Sea vegetables
Western cultures are only recently beginning to enjoy the taste and nutritional value of sea vegetables, often referred to as seaweed, that have been a staple of the Japanese diet for centuries. Numerous various varieties of sea vegetables can be found in health food and specialty stores throughout the year. Owing to their rise in popularity, they are also becoming much easier to find in local supermarkets as well.
Sea vegetables can be found growing both in the marine salt waters as well as in fresh water lakes and seas. They commonly grow on coral reefs or in rocky landscapes, and can grow at great depths provided that sunlight can penetrate through the water to where they reside since, like plants, they need light for their survival. Sea vegetables are neither plants nor animals but classified in a group known as algae.

Health Benefits
Why would anyone want to eat sea vegetables? Because they offer the broadest range of minerals of any food, containing virtually all the minerals found in the ocean-the same minerals that are found in human blood. Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K, a very good source of the B-vitamin folate, and magnesium, and a good source of iron and calcium, and the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables contain good amounts of lignans, plant compounds with cancer-protective properties.

Americans at High Risk for Iodine Deficiency - Sea Vegetables a Reliable Source
Research published in Environmental Science and Technology, (Dasgupta P, Liu Y, et al.) has revealed that iodized salt is not likely to contain the amount of iodine it's supposed to, and even if it did, many Americans are cutting back on salting home-cooked meals.

Because excessive sodium intake can increase hypertension risks, many agencies now recommend reducing salt intake. A 1995 report found 58% of men and 68% of women reported never using salt, using "lite" salt, or rarely using ordinary table salt.
In addition, the use of iodized salt is not mandatory in the U.S., and virtually all of the salt used in restaurants and processed foods in the U.S. is not iodized, leaving Americans at high risk for iodine deficiency.
Although product labels state that U.S. iodized salt contains 45 µg of iodine per gram, when University of Texas researchers analyzed 88 samples of iodized table salt from 40 states, 53% of samples contained less.

Iodine values in freshly opened, top-of-the can samples ranged from as little as 12.7 to 129 μg/kg. And the amount of iodine within each can was not homogenous but varied as much as 3.3 times among the 5 samples taken at different depths from the same container. In addition, iodine was also found to decrease greatly during high humidity storage, although light or heat had little effect.
In sum, even if you don't eat out a lot and are using iodized salt, you have no idea how much iodine it is actually providing, and the longer you've had that container of salt, the more likely its iodine content has decreased.
Why should we be concerned? Iodine is necessary for the body's production of thyroid hormones, which, in addition to regulating metabolic rate, direct brain development, making iodine critical starting in the first trimester of pregnancy through adolescence.

Lack of sufficient iodine is the leading cause of preventable mental retardation in the world. Even a mild iodine deficit in pregnant women, infants, and children, can lower intelligence by 10-15 IQ points, lessening an individual's mental abilities throughout life.
Public-health studies over the past 30 years indicate that iodine levels in the U.S. population, particularly in women of childbearing age, are too low. Urinary iodine (the standard means of evaluating iodine levels in the body) has plummeted by almost 50% in adults, and the frequency of moderate iodine deficiency (urinary iodine excretion of less the 50 μg per liter) in pregnant women has jumped from 1% to 7%.

In an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine entitled "Iodine Nutrition - More is Better," thyroidologist Robert Utiger of Harvard Medical School urges that the recommended daily intake of iodine be increased to 300 to 400 μg.
Practical Tip: Kelp, dulse, hijiki, and nori, can be relied upon as an excellent source of iodine (a mere ¼ cup supplies 415μg). To ensure you are getting enough iodine, make sea vegetables a staple in your healthy way of eating.
One important caveat: Purchase only certified organic sea vegetables to ensure they are free of contamination. Sea vegetables have a high affinity for heavy metals, and if grown in polluted waters, can soak up not only healthful minerals, but also contaminants such as arsenic, lead, cadmium or mercury.(van Netten C, Hoption Cann SA, et al. Sci Total Environ)

Promote Optimal Health
Lignans, phytonutrients found in sea vegetables, have been shown to inhibit angiogenesis, or blood cell growth, the process through which fast-growing tumors not only gain extra nourishment, but send cancer cells out in the bloodstream to establish secondary tumors or metastases in other areas of the body. In addition, lignans have been credited with inhibiting estrogen synthesis in fat cells as effectively as some of the drugs used in cancer chemotherapy. In postmenopausal women, fat tissue is a primary site where estrogen is synthesized, and high levels of certain estrogen metabolites (the 4OH and 16OH metabolites) are considered a significant risk factor for breast cancer.
In addition to lignans, sea vegetables are a very good source of the B-vitamin folic acid. Studies have shown that diets high in folate-rich foods are associated with a significantly reduced risk for colon cancer.

Promote Healthy Thyroid Function
Sea vegetables, especially kelp, are nature's richest sources of iodine, which as a component of the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), is essential to human life. The thyroid gland adds iodine to the amino acid tyrosine to create these hormones. Without sufficient iodine, your body cannot synthesize them. Because these thyroid hormones regulate metabolism in every cell of the body and play a role in virtually all physiological functions, an iodine deficiency can have a devastating impact on your health and well-being. A common sign of thyroid deficiency is an enlarged thyroid gland, commonly called a goiter. Goiters are estimated to affect 200 million people worldwide, and in all but 4% of these cases, the cause is iodine deficiency.

Nutrient Prevention of Birth Defects and Cardiovascular Disease
The folic acid so abundant in sea vegetables plays a number of other very important protective roles. Studies have demonstrated that adequate levels of folic acid in the diet are needed to prevent certain birth defects, including spina bifida. Folic acid is also needed to break down an intermediate dangerous chemical produced during the methylation cycle called homocysteine. (Methylation is one of the most important cellular cycles through which a wide variety of important chemicals are produced.) Homocysteine can directly damage blood vessel walls, and high levels of this chemical are associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Flavoring soups and stews with sea vegetables or using them in salads is a smart strategy, especially for those dealing with atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease.
Sea vegetables pack a double punch against heart disease. In addition to their folic acid, sea vegetables are a very good source of magnesium, which has also been shown to reduce high blood pressure and prevent heart attack.

Anti-Inflammatory Action
Some sea vegetables have been shown to be unique sources of carbohydrate-like substances called fucans, which can reduce the body's inflammatory response. Plus, as noted above, sea vegetables are a very good source of magnesium, the mineral that, by acting as a natural relaxant, has been shown to help prevent migraine headaches and to reduce the severity of asthma symptoms.

Relief for Menopausal Symptoms
Sea vegetable's supply of relaxing magnesium may also help restore normal sleep patterns in women who are experiencing symptoms of menopause. And the lignans in sea vegetables can act as very weak versions of estrogen, one of the hormones whose levels decrease during the menopausal period. For women suffering from symptoms such as hot flashes, sea vegetable's lignans may be just strong enough to ease their discomfort.

Description
Sea vegetables, often called seaweed, are one of Neptune's beautiful jewels, adorning the waters with life and providing us with a food that can enhance our diets, from both a culinary and nutritional perspective. Sea vegetables can be found growing both in the marine salt waters as well as in fresh water lakes and seas. They commonly grow on coral reefs or in rocky landscapes, and can grow at great depths provided that sunlight can penetrate through the water to where they reside since, like plants, they need light for their survival. Yet, sea vegetables are not plants nor animals-they are actually known as algae.

There are thousands of types of sea vegetables that are classified into categories by color, known either as brown, red or green sea vegetables. Each is unique, having a distinct shape, taste and texture. Although not all sea vegetables that exist are presently consumed, a wide range of sea vegetables are enjoyed as foods. The following are some of the most popular types: Nori: dark purple-black color that turns phosphorescent green when toasted, famous for its role in making sushi rolls. Kelp: light brown to dark green in color, oftentimes available in flake form. Hijiki: looks like small strands of black wiry pasta, has a strong flavor. Kombu: very dark in color and generally sold in strips or sheets, oftentimes used as a flavoring for soups. Wakame: similar to kombu, most commonly used to make Japanese miso soup. Arame: this lacy, wiry sea vegetable is sweeter and milder in taste than many others Dulse: soft, chewy texture and a reddish-brown color.

History
The consumption of sea vegetables enjoys a long history throughout the world. Archaeological evidence suggests that Japanese cultures have been consuming sea vegetables for more than 10,000 years. In ancient Chinese cultures, sea vegetables were a noted delicacy, suitable especially for honored guests and royalty. Yet, sea vegetables were not just limited to being a featured part of Asian cuisines. In fact, most regions and countries located by waters, including Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and coastal South American countries have been consuming sea vegetables since ancient times.

Presently, Japan is the largest producer and exporter of sea vegetables. This may explain why many of these precious foods are often called by their Japanese names.

Tips on Selecting and Storing
Look for sea vegetables that are sold in tightly sealed packages. Avoid those that have evidence of excessive moisture. Some types of sea vegetables are sold in different forms. For example, nori can be found in sheets, flakes, or powder. Choose the form of sea vegetables that will best meet your culinary needs.
Store sea vegetables in tightly sealed containers at room temperature where they can stay fresh for at least several months.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Make homemade vegetable sushi rolls by wrapping rice and your favorite vegetables in sheets of nori.
Slice nori into small strips and sprinkle on top of salads.
Keep a container of kelp flakes on the dinner table and use instead of table salt for seasoning foods.
Combine soaked hijiki with shredded carrots and ginger. Mix with a little olive oil and tamari.
When cooking beans, put kombu in the cooking water. It will not only expedite the cooking process, but will improve beans' digestibility by reducing the chemicals that can cause flatulence.
Add sea vegetables to your next bowl of miso soup.

Safety
Sea vegetables are not a commonly allergenic food, are not known to contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or purines, and are also not included in the Environmental Working Group's 2006 report "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce" as one of the 12 foods most frequently containing pesticide residues.

While weighing in as low-risk in the above categories of food safety, however, sea vegetables have been a topic of ongoing debate and research concern in another area involving heavy metals. In the world of marine biology and marine ecology, sea vegetables are widely recognized as plants with an excellent ability to take up minerals from the water and hold onto these minerals in their cells. This ability makes sea vegetables a rich source of many wonderful minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iron, and iodine. However, in waters that have become polluted with heavy metal elements - including arsenic, lead, and cadmium - sea vegetables can also act like a sponge in absorbing these unwanted contaminants. Some marine ecologists actually use sea vegetables as a kind of "biomonitor" to determine levels of heavy metal pollution in bodies of water.

Among all of the heavy metals, arsenic appears to be most problematic when it comes to sea vegetable toxicity risk. Virtually all types of sea vegetables have been determined to contain traces of arsenic. These types include arame, hijiki, kombu, nori, and wakame. Among all types of sea vegetable, however, hijiki stands out as being particularly high-risk when it comes to arsenic exposure. During the period 2000-2005, government-related agencies in England, New Zealand, and Canada issued public health recommendations advising against consumption of hijiki sea vegetable unless verified as containing very low levels of inorganic arsenic. Based on these reports, we recommend avoidance of hijiki as a sea vegetable unless available in the form of certified organic hijiki.

The levels of arsenic found in other types of sea vegetable have been relatively small. For example, after preparation using water soaking, a British study found wakame to contain an average of 3 milligrams arsenic per kilogram of sea vegetable. In practical terms, this amount represents about 43 micrograms per half ounce of wakame. However, even in this case of relatively small exposure, health risks appear possible. Our reason for posting information about these possible risks involves a decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1993 to set an oral Reference Dose (RfD) level of .0003 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day for inorganic arsenic. In practical terms, this maximum safe dose level would allow an adult weighing 150 lbs. to consume about 20 micrograms of inorganic arsenic every day and stay beneath the RfD level. While a person might be unlikely to eat sea vegetables on a daily basis, you can see from this example how an arsenic-related health risk might be possible with routine consumption of an arsenic-containing sea vegetable. It's important to note here that scientists continue to debate the health risks associated with inorganic (versus organic) forms of arsenic, and that the arsenic found in sea vegetables exists primarily in an inorganic form. It is also important to note that methods of preparing sea vegetables can make a difference in the amount of arsenic found in edible portions.

We continue to include sea vegetables among the World's Healthiest Foods because of their incredibly rich mineral content and other unique health benefits, and because the toxicity risks described above can be prevented through the purchase of certified organic sea vegetables! Because most certified organic sea vegetables can be purchased in dried form and reconstituted at home, they can often be ordered from outside of your local area and shipped to you at a relatively low cost.

Nutritional Profile
Sea vegetables are an excellent source of iodine and vitamin K and a very good source of folate and magnesium. They are also a good source of the B-vitamins riboflavin and pantothenic acid. In addition, sea vegetables are a good source of the minerals iron and calcium.

The information provided is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from a physician or other health care professional, and should not be used for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. Consult your health care professional before beginning any diet exercise, supplementation, or medication program if you have or suspect you might have a health challenge.  Do not discontinue any other medical treatments without first consulting your doctor.  Under current legislation, Genesis 1 Nutrition, Inc. is not permitted to make claims to clients in support of health benefits derived from foods. Taking natural products and supplements should be a decision based on personal research and understanding of the role of food-derived benefits for your health and wellbeing.