Courtesy photos by Alicia Keene
Cova St. Onge and her daughter, LouEllen Lhtrii-Ne Metcalf (above), join many
other families (above right) at the Easter Egg Hunt in Siletz.
Sea vegetables, anyone?
By Nancy Ludwig, MS, RD, LD, Siletz
Tribal Head Start Nutritionist
As part of my role as a consultant
nutritionist to Siletz Tribal Head Start,
I offer information for families. This
segment focuses on uses and benefits of
using seaweed in traditional and innova-
tive ways.
Most people who have eaten pro-
cessed foods have eaten seaweed because
the food industry uses it to stabilize
or improve texture. This can hardly be
counted as a source of nutrition, however!
How often have you gathered sea-
weed to use and consume? It can certainly
be a fun group or family activity.
When I first moved to the Oregon
Coast 30 years ago, I took a weekend
workshop where we harvested in the
mornings and prepared foods in the after-
noons. Since that time I’ve continued to
enjoy seaweed, but I often forget to plan
my life around the negative low tides.
A few years ago, I took another
weekend workshop that included both
harvesting and creative preparation. For
me, harvesting and preparing foods is
most fun in a group.
Several issues remain important in
wild harvesting, regardless of whether it
is from the ocean or land. These are atten-
tion to sustainability (the continuation of
harvest for years to come) and to a clean,
safe supply.
There are harvesting risks today
because of contamination. Some people
say that because seaweed helps clean up
the environment, they actually take on the
contamination at a higher rate. We should
certainly be cautious about choosing the
cleanest area possible.
Seaweeds are marine algae botani-
cally classified into three main groups
– red, brown and green. These amazing
sea plants are regarded as delicious and
health-giving foods by coastal cultures all
around the world.
In the U.S., increasing numbers of
people are learning that eating sea veg-
etables regularly provides a broad range
of health benefits. The focus below is pri-
marily on brown seaweeds, such as kelp.
Sea vegetables are some of the most
nutritionally valuable foods on earth.
They are, without a doubt, the best natural
food source of minerals, trace elements
and electrolytes.
Sea vegetables are also a good source
of antioxidants, lignans, glyconutrients
and all the known vitamins, including
B12 (formed by bacteria on the surface).
The high levels of potassium, cal-
cium, magnesium and other minerals in
most seaweeds often helps with blood
sugar problems, muscle spasms, osteo-
porosis and nervous system disorders
such as hyperactivity, ADD, depression
and insomnia.
Modern research suggests that eating
sea vegetables regularly can promote a
healthy immune system, inhibit cancers
and metastases, prevent strokes and
reduce chronic inflammation, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol levels and
atherosclerosis.
In fact, the Japanese people’s remark-
able longevity and extremely low inci-
dence of thyroid disease, breast cancer
and prostate cancer largely may be
because they have the world’s highest per
capita seaweed consumption.
Brown seaweeds have been success-
fully used worldwide to prevent and treat
thyroid disease (hypothyroid conditions,
goiter, etc.). Bladderwrack and kombu are
very high in a form of iodine that seems to
be easy for the thyroid gland to assemble
into thyroid hormones.
Seaweed polysaccharides function
as high quality water-soluble fiber in the
digestive tract, functioning to soothe and
tone the intestines. Algin (a specific poly-
saccharide in brown seaweed) facilitates
the removal of heavy metals and radio-
active elements from our bodies.
During the 1950s, the U.S. Atomic
Energy Commission recommended tak-
ing 5 grams of powdered kelp, algin or
sodium alginate daily for protection from
the radioactive fallout from atmospheric
nuclear testing.
Fucoidan (another polysaccharide
found in brown seaweed) has significant
blood-thinning, anti-inflammatory, anti-
viral, anti-cancer and tumor-inhibiting
qualities, often reduces bruising and
stimulates healing after injuries, some-
times reduces joint inflammation and
could probably be used to reduce the risk
of stroke in susceptible people.
Many red seaweeds contain large
amounts of anti-viral, anti-retroviral and
anti-herpetic carrageenans (polysaccha-
rides).
How much seaweed should you eat?
Three to five grams per day or about one
ounce of dried seaweed per week are a
good average dietary amount for nutri-
tional and therapeutic purposes.
A small amount eaten regularly is
more therapeutically effective than a lot
eaten occasionally.
easter egg Hunt
April 19, 2014
Siletz Tribal Community Center
Joy Cordova and her niece (above left)
Josh Holmes Jr. (above)
Jennifer Wirick and her son, Jacob
Wirick (below)
Dotty Highley and her grandson, Joshua
Scott (bottom photo)
Resources
Wild Rose and Western Red Cedar
– The Gifts of the Northwest Plants by
Elise Krohn, printed with partial support
from the Northwest Indian College and
Longhouse Media, 2007
James Jungwirth, herbalist and sea-
weed harvester, class notes from Breit-
enbush Herbal Conference and podcast
naturespiritherbs.com/Seaweed%20
and%20Health%20Benefits.html
media65.podbean.com/pb/4d4fc6aa
181efc64fa5b5444c77729fb/534699f5/
data2/blogs23/45798/uploads/james_
jungwirth.mp3
John Kallas, Ph.D. Class notes and
website wildfoodadventures.com/work-
shop.html
May 2014
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