By Amber, Supplements Buyer + Macroalgae Enthusiast
One of my favorite things about living in Boston is its seasonality. In autumn, there's gorgeous foliage and Halloween; winter brings snow and outdoor ice-skating. Come spring the parks bloom with crocus and tulip, and in the summer--well, in the summer there's the beach.
Even as a city-dweller who doesn't own a car, I'm grateful to be able to hop on a train and be at Revere Beach in an hour. I'm not even a big swimmer, to be honest. My favorite ocean activity is simply wandering around, wading in the shallows and exploring tide pools, examining starfish, clams, and the ubiquitous collection of plants known, rather unfairly, as seaweed.
Seaweeds (or, more positively, sea vegetables) has been an important part of Indigenous cultures all over the world for thousands of years, but has definitely been experiencing a renaissance lately. In coastal Wales, it is eaten as the traditional dish called laverbread; in Japanese cuisine it is made into soups or served with rice as sushi. Agar, a gelatinous substance extracted from algae, is used worldwide to make candies and jellies, and is also used as a cultivation medium in microbiology. More recently, seaweed has found its way into more unusual formats, such as tea and skincare, as well as seaweed-derived supplements.
Nutritionally, sea vegetables are a great source of iodine, a trace mineral important for the function of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is responsible for regulating things like metabolism, body temperature, and heart rate. Seaweed also contains a respectable amount of prebiotic fiber, which helps to foster the growth of beneficial gut bacteria. And sea vegetables boast a hearty nutrient profile that includes Vitamin B12, calcium, folate, potassium, and iron. The benefits of seaweed are myriad, and fortunately, easy and inexpensive to obtain.
At Cambridge Naturals, we stock a solid retinue of seaweed-based products. Here are a few of my absolute favorites:
Organic Dulse Flakes: Dulse (palmaria palmata) is a reddish-purple alga with a savory flavor that's been likened to bacon. I like to steep it in some hot water with some miso, garlic, and tofu for a quick soup, toss it on popcorn, or use it as a garnish for breads and salads.
Nova Scotia Fisherman Cuticle Rescue: Every time I use this super-moisturizing cuticle balm, I wish I'd taken before-and-after photos. Made with kelp and sea buckthorn, it's amazing for healing cold-chapped winter hands, and you can also use it as a lip balm in a pinch.
Mary's Gone Crackers Seaweed and Black Sesame: Salty, savory, and umami, these crunchy crackers are also vegan and gluten-free! (They're amazing when spread with a little sunflower cream cheese like Spero.)
A Wild Soap Bar Seaweed: Made with finely ground pumice stone, sea kelp, and Dead Sea clay, this mineral-rich soap provides gentle exfoliation without an overwhelming fragrance. It also makes a nice gift for that friend who's always planning their next beach day.
Cup of Sea Seaweed Teas: These delicious teas blend seaweed, herbs, and black or green tea for a delicious brew like nothing else out there. I love Great Wave, a refreshing, slightly salty blend of green tea and kelp, and Sea Smoke, which combines dulse and lapsang souchong black tea for a robust, savory brew. Seaweed and tea may sound like a weird combination at first, but once you've tried it, you'll understand. It's an experience unparalleled by anything else.
Seaweed is so often unfairly maligned that it's easy to forget about the many benefits it offers. And in the cold New England winter, when long summer beach days feel so far away, it's one of my favorite pick-me-ups to tide me over until I can get back to the ocean.
(No pun intended.)
Sources:
https://www.nutritionadvance.com/sea-vegetables/
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-seaweed