Seaweed has long been celebrated in East Asian cultures for its versatility and health benefits. As climate change accelerates and global health challenges rise, seaweed is taking center stage in two critical areas: environmental sustainability and human health.
Researchers Ji-Young Lee and Young-Ki Park, both from the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Connecticut in the US, investigate seaweed’s dual potential while addressing its risks.
Their groundbreaking work spans from studying sugar kelp’s impact on obesity to evaluating seaweed farming’s feasibility for carbon isolation. However, they caution that seaweed’s journey from ocean to table has safety concerns that must be addressed.
The environmental promise of seaweed
In recent years, seaweed farming has been lauded as a potential climate change solution due to its ability to isolate carbon dioxide (CO2). Seaweed can remove carbon from the atmosphere by converting CO2 into organic biomass through photosynthesis. This biomass may sink into the ocean’s depths, storing carbon for centuries.
However, a recent study published in Communications Earth & Environment raises doubts about the scalability of seaweed farming as a global carbon capture solution. Researchers used the Global Macroalgae Cultivation Modeling System to assess the feasibility of cultivating seaweed across the world’s oceans.
Their findings were sobering – achieving meaningful carbon removal would require farming over a million square kilometers of highly productive ocean waters, primarily in the equatorial Pacific. Even then, this effort would only remove one gigaton of carbon annually – a fraction of what’s needed to meet global climate goals. Beyond these regions, the required cultivation areas would triple due to lower productivity.
The study also highlighted logistical challenges. “To sustain productivity, we would need to supplement nutrients, such as through depth cycling or upwelling nutrients from deeper waters,” the authors noted. This level of intervention could limit seaweed farming’s practicality and environmental friendliness.
Seaweed farming’s carbon capture potential may be overestimated, requiring over a million square kilometers of ocean to remove just one gigaton of carbon annually.
Seaweed in the spotlight: Nutritional benefits and beyond
While its carbon capture potential remains uncertain, seaweed’s health benefits are well-documented. In Korea, for example, women traditionally consume seaweed soup after childbirth to promote recovery. Lee and Park, originally from South Korea, brought their cultural knowledge of seaweed to their research at UConn.
“Seaweed has many health benefits, but these can vary depending on where it grows,” explains Lee. Their focus has been on sugar kelp, a major type of seaweed grown in the United States. Lee and Park have been studying its effects on obesity and related diseases, which are global public health concerns.
In a recent experiment, mice fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet supplemented with sugar kelp exhibited remarkable results. “Despite consuming the same unhealthy diet, the mice that ate sugar kelp were leaner, more active, and showed reduced inflammation and fatty liver disease,” Park says.
These findings suggest that seaweed could be an effective dietary intervention for obesity-related conditions. However, Lee and Park emphasize that their results, while promising, should not be misused as blanket health claims.
5 ways to add seaweed to your diet
Seaweed is the common name for countless species of marine plants and algae that grow in the ocean, rivers, lakes, and other water bodies.
Nutrition-wise, seaweed is a powerhouse of vitamins and minerals. Seaweeds contain dietary fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins, A, B, C, and E, Omega-3 fats, and minerals such as iodine, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium. These nutrients reduce inflammation, lift your energy, maintain strong bones and teeth, support thyroid health and hormonal balance, and even reduce your cancer risk.
No wonder seaweed has been a staple in Asian cuisine for centuries!
For you, we recommend finding brands that grow seaweed in sustainable ways and in pure or tested waters.
While seaweed hasn’t quite become popular as a superfood like kale or other leafy greens, it’s versatile and easy to prepare.
While sugar kelp shows promise in preventing obesity, the risk of heavy metal contamination due to inconsistent growth conditions remains a concern.
Here are some delicious ways to incorporate more seaweed into your diet.
1. Cook your beans with kombu
Try adding a strip of kombu when cooking your dried beans to add a rich array of vitamins and minerals to your dish while enhancing the flavor and making the beans more digestible!
2. Snack on nori
Nori is lightweight and easy to pack yet also nutritious and filling. It’s the perfect thing to throw into your bag for a quick snack at work or on the go, and is a healthy alternative for those with salty cravings. Even your kids will enjoy its crispy texture.
3. Enhance your smoothies with spirulina
Powdered seaweed such as spirulina is a great source of natural protein, making it a morning and pre- or post-workout favorite among health coaches and smoothie-lovers alike. Start with a teaspoon added to your preferred smoothie combo (it goes especially well with avocado, banana, or pineapple) and adjust the amount as you get used to it.
4. Mix in kelp or kombu to stocks, soups, and stews
Add seaweed to any savory liquid-based foods! If adding directly to soups or stews, remove the solid strip before serving, but don’t worry about any small pieces left in; they’re edible and will enhance the overall meal.
5. Toss together a seaweed salad
Wakame and arame are best for a salad made predominantly of seaweed. Combine with vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and scallions. You can also incorporate other veggies like cucumbers, carrots, or radishes. Experiment to find your favorite combination and share it as a unique side dish at your next potluck.
(Source: Institute of Integrative Nutrition)
The hidden risks of seaweed consumption
Despite its benefits, seaweed is not without risks. Heavy metal contamination is a significant concern, as seaweed absorbs toxins from its growing environment. “Like other seafood, seaweed can accumulate heavy metals, depending on where it’s harvested,” says Lee.
Unlike agricultural crops, seaweed lacks standardized safety regulations. “For example, spinach grown in different soils will have varying levels of healthy compounds or contaminants. The same principle applies to seaweed,” Lee explains. “Establishing safety standards is critical to ensure consumers can enjoy the benefits of seaweed without being exposed to its potential risks.”
Seaweed’s risks don’t end there. Open-water farming, commonly used for seaweed cultivation, can expose it to pollutants or pathogens, making contamination a genuine concern. Park points to Spirulina as a comparable case: “Spirulina has incredible health benefits and is now widely used in products like smoothies and energy bars. However, because it’s often grown in open farms, producers must be vigilant about contamination.”
What lies ahead for seaweed?
As awareness of seaweed’s potential grows, researchers like Lee and Park call for more systematic studies. “We need to evaluate the safety and efficacy of seaweed consumption in parallel,” says Park. This dual focus will ensure that seaweed can be a reliable and safe addition to diets without unintended consequences.
Looking to the future, Lee is optimistic: “Seaweed could be the next big agricultural crop. It’s environmentally friendly, nutritionally dense, and has applications beyond food, such as biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.” However, she notes that progress hinges on addressing safety and standardization.
Drawing lessons from Spirulina farming, Lee and Park advocate for controlled, well-regulated seaweed production systems. “The biggest Spirulina farms in California and Hawaii have set the standard for safe, high-quality production,” Park observes. “We need a similar approach for seaweed to maximize its potential without compromising safety.”
Seaweed’s future as a major agricultural crop depends on addressing safety risks and establishing global regulations to ensure its health benefits.
Balancing benefits and risks
Seaweed holds immense promise as a sustainable crop with health benefits and environmental applications. Yet, its risks – heavy metal contamination, farming challenges, and the need for standardization cannot be ignored.
Lee and Park’s work reminds us that any new solution, no matter how promising, must be thoroughly vetted for safety and feasibility. As seaweed gains popularity in Western diets and environmental strategies, their research offers a blueprint for ensuring its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
For now, seaweed remains a symbol of hope and caution- a glimpse into the future of food and sustainability, provided we tread carefully.
