Sundance Natural Foods - Seaweed Neptune's Garden Most folks don't think of turning to the Earth's oceans for vegetables, yet there is a vast source of nutritious food available there that is just now reaching the mainstream diet in the United States—sea vegetables. Sea vegetables, or seaweed, are marine algae which are abundant all over the world. You know, those big long things you see washed up on the coast that look like rubber and make great jump ropes when they're still moist. They are among the most ancient life forms on earth and probably were the first life to exist. In many parts of the world, they have been harvested and eaten since long before land-based agriculture. They can be eaten fresh, but most often are granulated or dried and reconstituted while cooking other foods. They add a delicious variation to almost any dish, from rice to stir-fry to soup to popcorn. Health Benefits of Seaweed Sea vegetables are virtually fat-free, low calorie and one of the richest sources of minerals in the vegetable kingdom. They have ready access to the abundance of minerals found in the ocean. Sea water & human blood contain many of the same minerals in very similar concentrations. Nourishment is acquired across the sea vegetable's entire surface through the gentle wave action of underwater currents. Sea vegetables contain high amounts of calcium and phosphorous and are extremely high in magnesium, iron, iodine and sodium. For example, 1/4 cup of cooked hijiki contains over half the calcium found in a cup of milk and more iron than in an egg, important concerns for vegans, those who refrain from eating any animal-based products. They also contain vitamins A, B1, C and E, as well as protein and carbohydrates. One of seaweed's most prominent health benefits is its ability to remove radioactive strontium and other heavy metals from our bodies. Whole brown seaweeds (not granulated) such as kelp contain alginic acid which binds with the toxins in the intestines rendering them indigestible and carries them out of the system. [more] [return to fact list]