There is a plethora of nutrition that we can get from our oceans and even lakes. So many types of sea vegetables, algae, and fish eggs. Often times, people don’t take advantage of it because they may be unaware. Today, I will go over importance of sea nutrition, key nutrients, and how to implement it.

Seaweed (sea vegetables)

Sea vegetables have been used for eons by humans in different cultures, and for good reason. People in Japan have been documented to use them for over 2000 years. They used it for nori raps and sushi dishes. Sea vegetables were also used in ancient China. It was prepared for special guests and kings. Mediterranean forms of sea vegetables were used in ancient Greek and Roman times for a variety of reasons. Also, ancient Hawaiians used to grow kelp gardens for food, medicine, and ceremonies. Seaweed contains a compound called fucoxanthin, which is great for regulating your hemoglobin A1C. This is the number one metric for monitoring blood glucose. Fucoxanthin has also been shown to aid in fat loss, inflammation, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

Kelp-

Kelp is a well known sea vegetable that is very high in iodine. Iodine is a critical nutrient for our thyroid hormones. Kelp has 5-10x more calcium than milk. It has two unique nutrients called fucoidan and vanadium. Fucoidan has notable anti-cancer effects; while vanadium has potent blood glucose regulating effects. Kelp has a very salty, umami flavor that is great for savory dishes.

Dulse-

Dulse is the number one source of potassium bar none. It also is rich in various trace elements and minerals. Sodium, calcium, beta carotene, iodine, iron, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins are prevalent. It has a red tone to it, which means that in contains specific types of antioxidants. Phycoerythrin is the most notable one with powerful free radical scavenging activity. A I-butanol soluble fraction extracted from dulse is another one with powerful free radical scavenging activity. Dulse has an excellent umami taste. Some call it bacon of the sea. It’s great with salads, avocados, and mediterranean herbs.

Fresh Water Algae

Chlorella-

Chlorella is a potent algae that’s most known for its chlorophyll content. Chlorophyll is a potent blood builder with chlorella being the number one source. Lutein and zeaxanthin are also found in chlorella. These are powerful nutrients that protect your vision. It’s also known as chelator. This means that it’s able to bind on to toxic substances like heavy metals and remove them form the body.

Spirulina-

Spirulina is the most protein dense food by weight. It’s about 70% protein by weight and is a complete protein. According to scientists, the earth once had a blueish color instead of green. At the time there was a compound called phycocyanin which promotes growth of stem cells. This compound is found in spirulina. It’s also high in chlorophyll.

Marine Phytoplankton

We are taught that oxygen that we breathe comes from trees. That is true, but upwards of 90% of oxygen comes from phytoplankton. Also, 50% of vegetation comes from it. This is microscopic algae that contains almost every nutrient for life to occur. It contains every essential amino acid, fatty acid, and polysaccharides. They also contain high amounts of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, phytochemicals, and chlorophyll.

Caviar (fish eggs)

Caviar comes from prehistoric fish called sturgeon. This foods was once reserved for royalty. It was heavily prized by the Greeks and Persians. Russia is the country that really brought it to the modern market. Caviar is an excellent source of omega 3s. When we think omega 3s, we typically think fish, but caviar has 3x more omega 3s than fish. It’s also high in B12, riboflavin, magnesium, selenium, and amino acids. There are a variety of different types of caviar from different color to different fish. Even with that, the nutrition content is similar. Caviar should be preserved with something like salt and refrigerated.

Conscious Use

We have to keep in mind that sea vegetables are high in iodine. This is great, but too much can be a problem, especially for the thyroid. Make sure to regulate your intake. You can get them in powdered, granulated forms, or the whole leaf itself. Also, they perform bioremediation, which means they sop of chemicals around them to clean the environment. That’s good for the environment, but we don’t won’t to consume that. Make sure to purchase from a company with 3ed party testing, harvests from clean waters and does things organically. Most sources are going to be fairly clean anyway.