Looking out for your health is always a priority. That's why a lot of people these days are conscious about what they eat, and careful with every calorie that goes into their bodies.
Because of this, a lot of fad diets like Atkins, South Beach, Paleo and many more have been getting a lot of attention.However, according to Science Alert, many food experts recommend eating seaweed every day. Yes, you got that right - seaweed.
Seaweed isn't a common food you'll hear when they discuss about diets. This is common in some coastal cities and in Asia as well. Not a lot of people get to taste it except when they want to eat sushi rolls and flavored rice crackers.
According to Danish researchers, people should include seaweed in their food daily in order to make their meals healthier. It is said to help in lowering the impact of obesity or being overweight and everything that can result from it. Ole G. Mouritsen, a biophysics researcher at the University of Southern Denmark said that certain substances in seaweed are important to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
His team thinks that this information should be available for everyone so that they can follow and get good benefits from it. He and his colleagues said that including seaweed in our daily diet shouldn't just be done by individual people, thus he suggested that food industry also has a key role in making it a common ingredient in which people can buy and consume every day. The research also suggested that at least a little amount of seaweed can be added an alternative ingredient or even just flavoring for pizzas, hot dogs and even fast food.
They examined the dietary profile of 35 different seaweed varieties and found a lot of health benefits. It includes essential nutrients like amino acids, antioxidants, minerals, trace elements, dietary fiber and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is also good for flavoring because of its potassium and salt which doesn't lead to high blood pressure. It also gives out umami which helps promote satiety and help with the regulation of food consumption. The recommendations given in the study only applies to some species of seaweed and not all. The researchers strictly prohibit people from eating the seaweed that have been washed on the shore.
Finally, Mourtisen added that there is no exact amount yet as to how much one person needs to consume in order to get benefits, but he estimates that about 5 to 10 grams of dried seaweed a day may do the trick.
