Seaweed is highly nutritious and comes in thousands of varieties. It is rich in iodine for healthy thyroid action, zinc for fertility and calcium for healthy bones. Only few seaweed types are commonly used as vegetable – often found dried. The most well known are flat, dark green kelp ( also known as kombu), dark red dulse, green or purple nori and dark green or brown wakname.

The nutritional value of the types varies but they are mostly rich in iron, calcium, zinc, magnesium and iodine – a mineral that can help  boost the action of thyroid gland, regulate the body metabolism and help hearing.

Seaweed is rich in folate and low in calories.

Seaweed comes in many forms – just don’t be tempted do eat it straight off the beach.

50 g of kelp contains

• 22 Kcalories
• 0.3 g fat
• 0.8 g protein
• 4.8 g carbohydrate
• 0.7 g fibre
• 84 mg calcium
• 1.4 mg iron
• 61 mg magnesium
• 45 mg potassium
• 0.06 mg zinc
• 1077 mcg iodine
• 90 mcg folate