Sea vegetables have been a food staple in China and Japan for centuries. In the western word, sea vegetables are more commonly referred to as seaweed. While seaweed is not frequently eaten in America, the health benefits of seaweed are numerous and quite profound. Seaweed is a good source of protein and fiber as well as many vitamins and minerals and should be considered a healthful addition to a balanced diet.

In particular, seaweed or sea vegetables, whichever you prefer to call them, are rich in iodine, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus; in fact, seaweed was once used to treat goiters, which are caused by an iodine deficiency. For vitamins, sea vegetables are particularly high in vitamins B12, C, and E. They also contain many unique compounds found only in sea vegetation such as fucoidan and lamarin), which many studies suggest, as well as being powerful antioxidants, support a strong immune system.

This powerful combination of vitamins, minerals, and other phytonutrients means that sea vegetables have a wide range of health benefits, include contributing to healthy hair and skin, reducing cholesterol levels, and boosting the immune system. In addition, research shows that alginic acid they contain binds with heavy metals, such as ead and mercury, and helps eliminate them from the body.

In general, seaweed is considerably higher in protein than most vegetables, although it can vary by species. Generally, brown seaweeds are the lowest in protein, at between 5-15% of dry weight. Red and Green seaweeds average twice as much protein, at 10-30% of dry weight. Dulse, Nori, and other species of red seaweed are much higher in protein, with contents equal or greater than those found in soybeans.

Although a tasty addition to the daily diet, you may not be ready yet to eat a bowl of fresh wakame or arame. If you still want the health benefits of seaweed you can get it in pill form, like your other vitamins. Sea Vegg is a seaweed pill that allows you to get many of the health benefits of eating raw seaweed, but in pill form. It is made of a blend of twelve different species of sea plants.

Among other seaweed health benefits, Sea Vegg contains the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavenoids, and omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids of raw seaweed. It also contains compounds that studies suggest are antibiotic and antiviral. In addition, Sea Veg contains algal polyphenols, which are another antioxidant that may be helpful in reducing cellular oxidation damage.

There are many ways to get seaweed today. It is usually available in speciality grocery stores, ethnic markets, and health food stores. When you buy it, it is usually in dried form, sold in packets and can be used to make homemade sushi or eaten for a snack. It can be soaked to make a salad or as an ingredient in soups. If you perfer to not eat seaweed, but still want the health benefits there is a pill called Sea Vegg that you can take on a daily basis.