Kombu – Seaweed
Diet Nutrition
Kombu is a kelp, a brown seaweed cultivated in Japan and is eaten both raw and cooked. Kombu is sweet tasting and in the West is used mainly to flavor broths, soups and sauces.
Kombu or kelp comes packaged in dried strips. To prepare: cut into smaller strips, add to water and boil for 10 minutes. Use the water as a base for soups or other dishes. Kombu can also be soaked in water and used to wrap around flavored fish and vegetables.
Kombu seaweed is rich in protein, calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron and folate. Lower rates of breast cancers have been reported in Japanese women eating a diet high in kelp. Lignans, which help fight cancer are found in high quantity in kelp and may provide protection against certain cancers.
Even though seaweed supplements and kelp tablets are now sold as energy boosters, there is no evidence that seeweed boosts energy – except in those who are iodine deficient and have underactive thyroids.