What Are the Health Benefits of Seaweed?

Our body needs a sufficient amount of protein for the production of new tissues and cells, a strong immune system and a healthy metabolism. Seaweed varieties are also rich in easily digestible and beneficial proteins. In this regard, it has many beneficial effects on the body. Some of these beneficial effects are:

Strengthens Bones

Seaweed contains seven times more calcium than milk. In this sense, seaweed provides significant support to the bone development of children and helps bones to have a stronger structure during menopause and old age.

Relieves Diabetes Symptoms

Fiber-rich foods are of great importance for diabetes. This is because fiber helps significantly regulate insulin and blood sugar levels. In this regard, consuming seaweed in your diet can help increase fiber intake without causing a huge increase in calories.

Has an Anti-Aging Effect

Seaweed is rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids, and thanks to these properties, it makes the skin look moist, young and more vibrant. In addition, it protects the skin against the harmful effects of some environmental pollutants and thus significantly slows down the aging process of the skin. In this sense, research has supported that seaweed has some anti-aging properties. This has revealed that seaweed is a useful ingredient in the production of skin care products. Anti-inflammatory properties in algae are also very useful in the treatment of wounds and skin rashes.

Has Natural Antiviral Components

According to researches, natural antiviral components called fucoidan in seaweed; It is effective against many viruses such as polio virus, herpes virus that causes cold sores, viruses that cause respiratory infections and HIV.

It is a Natural Anti-Inflammatory

Inflammation; It is the cause of many common diseases such as cancer, arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. Fucoidins in seaweed also prevent inflammation, build walls against such diseases and contribute significantly to the healing of these diseases.

Good for Calcification

Research has shown that seaweed reduces arthritis in knee joints by up to 30%.

Helps Prevent Tumors

It has been proven by research that fucoidin, which is found in seaweed, also prevents cancer types such as skin cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer and lymphoma.

Has a Debilitating Effect

Complex carbohydrates, minerals and proteins found in abundance in seaweed are also very effective in weight loss. In addition to its nutritional value, it is an ideal food for those who want to lose weight because its calorie value is very low.

Effective in Heart Diseases

Heart diseases are among the most common causes of death. Thanks to its anti-coagulant components, seaweed is an important remedy for heart and stroke diseases. In addition, seaweed is a food that helps to reduce cholesterol with its alginates. Fucoidins, with their blood thinning effect, can offer a good alternative solution against the side effects of drugs.

Supports Thyroid Functions

The thyroid gland secretes hormones that control growth, reproduction, repair of damaged cells in the body and energy production. It also uses iodine to produce these hormones. If there is not enough iodine, some symptoms such as fatigue, weight changes and neck swelling occur. For this reason, it is recommended to take 150 mcg of iodine every day. In this sense, seaweed has the effect of absorbing significant amounts of iodine from the sea.

The iodine content varies according to the seaweed type, and the place where it is processed and where it grows is also very important in this regard. Apart from that, seaweed also contains an amino acid called tyrosine. This amino acid is used in the body together with iodine and provides a great benefit to the thyroid gland in the production of two hormones produced by the thyroid.

Supports Intestinal Health

Intestinal bacteria are very important for health. In this sense, it is estimated that more bacteria occur in the human body than human cells. This situation can cause various diseases. Seaweed is a good source of fiber in this regard, and these fibers are known to be extremely good for intestinal health.

The fibers constitute approximately 25-75% of the dry weight of seaweed. In this sense, the amount of fiber is much higher than many vegetables and fruits. Thus, fibers resist digestion and become an excellent food source for bacteria in the colon. In addition, it is seen that the sugars called sulphurous polysaccharides, which are found in seaweed, significantly support the development of bacteria in the intestines.

In addition, these polysaccharides help to increase the production of short-chain fatty acids and at the same time provide nutrients and support to the cells in the intestinal walls.