April 22nd is Earth day and because we're lucky enough to live in one of the coastal regions of our planet, we thought this would be good opportunity to talk about lovely, slippery stuff that’s strewn all over our beautiful beaches: seaweed. You probably know by now that it’s good for you, but it’s still not really a dietary staple across North America. There are many reasons why this should change! One of the most significant is the fact that it is a unique source of iodine—a really important mineral. For some perspective on how important it is, in 1924 when the U.S. adopted the Swiss practice of adding sodium iodide or potassium iodide to table and cooking salt, it kicked off a gradual increase in average intelligence of 15 points (1 standard deviation) in iodine-deficient areas of the States, and 3.5 points nationally!
A gram of seaweed will fill your daily iodine needs. Beyond iodine, seaweed boasts proteins, complex carbohydrates and all forty four trace minerals and elements and vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B6. Seaweed is a very good friend to vegetarians and vegans: as well as being high in both iron and calcium, research also indicates it’s unique in being a natural, non-animal sources of vitamin B-12. To cap if off, it’s a soluble fibre which means it turns into a gel once consumed, slowing down the digestive process and thus inhibiting the absorption of sugars and cholesterol.
The spirulina and algae often found in your favourite super-health greens supplements are cultivated in lakes and may be less salty, but they are in the same sea vegetable family. In terms of the ocean variety, Dulse in particular is nutritionally dense with around twice the nutritional value of everyone's favourite green food, kale. (We still love kale! These are not mutually exclusive foods!) And roasted seaweed is easily one of your healthiest options for satisfying a craving for a salty and finger licking-ly tasty snack! As far as how to get seaweeds into your diet on a more regular basis, sheets of nori slip easily into sandwiches and wraps, all varieties can be snipped or crumbled up and added to soups, salads, and casseroles, or you can throw some in the blender to create tasty, umami sprinkles of seaweed that work anywhere from smoothies to popcorn! Remember—even a gram a day can make a difference!
Now, speaking of making a difference, imagine how much nutrition would be available to us in this part of the world if all our beaches were clean enough to eat off of…
From food produced with sustainable practices to planet-friendly soaps, we're grateful to be able offer and support so many products that have the Earth's interests at heart. Stop by your local Pomme on April 22nd and check some of them out!