Seaweed Gel | Benefits of Seaweed Gel To Heart and Health

• It has been discovered that seaweeds help prevent further damage to the heart tissue in patients who have had a heart attack.
• An Israeli research team has developed a gel that is made out of seaweeds, which would shield the heart from further damage.
• The experts state that the seaweed gel is injected in to the heart at the site of tissue damage. The gel then solidifies and allows a thick layer of scar tissue to grow, allowing the heart to function normally.
• The gel is manufactured using brown seaweed and is injected in to the heart using a catheter introduced in to a vein in the groin.
• Professor Smedar Cohen led the research team in Israel.
• In clinical trials that were conducted, 90 % of the animals who were injected with the gel survived a heart attack, as against only, a 40% of animals, who did not receive the gel.
• Trials have also begun in humans, in Israel, Germany, and Belgium.

Fact file:

• The seaweed has many uses in bio-medicine.
• Sea weeds grow in marine waters and some in fresh water lakes.
• They are actually neither plants, nor animals, they are algae.
• There are 3 types: brown, red, and green.
• It is a wonderful source of iodine and is increasingly being used in the management of arthritis, TB, and tumors.

Nutritional highlights of the seaweed:

• The sea weeds are chockfull of minerals, especially, iodine, calcium and sodium.
• They also contain substantial amounts of iron, folic acid, and riboflavin.

Health benefits of adding seaweeds to your diet:

1. The rich iodine content in the seaweeds helps in the management of thyroid disorders, and regulates thyroid function.
2. Plant compounds called fucans, help reduce inflammatory processes in the body. These products are increasingly being used to manage arthritis and tuberculosis.
3. Plant compounds called lignans are anti-cancer compounds. They inhibit the growth of blood vessels that feed the tumor cells and help battle cancer.

How to select seaweeds?

1. The freshest seaweeds are sold in air tight packing.
2. They are sold either as sheets, or flakes, or powders.
3. Dried seaweeds do not require refrigeration. Dried ones can be re-hydrated before cooking.

Quick serve ideas:

• The sheet-form of seaweeds is used to wrap sushi, or to make vegetable wraps and rolls, using the vegetables of your choice.
• Seaweeds make a good addition to the salads.
• Seaweeds can be ground in to fine powder, and used instead of salt. (they have a high sodium content).
• Soak 2 to 5 tablespoons of the seaweeds in to your soup.
• Combine soaked seaweeds, shredded carrots, vinegar, olive oil, and ginger juliennes, to make an accompaniment to the main dish.

Safety measures for seaweeds:

Food standard agency in the U.K. advices people, not to eat the hijiki variety of seaweeds. This variety contains high levels of arsenic. Other seaweeds tested did not demonstrate any arsenic.

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