Where to buy algae & seaweeds products on the internet
Internet natural food stores where you can buy sea greens products directly online. The USA-based stores have a wider selection. They all ship internationally and often have special offers.
A tip: if you use the search box, enter specific sea greens, like kelp, agar agar, spirulina, chlorella.
IN USA
IN UK
Sea greens
Sea greens, as they are properly known, also called sea vegetables, comprise algae and seaweeds, and are aquatic and marine plants.
They are not just the latest addition to trendy restaurant menus; they also make other foods more tasty, have good nutritional and health properties and can help you lose weight.
In Japan, where sea vegetables make up 10% of the diet, the incidence of many cancers and of obesity is the lowest in the developed world, and the two facts seem to be related.
Sea greens do not reproduce by seeds like most plants, but by spores; their plant body is not divided into root, stem and leaf, but is in the form of an undifferentiated thallus.
Algae are present both in freshwater like lakes, ponds and rivers, and in the sea all over the world. There are more than 25,000 species of algae in the world.
Total seaweed usage alone is about 3.5 million tons per year.
In the West seaweeds are harvested from the wild, whereas in Asia they are extensively cultivated.
Sea vegetables are usually sold in their dehydrated form and, stored in an airtight container in a cool dark place, such as a kitchen cupboard, they will keep indefinitely.
They are mostly sold as flakes, leaves, granules, sheets, capsules, tablets, or powder, which can also be added to food recipes, sprinkled on drinks, or mixed in shakes.
Algae are classified according to their pigments and therefore their color.
All algae contain the green pigment chlorophyll, but the group called green algae contains only chlorophyll.
Other groups have more pigments. In the brown algae, which are seaweeds, the additional pigment is fucoxanthin.
In the red algae, also seaweeds, the extra pigment is phycoerythrin (red) and phycocyanin (blue): the relative amount of these vary, so different species of algae have colours going from red to bluish green.
Blue-green algae like spirulina have only phycocyanin as an extra protein pigment.
Algae also vary considerably in size: from the microscopic (spirulina and chlorella) to 50 meters (165 ft) long seaweeds.
Generally, algae and seaweeds are high in protein content, with a good amino acid profile similar to that of pulses; they contain little fat, and some vitamins and minerals.
Eaten with cereals and grains like rice, bread and pasta, they provide high-quality, complete protein.
They also provide fiber.
In many parts of the world, sea greens, often dried, are used in food: as vegetables, in soups, salads, and various dishes, casseroles, stews, or stir-fried with veggies. The Japanese are among the greatest consumers of seaweeds, with about 50 different species being eaten, and Japanese cuisine has developed many ways of preparing them. Many sea greens varieties are best known by their Japanese names.
Some varieties of sea greens also contain 10 times more calcium than milk.
Sea vegetables are extremely rich in iodine: in fact they contain more iodine than any other natural food, and are one of the few sources of this precious mineral.
Iodine is needed by the thyroid gland to produce the hormone thyroxine, which has many important functions: to stimulate the nervous system, to slow down oxidation in the cells, and to control metabolism helping the body to transform protein, fats and carbohydrates into energy.
Insufficient iodine undermines the body's ability to produce energy, both for activities and for its internal maintenance. Without enough iodine, you will feel weak and tired. But just one square inch of a sea green is sufficient to satisfy the normal adult body's daily requirement of iodine.
Today, iodine deficiency in industrialized countries is fairly uncommon mainly due to consumption of iodized salt. But salt consumption should be limited because it is related to hypertension, hence the usefulness of sea vegetables as a source of iodine.
Common effects of iodine deficiency are: goiter, weight gain, hair loss, listlessness, insomnia and some forms of mental retardation. Hypothyroidism and an iodine deficiency are associated with a higher incidence of breast cancer. There is also evidence of an association between low thyroid function and Fibrocystic Breast Disease (FBD). On the other hand, extremely high intake, while it may not be toxic, since most excess is excreted by the kidneys, may cause weight loss, sweating, fatigue, nervousness, hyperactivity, headache, rashes, metallic taste in the mouth and goiter (due to thyroid hyperactivity, hyperthyroidism).
Eating sea greens can rebalance hormones, reduce bloating and water retention and lower high blood-cholesterol levels, which means they can also protect against heart problems.
Sea vegetables also cleanse the intestinal tract and, because of their high mineral content, create in the body a more alkaline environment, which some people believe to be beneficial.
There are several types of sea vegetables. To see them, browse the side menu at the top.
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