While wakame is eaten fresh or dried, nori is mainly available in dried form. What is nori? It’s the most common papery seaweed wrapping for sushi rolls, and unlike wakame, it is never soaked before serving. Wakame has long been collected for food in East Asia, [1] and sea farmers in Japan have cultivated wakame since the eighth century ( Nara period). [2] Seaweed supplements may also contain these heavy metals, as they are not reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for safety or effectiveness before they are sold to consumers. The type and location of harvest of seaweed extracts used in the supplements is not required information to be disclosed by supplement companies, nor is it known if these industries conduct thorough analysis of their nutrient and metal concentrations. [5] Aakre I, Tveito Evensen L, Kjellevold M, Dahl L, Henjum S, Alexander J, Madsen L, Markhus MW. Iodine status and thyroid function in a group of seaweed consumers in Norway. Nutrients. 2020 Nov 13;12(11):3483.

Japanese people’s high seaweed intake might be one reason why they have the highest life expectancy in the world ( 57).

Norwood, Catherine (September 20, 2022). "Māori stewardship takes on wakame invasion in New Zealand". seaweednews.au. Another study found that fucoxanthin reduced abdominal white adipose tissue weights of rats and mice, thereby making it one of the great fat-burning foods. 3. Helps Balance Hormones While a few case reports have associated iodine-containing kelp consumption and thyroid dysfunction, thyroid function returned to regular once consumption stopped ( 58, 59). Nonetheless, if you consume seaweed regularly, there is the potential for heavy metals to accumulate in your body over time.

Wild-grown wakame is harvested in Tasmania, Australia, and then sold in restaurants in Sydney [20] and also sustainably hand-harvested from the waters of Foveaux Strait in Southland, New Zealand and freeze-dried for retail and use in a range of products. [21] Cuisine [ edit ] Folate, or vitamin B12, is an essential vitamin is present in wakame. It’s needed for copying and synthesizing DNA, producing new cells, and supporting nerve and immune function. These polysaccharides can also increase the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), which provide support and nourishment to the cells lining your gut ( 33). Summary When the macrobiotic diet became popular in the United States in the 1960s, it became much easier to find wakame at health stores and Asian-American grocery stores.Several other animal studies have reported improved blood sugar control when seaweed extracts are added to the diet ( 54, 55, 56). Summary Additionally, it’s important to note that seaweed is water-soluble, which means cooking and processing it can affect its iodine content. For example, when kelp is boiled for 15 minutes, it can lose up to 99% of its iodine content ( 6). It can then be added to soups, stir-fries and salads. The water used to rehydrate the seaweed is also full of nutrients, so it can be used as the base of a soup.