No other vegetable is better for longevity than kelp. In Korea, it is customary to eat kelp soup on birthdays. In ancient times, people living in mountainous areas were prone to goiter, and eating kelp would gradually cure this disease. Why is kelp considered a longevity vegetable? What are the health benefits of eating more kelp?
Kelp is salty and cold in nature, and it affects the liver, stomach, and kidney meridians. It has the effect of resolving phlegm and promoting urination. In Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Materia Medica," it is recorded that kelp "treats edema and goiter, with the same effect as seaweed." Modern research shows that kelp contains essential nutrients for the human body such as carotene, B vitamins, and calcium and iron; kelp also contains various functional ingredients with pharmacological effects, such as laminarin, fucoidan, alginic acid, fucose, laminine, etc. With the deepening of scientific research, people have discovered that kelp has a wide range of pharmacological activities.
Stir-fried Shredded Kelp
Prevents iodine-deficient goiter. Iodine is a raw material for synthesizing thyroid hormones. Iodine deficiency can cause hyperplasia and enlargement of thyroid tissue. Kelp is rich in iodine and helps prevent iodine-deficient goiter.
Nine Major Health Benefits of Kelp
Anti-tumor.
The laminarin in kelp can kill tumor cells by activating macrophages and inhibiting tumor cell proliferation. It can also inhibit tumor growth by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, and directly inhibit tumor growth.
Anticoagulant.
Fucoidan and fucose in kelp have anticoagulant effects.
Lowering blood pressure.
The blood pressure-lowering effect of kelp may be related to the laminine and taurine it contains. Patients with hypertension can often eat kelp.
Lowering blood lipids.
In the intestines, kelp can carry the fat in chyme out of the body, thus having a good lipid-lowering effect.
Lowering blood sugar.
Fucose in kelp is a good dietary fiber. Eating kelp can delay gastric emptying and the time it takes for food to pass through the small intestine, which helps control blood sugar.
Improving immunity.
Kelp polysaccharide is an immunomodulator. Studies have shown that kelp polysaccharide can promote the immune function of both normal and immunocompromised mice.
Anti-radiation.
The active substances in kelp can prevent the absorption of various radioactive elements and harmful heavy metals, or form insoluble compounds to be excreted from the body.
Kelp can be prepared in various ways: it can be blanched and served as a cold dish, quickly stir-fried, or used to make soup.
Today, it is not easy for us to be deficient in iodine because our salt is iodized. People living in coastal areas are not deficient in iodine at all, and adding iodine to salt is actually not good for their health. Therefore, non-iodized salt is now a better choice. Kelp has many health benefits, and consuming it appropriately can help delay aging and promote longevity.
The seaweed