the good effect on cardiovascular health is understandable.

You may need some time to get used to the algae, but start with small quantities of the milder varieties - such as arame and kombu - can help make the transition easier. And, of course, a good way to go is to visit your restaurant accustomed favorite Japanese. If you live in Madrid, do not hesitate - find a good miso soup and seaweed salads delicious Japanese restaurant in Nagoya.

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