Sea kale (kelp) is called brown seaweed, growing on the seabed. For many years, it has been eaten as a standalone dish or food supplement. The value of this product lies in the content of a huge amount of biologically active substances, extremely useful and even necessary for the human body. So, kelp contains almost all important micro and macro elements (I, K, Mg, Ca, Na, Si, S, etc.) alginates, amino acids, vitamins (A, D, C, B1-B3, B12, PP), polyunsaturated fatty acids and some other components. We can say that seaweed consists entirely of useful and medicinal substances, which even makes it possible to equate it with a medicine.
Many of the healing properties of kelp are explained by the content of alginic acid in it , which can be compared with pectin, which is part of vegetables, fruits, berries. Once in the intestines, alginates absorb a significant amount of liquid along with all the harmful components contained in it. Due to swelling, the product significantly increases in size, which leads to irritation of the intestinal receptors and increased peristalsis. In other words, seaweed has a laxative effect, not disrupting, but normalizing the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract.
The kelp contains a huge amount of iodine: in 100 grams of dry product, the content of this component ranges from 150 to 800 milligrams! Moreover, about 10% of iodine in brown algae is associated with protein, which allows it to be better absorbed in the body. Also, the marine plant contains some hormonal iodine substances necessary for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland.
Iodine is also very useful in the treatment of atherosclerosis, as it prevents excessive blood clotting and normalizes some metabolic processes. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and betasitosterol, a special component found in kelp, also help fight cholesterol plaques . According to research, seaweed lowers blood clots by an average of 12%.
Due to the high content of beneficial components, brown algae contribute to rapid saturation and loss of appetite. Due to this feature, they are used as a product for weight loss. For example, it is recommended to arrange a weekly fasting day: the only food on such a day is seaweed. A seaweed diet is also very beneficial and effective. It consists in the daily use of brown seaweed and any seafood (except shrimp). The total mass of daily food should be no more than 600 grams. During the diet you need to drink as much clean water as possible.
Kelp recipes
Spicy seaweed
Soak dry algae (preferably pre-cut) in clean water for a couple of hours, then rinse them thoroughly and fry them in any vegetable oil. Add to them soy sauce, red ground pepper, chopped clove of garlic, seasoned hops-suneli and then brown together for another quarter hour. Then add boiled chicken to the fried kelp, after breaking it into fibers.
Pickle
The soup is prepared according to a traditional recipe. The only difference from the classic version is pickled seaweed, which needs to be slightly fried. So, in the meat broth, dip the finely chopped potatoes, while it cooks, prepare the dressing. To do this, fry the onions and carrots. Add cooked dressing, pickles and passaged seaweed to the soup, cook everything together for a couple of minutes.
You can also add dry kelp powder to various dishes, such as bread dough, salads, soups, fries, etc.