Sunday, 17 March 2013
A seaweed may belong to one of several groups of multicellular algae: the red algae, green algae, and brown algae. Most commonly inhabit the littoral zone and within that zone more frequently on rocky shores than on sand or shingle. Seaweed has a variety of purposes, for which it
is farmed or foraged from the wild.
At the beginning of 2011, Indonesia produced 3 million tonnes of seaweed and surpassed the Philippines as the
world's largest seaweed producer. By 2012 the production will hit 10 million
tonnes.
Seaweeds are consumed by coastal people, particularly
in East Asia. sheets of dried Porphyra used in soups or to wrap sushi. Seaweeds
are also harvested or cultivated for the extraction of alginate, agar and
carrageenan. Another red alga used in producing various food additives. Here’s
five reasons to include some seaweed into your diet:
1) It’s really good for you. Seaweed contains
carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins and, in some cases, traces of
iodine. One type of seaweed, dulse, contains all trace elements that humans
need and is also a good source of protein.
2) Carrageenan, an additive processed from certain red seaweeds, is the only substance so far found that directly attacks the cold virus.
3) It makes food taste good. Adding seaweed to hospital food to make it taste better. The seaweed kombu has been found to be particularly effective in creating “umami,” the Japanese for a “savory pleasant taste.” It’s a rich source of monosodium glutamate (MSG) which is added to foods to make them “taste more as they should.”
4) It could be “green gold”. Seaweed has found its
way onto the menus of celebrity chefs due to whom, says the Telegraph, seaweed
prices are on the rise. Seaweed could be collected in sufficient quantities
from farm in large coastline, it could become an important export, with
benefits for local economies.
5) It’s the ancestor of all land plants. Seaweed
has existed for more than a billion years and some 10,000 species exist, of
which about 145 are edible by humans. It’s been eaten since prehistoric times
and has long been part of the daily diet.
In other words, seaweed well merits making an
appearance on your plate. For those of us who’d rather forego eating meat,
seaweed — so many varieties being rich in protein – is the real “chicken of the
sea./wikipedia/care2/
