Sea Vegetables from the Perspective of a Natural Doctor (ND)

I was privileged to talk with Dr. Cecilia Hart, a great Natural Doctor (ND) in Berkeley today to get her perspective on sea vegetables. I feel like getting a range of medical opinions on eating sea vegetables is helpful to myself and (hopefully) others. Here's a transcript of our talk.

Q: Who do you recommend eat sea vegetables?
A: Everyone, but the thing with sea weed and digesting it is you have to start with a small amount. So usually titrate the doses. It takes your body awhile to produce the enzymes to break it down. This is similar to when vegetarians start eating meat again and need to start slowly. So start with a small amount and then increase the doses. Sea weed contains a lot of iodine which is particularly helpful with certain breast disorders, overall breast health, and thyroid health.

Q: What exactly does eating sea vegetables do for the thyroid?
A: Iodine is a key factor in the conversion of the less active form of the thyroid hormone to the more active form. If you don't have enough iodine, you can't make that conversion very well.

Q: Can you talk a little about iodine in terms of hypothyroid conditions?
A: There are many reasons why someone would have hypothyroid disorders. One of the reasons could be an iodine deficiency because its needed for that conversion.

Q: How much would you recommend someone with a history of hypothyroidism eat sea vegetables?
A: It would really depend on what the numbers are from the labs that test for thryoid levels.

Q: Do sea vegetables have more nutrients in them than land vegetables?
A: They have more iodine and are pretty highly dense in protein compared to other green vegetables. They are also dense in calcium, iron, etc. They contain 10-20% protein which is pretty dense. Nori has 50% protein, which is pretty amazing. They have good eye antioxidants (luteins) for eye health. Eating sea weed helps with detoxification and helps to bind heavy metals.

Q: Hijiki has been found to contain a high level of inorganic arsenic. Does the body absorbs this? Do you recommend that people eat hijiki?
A: If we know that it is high in inorganic arsenic, we should NOT eat it.

Q: What do you suggest in terms of "organic" vs non organic certified sea vegetables?
A: I don't really understand the certification, but I would definitely try to avoid consuming heavy metals.

Q: Do you recommend that people eat them whole in soups vs. a supplement or tincture?
A: Cooking is always better, but its not always realistic for some people, so that's why we have the tinctures and supplements.

Q: Are there any people that you would recommend NOT eating sea vegetables?
A: Certain people who have too much iodine already like in hyperthyroid situations.

Hello My Name Is : Arame

photos from algaebase.org

Arame, (AIR-a-may) meaning "rough maiden" is a species of kelp that grows on the Pacific coast of north and South America as well as in Japan and China. Because it has a mild, sweet flavor and is a good introduction to sea vegetables. It comes in thing threadlike brown strands and superficially resembles hijiki.

Aliases: Eisenia bicyclis, E. arborea

Growing habitat: Arame grows below the tide line. It has 12 inch long wavy fronds that are about 1/2 inch wide and grows on the rocks below the water line. The fronds are usually sliced into thin thead like strips that make them look a lot like hiziki.

History: Arame was traditionally harvested my Japanese women divers

Nutrition: Arame is a rich source of calcium, zinc and iodine.

Preparation: Soak dried arame in fresh water for 5-15 minutes and drain. Avoid oversoaking because arame can quickly lose its flavor.

Uses: Can be substituted for hijiki in any recipe. Can be added to soups/stew, sauteed with land vegetables, steamed, or used in salads.

Recipes:
Hiziki or Arame with Carrots and Onions
Japanese Arame Salad
Kale with Seaweed, Sesame and Ginger
Arame Salsa
Arame with Dried Lotus Root
Arame Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Am I too Cautious?

I'm starting to wonder if I'm being a little too methodical about this process? On one hand I want to educate myself about sea veggies before I start chowing down, but on the other hand I'd like to start introducing them into my diet. I'm getting to the point where I feel informed enough to be comfortable eating them, but I also feel like I could research + sift through secondary research forever! The main health concern questions have been answered through my research, so I think I might be ready for more cooking to happen...

Hello My Name Is: Hijiki

photo from algaebase.org

Hijiki, (he-JEE-key) is a porous brown sea vegetable that is not commonly seen on the menus of Japanese restaurants since it's used mostly for homely home cooking. It comes in dried form and when reconstituted swells to about 5 times its original weight. Hiziki takes years to mature.

Aliases: hiziki, Hizikia fusiforme, chin tsai, nongmichae, pig's foot vegetable

Growing habitat: Hiziki grows wild in shallow waters on the rocky coastlines of Japan, Korea, and China.

Nutrition: Hjiki has more calcium than other dried food source as well as having a high protein count. It is also high in fiber, calcium, potassium, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and magnesium

History: Hiziki has been a traditional part of the Japanese diet for centuries. It is believed to enhance hair quality, strengthening it, and adding luster. Many Japanese credit eating of hiziki for their lustrous black hair and Japanese girls were told to consume bowlfuls of it.

Uses: Best eaten with other SVs,

Preparation: Dont' start with too much since it will quadruple in size! Wash under cold water and soak for an hour, rinse well (make sure to get rid of any sand) and discard soaking water. Be careful to press out any excess water. To use in grain dishes, stuffing, salads, burgers, or croquettes, boil the hiziki for 15 to 20 minutes prior to combining with the other ingredients. For hiziki and vegetable side dishes, cook the hiziki for 25 to 35 minutes with vegetables and season with Shoyu Soy Sauce near the end of cooking.

Additional Notes: see post about arsenic & hijiki. Four countries have issued warnings about hijiki, but none have banned it.

Recipes:
Simmered Hijiki Recipe
Chang Chang Hijiki Salad
Hiziki Sauté
Braised Hiziki with Sweet Potatoes & Black Soybeans

An Addendum to Arsenic & Hijiki Post

I found some additional information that might help with the decision to eat/not eat hijiki. On the New Zealand Food Safety Authority's (NZFSA) website, I found this info:

Hijiki seaweed was added to New Zealand’s high risk foods list after it was found to contain levels of inorganic arsenic that were higher than the regulatory level. Exposure to low levels of organic or inorganic arsenic is not a health concern, however consumers are advised not to eat large amounts of hijiki seaweed.

Arsenic In Sea Vegetables ... What Do You Think?

Arsenic Warning Poster | Source: archives of the USDA APHIS Pest Survey Detection and Exclusion Laboratory

Early in my introduction to sea veggies it was suggested that I should do some research about the arsenic levels in SVs. Sea vegetables are like a sponge — they have the ability to absorb minerals from the water and to hold onto them in their cell walls. This is the reason why sea vegetables contain more good minerals than most land vegetables. On the other hand, this means that they can also absorb contaminants in the water such as arsenic, lead and cadmium. For this reason, sea vegetables are often used as a monitor for how polluted waters have become. (More on the topic of SVs as a monitor for water pollution in a later post)

Inorganic arsenic is found in pesticides, paint, and other manufactured chemical compounds. Its is highly toxic and carcinogenic. Organic arsenic however, is not connected to health problems in humans and is found in most sea vegetables & seafood.

Among all sea vegetables hijiki in particular absorbs the highest levels of inorganic arsenic. In 2001 the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) issued a fact sheet entitled, Inorganic Arsenic and Hijiki Seaweed Consumption. It was their recommendation in this fact sheet that consumers not eat hijiki at all because of its high levels of inorganic arsenic.

In this really interesting and thorough response, Eden Organics (a large SV supplier) presents these compelling arguments against the CFIA findings:

• The Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare posted a statement July 30, 2004 on the Internet stating that, "There are no records of cases of arsenic poisoning as a result of the arsenic content of sea vegetables."
• The CFIA and the FSA failed to inform consumers that all of the negative research regarding inorganic arsenic was performed on various species of laboratory animals often injecting or feeding them very high amounts of pure inorganic arsenic chemically extracted from various sources. There are no cases of arsenic poisoning in either laboratory animals or humans who where fed hijiki, or any other sea vegetable in whole form, which contain many valuable nutrients and compounds such as organic arsenic, referred to as arsenosugars.
• Several studies have demonstrated that organic arsenic compounds are changed to inorganic compounds during arsenic testing due to the highly acidic nature of the testing mediums used, specifically hydrochloric acid, sodium borohydride, methanol, nitric acid, sodium hydroxide and other chemicals, as well as micro waving. It is a common laboratory practice to soak sea vegetables in these acid compounds before and during testing.[ Organic arsenic is not reported to cause negative health]
• Rather than being a source of heavy metals in the diet, sea vegetables have been shown to cleanse the body of heavy metals and other toxins. Alginate or alginic acid is a polysaccharide that is abundant in sea vegetables, especially brown sea vegetables including hijiki, wakame, kombu and arame.

At the end of their rebuttal they offer this advice to consumers which I tend to agree with given this new information:

As a distributor of several varieties of sea vegetables, including hijiki (hiziki) we feel confident, after reviewing all the documented scientific evidence, that EDEN Hiziki does not pose a health risk when eaten in moderation as part of a healthy balanced diet and when properly cleaned and soaked, as has been done in Japan for centuries. We would like to encourage our consumers to follow our package directions: "wash, soak for 15 minutes in warm water, drain, rinse well and discard the soaking water."

I personally trust the quality of their SVs and so I am comfortable eating hijiki once in awhile. I wouldn't neccessary make them a weekly staple though. My TCM (see my post about the radio call in show) also thought it was fine in moderation unless the individual had arsenic sensitivities. For everyone else, I would urge that people make their own decisions about eating hijiki or not. Maine Sea Coast Vegetables makes this statement that sums the situation up:

Because sea vegetables are as low on the scientific research priority list as they are on the food chain, we have to infer in part from studies of other food groups, as well as use our native intelligence and intuition.

More on the topic here.

Sydney's Seaweed: Dirtiest on Earth

photo from http://www.sciencealert.com.au

I found this article, Sydney's Seaweed: Dirtiest on Earth today from April 08 that was pretty alarming. Due to water pollution, Sydney's seaweed was found to be concentrated with copper, lead and zinc. Because of this, small crustaceans that feed on the sea vegetables are dying! The sea vegetables absorb the heavy metals and when the crustaceans feed on them they can't tolerate the amounts.

"The habitats that we sampled within Sydney Harbour contain among the highest concentrations of metals yet identified in brown seaweeds," says study lead author, UNSW biologist, Dr David Roberts. "In seven of the 10 sample harbour sites, we measured copper concentrations in one seaweed species that exceeded levels known to threaten small crustaceans. These concentrations exceed all previously scientifically reported levels."

Luckily Sydney is NOT on the list of places that sell sea vegetables for human consumption. Even so, it is an indicator of how water pollution (through sea vegetables) is upsetting the natural eco system.

An Honest Confession

For me, this blog has been foremost about exploring sea vegetables as a viable, sustainable, and foragable food source. Most importantly, its been about doing this in a responsible way— without putting myself or anyone else who reads this blog in jeopardy of negative health consequences. For that reason I am doing as much research as I can before focusing on the eating part.

Because SVs aren't part of our traditional western diet, most people tend to have limited or no information about them to begin with. The info I've been finding has been through extensive web research, the limited supply of books about sea vegetables, and through first hand medical practitioner advice (both western + eastern). This information is scattered and has been at times, somewhat contradictory and confusing.

The overall hope is that getting my information from a wide range of sources will give me a better understanding of this topic. This understanding will inform my decisions about eating SVs and hopefully inform/inspire others.

So although this journey is not without its obstacles and frustrations, I'm still optimistic that what I find will be really valuable to myself and hopefully others. In short thanks for coming along on this journey with me!

Sea Vegetables on Call In Show

Calling in on the (TCM) radio show Thursday morning was really informative. The show was only an hour long, but the host (my TCM practioner) was really generous and talked to me for 15 minutes about sea vegetables! To listen to the show, visit this link and click on "The Balancing Point Podcast" up at the top and then the podcast link for 10/16/08.

Some answers to my questions:

• Q: Who shouldn't eat sea vegetables?
  People who can't tolerate heavy metals (like arsenic) should avoid kelp SVs supplements. Supplements contain a more concentrated form of the vegetables and a more concentrated amount of arsenic. Even supplements from really high quality health food stores & companies have been found to have really high levels of arsenic in them.
• Q: Where should people get sea vegetables?
  SV grown in Mendocino are really high quality even despite the local water pollution because of the direction of the tides. Also, try to get organic SVs if you can.
• Q: What about water pollution?
  Try to get the dried/fresh SVs from the best sources you can, but don't worry too much about pollution if you're getting it from a reputable source (preferably west coast) unless you're taking supplements (see above).
  
• Q: What about iodine in sea vegetables and overall health?
  70% of U.S. population (at least) are iodine deficient and every glandular part of the body needs iodine to function properly. Eating SVs help clear up iodine problems (listen to podcast for specifics). Iodine in SVs is better than iodine in salt which is hard to absorb and utilize by the body and not enough for the body tissues to remain healthy.
• Q: In terms of thyroid problems how can SVs help?
  SVs can help hypo/hyperactive thyroids, but should be done under the care of a medical practioner. In small children, small amounts of SV (like in miso soup) are ok, but not iodine supplements.
  
• Q: Cooked or raw?
  Cooked is better than raw and easier for most people to eat. SVs in soups are great because cooking + soaking tenderizes them.
  

MSG in Sea Vegetables?

image from http://www.donotenter.com

When I first started looking for sea vegetables at grocery & health food stores, I was concerned because some of the kinds/brands I found (particularly the nori which is processed) said they contained mono sodium glutamate (MSG). MSG can cause some pretty bad symptoms in certain people. The most prominent symptoms are numbness at the back of the neck, gradually radiating to both arms and the back, general weakness and palpitations... all in all, not so good.

After poking around, I found that sea vegetables are the original food source that monosodium glutamate (MSG) was mass-produced from in the early 1900’s. Sea vegetables in their natural form, contain the amino acid glutamic acid. When this acid is broken down by cooking, it becomes glutamate. Stabilizing that with sodium (salt) creates mono sodium glutamate. MSG is now manufactured by a process using fermented molasses, wheat or corn.

But getting back to the important discussion here about sea vegetables and MSG, I found out that eating plants that naturally contain glutamic acid does NOT cause the adverse reactions that manufactured MSG causes. Here's a more detailed explanation of why:

Any small amounts of free glutamic acid that might be found in unprocessed, unadulterated, and/or unfermented, food will be L-glutamic acid, only, and will not typically cause adverse reactions in MSG-sensitive people. This should not be confused with the glutamic acid that occurs in or on food as a consequence of manufacture, which typically causes adverse reactions in MSG-sensitive people providing that they ingest amounts that exceed their tolerances for MSG.

BUT: products contained MSG only need to be labeled so if they contain manufactured MSG... so read the labels. If the package on your nori (or other sea vegetables) says it has MSG in it, don't buy it. (unless it specifically says its naturally occurring). They could have added it in the processing.

There's a really interesting article here about Professor Ikeda and how he created and patented MSG in 1909. Also an interesting article about how Asian cultures don't believe MSG is harmful here.

Sea Vegetables on the Radio!

If you're in the Bay Area on Thursday October 16th I'll be calling into THE BALANCING POINT : An Innovative Radio Talk Show About Traditional Chinese Medicine from 8:00 - 9:00 AM, KEST 1450 AM. The host of the show, John Nieters is my TCM practitioner and I have a bunch of questions about sea vegetables I want to ask him in relation to Traditional Chinese Medicine. Tune in...

Hello My Name Is : Kombu

images from algaebase.org & http://www.bichel.dk & http://z.about.com/

Kombu (COME-boo) is a long brown and thick sea vegetable from the kelp family (genus Laminaria). It is an important ingredient in Japanese, Chinese and Korean cultures and an essential ingredient of dashi, a flavorful stock.

Aliases: konbu, dashima, laminaria

Growing habitat: It is found on almost every coast. All parts of the plant are used and the broad leaves grow up to thirty-three feet in length! Kombu is usually harvested in the summer with long hooked poles and dried in the sun.

Nutrition: rich in protein, calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron and folate. kombu also provides healing and soothing mucilages that coat the lower digestion tract relieving peri-anal inflammation, colitis, and constipation.

History: Kombu has been used in Japan dating back to the Jōmon period (from 14,000 BC to 400 BC). In the 1960's kombu arrived in the U.S. due to the influence of the macrobiotic diet. Currently in Japan, special boutiques sell nothing but kombu and kombu products, of which there are more than 300!

Uses: Kombu is very mild in flavor and can be added to soups, cooked with beans (helps tenderize them + add nutrients+ speed cooking time + make more digestible), eaten raw, pickled, crumbled up and used as a seasoning,

Preparation: Wash dried kombu under running water to eliminate any sand or extra salt (optional). Dried kombu needs to be simmered for at least 20 minutes to soften it and flavor the liquid. If used only for flavoring stock, the kombu itself is removed from the simmer liquid at the end of cooking and discarded.

Recipes:
Kombu Dashi (Traditional Japanese Soup Stock)
Sweet Wakame and Ginger Kale Salad
Noodles & Broth
Land and Sea Vegetable Salad
(Pickled) Garlic in Kombu Soy Sauce Tsukemono
Lightly Pickled Cucumbers and Wakame Sea Vegetable

Organic Sea Vegetables?

I've been wondering if there is such a thing as an "organic" sea veggie— and it turns out that there is! In 1992 Maine Coast Sea Vegetables was the first processor world-wide to receive organic certification for its sea veggie harvesting and handling procedures by the Organic Crop Improvement Association International (OCIA). What does being certified organic actually mean? Maine Coast Sea Vegetables answers that question on their site:

This means that each harvester must monitor their beds for sustainability. They must keep their freshly picked plants clear of possible contaminants throughout the harvest transport, drying and packing process. They are randomly inspected to insure compliance. We also test plants for contaminants that are water born, such as heavy metals, PCBs, herbicides, pesticides, E. coli, yeasts and molds.

Another site I found mentioned this in relation to what the organic certification means:

seaweed harvesting waters and sediment must be free of "significant contamination from residential, municipal, commercial, or industrial waste, emissions, tailings or affluent [sic]." They cannot be within twenty miles of a nuclear facility or three miles of an industrial or sewage discharge.

Some of the sites, like Emerald Cove Sea Vegetables had a few products that were certified organic by the Quality Assurance International (QAI). I had a hard time finding any official documentation about specifics on either of these certification organizations' sites. Stay tuned on that topic...

Dulse Tapenade!

This is the first sea vegetable recipe that I've tried so far. I figured it would be wise to bulk up on info before I started integrating the sea veggies into my diet, but I couldn't resist making this recipe right away. Its really tasty and took me 5 minutes at most. I've been eating it spread on rice crackers or on bread. There is a slight fishy taste, so if you're not used to that (I'm not), it might take a little bit getting used to. You can read about dulse here.

The recipe came from the book, Sea Vegetable Celebration, and is also found here on Maine Coast Sea Vegetables' website.





Dulse Olive Tapenade
Serves 2–3

Ingredients
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
One 6 oz can pitted black olives, drained
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup Dulse Flakes

Put the garlic cloves, olives, oil and dulse in the work bowl of a food processor, and puree until smooth. Or you can squeeze the garlic in a press and hand chop the olives until very fine, then stir in the olive oil and dulse.

Per serving: Calories 115, Protein 1 g, Fat 15 g, Carbohydrates 4 g, Fiber 25 g, Calcium 59 mg, Sodium 536 mg

Hello My Name Is: Nori

images from wikipedia.org &

Nori, (NOR-ee) processed (and farmed) red algae Porphyra is typically what westerners envision when they think of sea vegetables. It is used to roll suishi and onigri. It also has the highest protein of all sea vegetables (between 25-28% protein).

Growing habitat: Nori grows close to the shoreline in sheltered inlets that are infused with fresh water. It grows wild in many parts of the world but in the Far East it is exclusively cultivated. It is grown in the ocean attached to nets at the surface of the water and is mechanically harvested 45 days after it seeds. The algae is harvested and then made into sheets by a process of shredding and rack drying. Harvesting can be done either by hand or by suction machines.

Important Buying Info: The less expensive the nori, the lower quality it is. The highest quality nori is hand harvested. It can be bought raw or toasted. Cheap types of Nori are sometimes artifically dyed and chemically treated. Do not freeze nori— it becomes inedible when thawed.

Nutrition: high in fiber, protein, calcium, minerals, and vitamins A, B, C

History: Nori dates back to the 8th century and is now a two billion dollar industry in Japan

Uses: Nori is typically used to roll suishi or onigiri or as a garnish for soups. It can be eaten by itself as a snack. Nori is also used to feed saltwater aquarium fish and algae eaters such as hermit crabs.

Preparation: If you buy raw nori, you need to toast it before using (carefully over an open flame works) until it turns a bright green color. Otherwise roll or crumble it up!

Recipes:
Winter Nori Roll (raw & vegetarian)
Cucumber Nori Rolls
Nori Rice Salad

Sea Weed Baths!

Ha! I stumbled upon this spa in Sebastopol, CA : Mermaid Spa and Seaweed Bath Shop that gives Seaweed baths, Seaweed Muscle Soothers, and Seaweed Body Wraps! I'll admit that I wouldn't mind trying one, but it seems a little ridiculous to be using "Micronized Mediterranean kelps" when there's plenty of kelp in California! Very strange...

Seaweed baths are traditional in Ireland dating back to Edwardian times. Here's some info on doing it yourself. If you're going to Ireland and want the real thing, check these out:

Kilcullen's Bath house
Cliff House Hotel

Recreational Harvesting in California

I found this great article today by Alastair Bland and am still reading through all the interesting info in it. This is a section I wanted to share with everyone that I found particularly interesting about legal recreational harvesting of sea vegetables in California:

DIY kelp harvesting

Those interested in harvesting sea vegetables on their own may do so with nothing but a California fishing license and a very minimum of specialized equipment. The leafy ends of most algae and kelp are quite tender and make for the best eating; snip off the tips and leave the rest of the plant. Remember that state law forbids taking more than 10 wet pounds of seaweed per day per person.

As a general rule of thumb, most seaweeds are safe to eat. One variety, though, which resembles a feather boa, gives off a sulfury aroma, and when sun-dried, baked and eaten, it will fill your mouth with a thick, unpleasant burning paste that turns your teeth green. (Of course I've done it myself, and for days I dared not smile.)

Its was really interesting for me to learn that you need a CA fishing license in order to legally harvest sea vegetables as a recreational harvester! I checked the California Deparment of Fish and Game and it looks like someone would specifically need to get an Aquaculture Registration. Good to know... and especially good to know about the kind that turns your teeth green!

Agar Agar — Vegan Gelatin Substitute

Gelatin is traditionally made from the collagen of connective tissue (gross) in animals, making it super vegan UNfriendly. Agar Agar is a vegetarian gelatin substitute made from red algae. Agar agar is used in baking, as a thickener in soups, as a laxative, and in ice cream. Eden has some great recipes that include agar agar in them here.