There is increasing evidence that seaweed, also known as kelp, dulse and nori, has several health benefits. These include benefits for the heart and thyroid.
According to a 2011 review published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry of over 100 research studies on seaweed, data shows that after proteins in seaweed are broken down by the digestion process they become small molecules that act in a similar fashion to the ACE inhibitor drugs used to treat heart patients. In addition, essential fatty acids in seaweed have been shown to reduce thrombosis and plaque build up in arteries.
Seaweed has also been shown to be an excellent source of iodine and has been used as a natural food to benefit the thyroid.
Dried seaweed and dulse flakes are available in specialty stores around the United States. Locally, it is available at Bloomington, Indiana, at Bloomingfoods and Sahara Mart.
Regardless of your preferred dining style, it's not too hard to find edible seaweed and benefit from this heart healthy food. Dulse flakes can be used at home in soups, on salads and in rice dishes or to make nori or seaweed wraps (see the above video). For those that prefer to dine out, Asian restaurants use nori to wrap sushi rolls.
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