Seaweed superpowers: How can eating seaweed improve your diet?

We know that humans have eaten algae since prehistoric times. Edible seaweed is still a common ingredient in many countries, such as the nori that surrounds many Japanese sushi dishes. Algae are far less common in Western diets, but there are growing efforts to change this. Consuming algae is a delicious way of introducing more vitamins and minerals into your diet. They are particularly rich sources of beta-carotene (provitamin A) and iodine, which we need to make hormones that keep our metabolism healthy. Studies suggest that iodine deficiency is rather common in the UK (which ranks seventh in the ten most iodine-deficient nations in the world); increasing our seaweed consumption could help reduce this problem.

Perhaps the most valuable algal product is as a source of fatty acid supplementation in food products, as it contains huge amounts of both mono- and polyunsaturated fats. If you want to try edible seaweed, it is easy to introduce into your diet and can be eaten raw or dried.