Why Seaweed Should be a Staple in Your Life
And Its Incredible Benefits
Words by: Robin Ostroff // Anato
For too long, humanity has been able to turn their cheek to our planet’s pain and suffering from anthropogenic climate change and global warming. Lately, though, it seems nearly impossible not to feel some of the Earth’s pain.
The Earth has been begging for its own version of self-care-for elimination of plastic, for the halt of tearing down ancient forests, for a pause in carbon emissions, and for the equitable treatment of all its diverse plant and animal species.
With a pretty terrifying viral pandemic, humanity is also seemingly begging for a reboot in self care-for slowing down our day to day life, for a revival of preventative health care, and for nurturing ourselves from the inside out.
So, what if some of us decide to team up with the Earth on this whole self-care extravaganza? What if we can value and honor the planet’s greatest gifts by ethically using them in our personal self-care routines? Many of us may not be able to actually travel to the ocean right now, so what about bringing the majestic healing powers of the ocean to your home?
Take a peek at how and why seaweed should be in your self-care routines:
Bioactive compounds in seaweeds, like metabolites, meroterpenoids, phlorotannins (which are only found in marine plants), and fucoidans are responsible for potential antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory actions.
NOT JUST A TREND, BUT AN ANCIENT PRACTICE
From Scottish folklore, to traditional Chinese medicine, to archaeological sites in Chile, seaweed has been an incredible asset to humankind for tens of thousands of years!
Yep - archaeological evidence at the Monte Verde site, dated to around 14,000BC in southern Chile, shows nine different species of seaweed that were used as food and medicine!
17th century Northern Europe not only used seaweed as food, medicine, fodder, and fertilizer, but also as an industrial resource for soda and iodine.
In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), gulfweed, or sea holly, has been used for about 2000 years for thyroid health. In ancient Greece, they were not only using seaweed to feed their plants and animals, they were putting it in their baths for its detoxifying effects.
In 961 BC, there are records from Iceland documenting the rights to coastal access for harvesting sea vegetables.
Plants love eating seaweed as fertilizer.
Animals love having seaweed in their feed.
And us humans are no different in our deliberate consumption of this multifaceted sea plant.
Clearly, seaweed use is no trend. It is a practice that is here to stay.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Traditional use can show us the efficacy of seaweed as a food and medicine, but modern research can further prove how this works. Seaweed is rich in the following vitamins and minerals:
Iodine
Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Amino Acids
B Vitamins
Antioxidants
Magnesium
Zinc
Protein
Fiber
Vitamin E
Bioactive compounds
SEAWEED & SKIN
Topical use of seaweed has its benefits specific to every single skin type!
Not only are the above noted benefits of seaweed helpful for healthy skin, seaweed is also remarkably demulcent and humectant! Demulcency refers to seaweed’s mucilaginous texture that soothes redness and irritation on the skin. You know that slimy texture? Yep, that is what demulcency refers to. Humectant refers to its ability to retain moisture levels on the skin, and to draw moisture into the skin from the air. Isn’t that pretty incredible? Topical seaweed has the power to not just moisturize your skin with its own demulcent nature, it can actually draw upon water molecules like a magnet to bring moisture into your skin and keep it there
How do you know if your skin would benefit from seaweed?
Consumption of seaweed will no doubt benefit your whole being. When our insides are healthy, our skin shows this through a clear, glowing complexion. Interestingly, cultures that consume consistent amounts of seaweed in their diet have significantly lower rates of melanoma. While cause and effect cannot necessarily be implicated, there certainly is a clear correlation when we look at melanoma rates inAustralia versus Japan. There is a 40% lower incidence of melanoma in Japan. And as melanoma rates rise throughout the world, the rates are staying relatively low in Japan, a country in which brown seaweed is a regular part of their diets.
Dry Skin will of course benefit from its soothing, demulcent and humectant properties. Our skin needs a water content level of at least 10% to ensure our skin’s keratin can maintain a soft and flexible texture.
Maturing skin loves the moisture seaweed brings to the skin! With just a 1% decrease in our skin’s moisture level, we can see a significant change in elasticity. The silicon levels of brown seaweed also have hopeful benefits of reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
Acne is soothed and detoxified by seaweed’s demulcency and high mineral content. Specific minerals, like zinc and magnesium, have positive effects on acne. Studies have found that brown seaweeds, like kelp, have targeted activity against the bacteria and inflammation caused by bacteria associated with acne.
Sensitive skin, like eczema, benefits from seaweeds minerals and hydration. The emollient properties of seaweed can alleviate itching, discomfort, and redness due to irritated skin.
SOURCING SEAWEED SUSTAINABLY
As the name indicates, seaweeds grow like a weed-meaning in abundance. They grow abundantly throughout the oceans of the world. They are incredibly efficient at sucking up carbon dioxide and using it to grow. Eelgrass, mangroves, and salt marshes are already known for their ability to store carbon. But seaweeds pull more of the greenhouse gas from the water than all three combined based on biomass. That means seaweed farms can help to combat local impacts of ocean acidification (Source: NOAA).
Seaweeds also gobble up nitrogen and phosphorus. In large quantities, these nutrients cause algal blooms that deplete the ocean of oxygen when they decompose. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from stormwater runoff and point-sources are behind the dead zones that form in the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay. Seaweed farms can help lower nutrient levels in nearby waters.And most are perfectly safe for human consumption. This makes them a sustainable resource for our diets and self-care routines, and for our plant & animal friend diets, as well8. With over 32 countries harvesting wild seaweeds, totaling to over 800,000 tons a year-we need to think ahead. As seaweed grows in popularity, we want to ensure it is being harvested sustainably so that future generations of these macroalgaes can continue to thrive. To read more about the future of our oceans, check out Anato’s blog post Saving the Forests To Save Our Oceans. Sourcing your seaweed as local as possible, and knowing who is harvesting it from the sea, often ensures support for thoughtful and renewable harvesting practices. Once the seaweed is harvested, it needs to be cured and dried properly to retain maximum nutrition while not spoiling from too much moisture. Freeze drying, or air drying at room temperature are the best methods for preserving the bioactive compounds, vitamins, and minerals.
For delicious, nutrition packed seaweed, check out Santa Cruz foragers, Seaquoia.
HARVESTING SEAWEED
Always check your local laws and regulations about harvesting living seaweed from the beaches. You likely do not need a license to harvest a small amount for personal use.
Always use scissors to cut the seaweed from its holdfast. Do NOT pull seaweed off of rocks because this can kill the “roots” and prevent future generations of seaweed from growing.
Always do your research about which seaweeds grow near you, so you can appropriately identify and harvest the best species.
HOME USES
Add seaweed to broths and soups
Sprinkle seaweed onto dishes like rice or popcorn
Use it to flavor meats
Add seaweed to your baths
Make sushi at home!
Sprinkle seaweed in your garden!
Consider seaweed supplements for thyroid health
Use seaweed in your skincare routine, like facial masks
