Want another really great Japanese salad? You gotta try this super easy Japanese Bean Sprouts Salad! This is another traditional starter served at most sushi bars. Recipe notes Seaweed is sometimes labeled a “ superfood,” rich in plant chemicals and minerals, increasing the chance that people may want to consume it daily or even several times a day. Processed seaweed products like seaweed chips are growing in popularity as a low-calorie alternative to potato chips. But there are safety concerns when overeating seaweed, mainly due to a high concentration of trace minerals and heavy metals in certain types: In Old Japanese, me stood for edible seaweeds in general as opposed to mo standing for algae. In kanji, such as 海藻, 軍布 and 和布 were applied to transcribe the word. [12] Among seaweeds, wakame was likely most often eaten, therefore me especially meant wakame. [13] It expanded later to other seaweeds like kajime, hirome ( kombu), arame, etc. Wakame is derived from waka + me ( 若布, lit. 'young seaweed'). If this waka is a eulogistic prefix, the same as the tama of tamagushi, wakame likely stood for seaweeds widely in ancient ages. [12] In the Man'yōshū, in addition to 和可米 and 稚海藻 (both are read as wakame), nigime ( 和海藻, soft wakame) can be seen. Besides, tamamo ( 玉藻, lit. 'beautiful algae'), which often appeared in the Man'yōshū, may be wakame depending on poems.

The researchers found that girls with higher seaweed intake had significantly lower systolic blood pressure readings. The results suggest that seaweed intake was negatively related to diastolic blood pressure in boys and to systolic blood pressure in girls, displaying that seaweed might have beneficial effects on blood pressure among children. 8. Lowers Cholesterol NaturallyMaeda, H.; Hosokawa, M.; Sashima, T.; Funayama, K.; Miyashita, K. (2005). "Fucoxanthin from edible seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida, shows antiobesity effect through UCP1 expression in white adipose tissues". Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 332 (2): 392–397. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2005.05.002. PMID 15896707. Goma wakame, also known as seaweed salad, is a popular side dish at American and European sushi restaurants. Literally translated, it means 'sesame seaweed', as sesame seeds are usually included in the recipe.

Farebrother J, Zimmermann MB, Andersson M. Excess iodine intake: sources, assessment, and effects on thyroid function. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2019 Jun;1446(1):44-65. By the year 2040, 642 million people worldwide are expected to have type 1 or type 2 diabetes ( 49).

Other Nutrients Are Present

Nevertheless, high amounts of seaweed can affect thyroid function, and symptoms of too much iodine are often the same as symptoms of not enough iodine ( 7).

Wondering where to buy wakame seaweed? You can find it dried or fresh in grocery stores, health stores or online. Although wakame is a nutritious food that offers numerous health benefits, it does contain a good amount of sodium (about 872 milligrams in one ounce). People with high blood pressure or other health conditions where sodium intake is a concern may want to watch their seaweed intake to make sure that they don’t consume too much sodium in one day. ConclusionFortunately, in Asian cultures, seaweed is commonly eaten with foods that can inhibit the uptake of iodine by the thyroid gland. These foods are known as goitrogens and are found in foods like broccoli, cabbage, and bok choy ( 6). Wild-grown wakame is harvested in Tasmania, Australia, and then sold in restaurants in Sydney [20] and also sustainably hand-harvested from the waters of Foveaux Strait in Southland, New Zealand and freeze-dried for retail and use in a range of products. [21] Cuisine [ edit ] Iodine. Seaweed, especially kombu, is one of the richest food sources of iodine, a trace element that the body needs in small amounts. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iodine in adults is 150 micrograms daily, and the tolerable upper limit is 1,100 micrograms. One serving of dried nori, about 10 grams of dry weight, contains 232 micrograms of iodine (155% of the RDA). A serving of processed seaweed chips (about 5 grams) contains about 80 micrograms of iodine. In comparison, the average intake of seaweed in Japan is about 10 grams a day. [6] What eats seaweed? In addition to humans, seaweed (in its natural environment) is commonly consumed by sea urchins, sea snails and plant-eating fish, such as the rabbit fish and parrot fish. The nutrients present in wakame contribute to its benefits on our overall health. Here’s a rundown of the top wakame health benefits: 1. Helps Fight Diabetes

Interestingly, seaweed has become a research focus for new ways to support people who are at risk of diabetes ( 50). An interesting study on the topic was conducted in 2011 and examined whether seaweed might affect blood pressure in children. Healthy Japanese preschoolers, aged 3–6 years, had their blood pressure and pulse measured before and after a three-day period that involved seaweed intake. Blood pressure measurement, complete dietary records, and parent-reported height and weight were obtained for 223 boys and 194 girls.Prebiotic. Laboratory and animal studies have shown the prebiotic effects of polyphenols and fibers like polysaccharides (fucoidans, alginate, carrageenans) in seaweed. [2,10,11] These fibers are fermented by bacteria to produce short-chain fatty acids that support gut health, protect against pathogens, and promote immunity, as well as support the growth of healthful gut bacterial strains. [11] Prospects for seaweed production in developing countries - 1. The seaweed Industry - An overview". www.fao.org. It is full of essential vitamins and minerals, helping boost the immune system and keep the organs functioning properly. Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) is a species of kelp native to cold, temperate coasts of the northwest Pacific Ocean. As an edible seaweed, it has a subtly sweet, but distinctive and strong flavour and texture. It is most often served in soups and salads. Several studies have investigated whether wakame has the ability to naturally prevent high blood pressure. One such study, published by Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, found that wakame treatment significantly decreased systolic blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats.