I am in the (slow) process of rebuilding my website.
In the meantime, here it is
Some Sense About Seaweedby Jeff Novick, MS, RD
Thursday, April 12, 2012
This note is a collection of some important information I have gathered to help you make "Some Sense About Seaweed" and to help you decide whether you should consume it or not. Take some time to read each of the links (which you may have to "copy and paste"). Once you do, your opinion on seaweed may change and like me, you may choose to avoid it.
1) Kombu, Kelp & Iodine Seaweed, especially kelp and kombu, take iodine up from the water and concentrate it up to10,000 - 100,000 fold over the water. And, since Kelp and Kombu are older large leaf seaweeds, this builds up over time. They are considered the best bio-concentrators of iodine.
http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspec ... n#tcNA0112 http://www.practicalchemistry.org/exper ... 56,EX.html http://timesfreepress.com/news/2011/apr ... ish/?print On Kelp/Kombu and Iodine
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20919974 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18689954 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2744193 http://www.gghjournal.com/volume21/3/ab14.cfm In regard to Kombu as an ingredient in a certain brand of Soymilk
http://www.racgp.org.au/healthalerts/35472 An excellent article on the issue of Kombu/Kelp and Iodine.
http://www.cron-web.org/forum/about132.html As we can see, one little piece of kombu is over 100% RDA and they don't tell you how much over
http://www.edenfoods.com/store/product_ ... #nutrition Here we can see that .2 of a tsp of kelp granules has over 2250% of the RDA
http://www.vitacost.com/maine-coast-sea ... lternative 2) Hijiki can contain high levels of Arsenic Several health organization have issued warning against consuming Hijiki
http://www.food.gov.uk/science/surveill ... h/fsis6104 http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fss ... nice.shtml http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 1507000257 http://www.fishnewseu.com/latest-news/u ... rning.html http://www.speciation.net/News/Toxic-in ... /2365.html Hong Kong: Risk in Brief Issue 17, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong, 2005
3) Seaweed and Sodium Wakame is very high in sodium
http://www.edenfoods.com/store/product_ ... #nutrition Check out the sodium of any other seaweed product and make sure it makes the sodium guideline of 1:1 for regular food and 4:1 for a condiment. As you will see, many other seaweeds will fail both.
4) Nori and Shrimp Nori is low in iodine and in sodium but can have small crustaceans in it.
Food Additives and Contaminants, Volume 24, Number 9, September 2007 , pp. 917-922(6) Allergenicity and allergens of amphipods found in nori (dried laver)
Gammaridean and caprellid amphipods, crustaceans of the order Amphipoda, inhabit laver culture platforms and, hence, are occasionally found in nori (dried laver) sheets. Amphipods mixed in nori may cause allergic reactions in sensitized patients, as is the case with other crustaceans, such as shrimp and crab, members of the order Decapoda. In this study, dried samples of amphipods (unidentified) found in nori and fresh samples of gammaridean amphipod (Gammarus sp., not accurately identified) and caprellid amphipod (Caprella equilibra) were examined for allergenicity and allergens using two species of decapods (black tiger prawn and spiny lobster) as references. When analyzed by ELISA, sera from crustacean-allergic patients reacted to extracts from amphipod samples, although less potently than to the extracts from decapods. In IgE-immunoblotting, a 37-kDa protein was found to be the major allergen in amphipods. Based on the molecular mass and the cross-reactivity with decapod tropomyosin evidenced by inhibition ELISA and inhibition immunoblotting, the 37-kDa protein was identified as amphipod tropomyosin.
5) Spirulina Spirulina may be a health concern and is way overhyped.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18569007 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18434120 Spirulina claims to be one of the most nutrient dense foods and to be one of the highest sources of vegetable protein in the world (55-60%), and one of the only plant foods to contain all the essential amino acids. This is partly true. Algae does contain all the essential amino acids, but as we know today, so do most all plant foods. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts are also considered “complete” in that they contain all the essential amino acids.
As claimed, spirulina is very high in protein in its “freeze-dried” form when analyzed by dry weight (~60%). However, when we look at the recommended serving (~1 gm/day), spirulina provides only ~.6 gms of protein. And, as most spirulina eaters are recommended to consume .5-2 gm/day, the protein one could get from spirulina would at best ~1.2 gms/day. Our daily protein needs have been estimated to be about 56 gms a day for a man and 46 for a women (DRI) so the recommended dose provides only about 2% of our protein needs. Could spirulina meet our daily protein needs? To do this, one would have to ingest over 50-60 grams of spirulina at a cost of about $40 per day. (based on retail pricing). The same analysis holds true for virtually all the other nutrient claim made about spirulina.
(NOTE: I was recently asked where I got this cost from as it appears high. This cost analysis was based on the retail pricing of a specific product in question at the time this was written called Alpha Sun (a type of spirulina) that is sold in capsules through an MLM company. You can see the pricing here...
http://www.trynaturalnutrition.com/alpha-sun-algae/
Based on todays cost of this product (2016), it would be even more. At their best deal, the cost is $83 for 480 tablets which provides 120 grams of spirulina (4 tablets = 1 gram), which provides 72 grams of protein (120 x .6 =72), or $1.15 per gram of protein ($83/72). To reach the RDA’s of 46-56 grams of protein, the cost today would be $53 - $64.
Here is another similar product also being sold in capsule at a similar price of $1.11 per gram of protein.
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/mercola- ... vPzHMfYd_wAnd here is one with a much lower price of $0.28 per gram of protein
http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/p/solgar-s ... vPyJMfYd_xYes, like with anything, you can get it much cheaper through a non MLM product or by buying bulk)
6) Summary So, in the end.
- Avoid Hijike due to Arsenic
- Avoid Kombu and Kelp due to Iodine
Watch the amount of wakame due to sodium and check the sodium on all other seaweed too.
- Don't waste your money on spirulina
Nori, seems to be low in both iodine and sodium but may contain small
shellfish ground up in it. So, if you choose to use it, get your nori, vegan or
“fish free"
Other than that, enjoy!
In Health
Jeff
by JeffN » Sat May 04, 2019 7:17 am 
