Seaweed… When you see it washed up on the beach, eating it is not the first thing that comes to mind, yet it is a staple of coastal cuisines around the world. And what might surprise you is just how many of the foods you already eat contain seaweed extract. Alginate, a complex carbohydrate obtained from seaweed, is used to thicken and stabilise foods like ice cream, salad dressings, yoghurt and chocolate milk.
The wellness community has also started to take notice of seaweed’s health benefits.
◗ Nutrition powerhouse
The many edible varieties of seaweed can be divided into three broad categories: brown (Phaeophyceae), red (Rhodophyta), and green (Chlorophyta) algae. Common examples are kelp, nori, dulse and wakame.
Each type varies slightly in its nutrient profile, but they all share…