Laminaria - A Gift Of The Sea, Strengthening Health

2024 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:47

And what kind of cabbage is it, and on what "beds" does it grow?

Seafood is delicious, and most importantly, healthy, including seaweed.

Moreover, it grows in our country in abundance in the coastal zones of the White, Barents, Kara Seas - in the European part of the country and in almost all the seas of the Pacific Ocean, washing the shores of our country in the Far East, for example, in the Sea of Okhotsk and Japan.

Of course, as they say, “You can't get a fish out of the pond without difficulty” - the same can be said about the extraction of seaweed or kelp.

Seaweed is the trade name of brown algae belonging to the genus Laminaria of the Laminaria family. There are many species in this genus, including several dozen edible ones, but in our country, mainly three species are harvested - finger kelp (Laminaria digitata) and saccharine kelp (Laminaria saccharina) - in the northern seas, and the same saccharine kelp and Japanese kelp (Laminaria japonica) - in the Far East.

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Finger-dissected kelp, like the other two species, forms vast thickets in places with constant water movement, near open shores. Usually they form real thickets in the coastal zone at a depth of 8-20 meters, and on stones and rocks, kelp go into the water and to a depth of 35 m.

All three species of these lamellar seaweed have a similar structure - a green-brown long ribbon-like lamellar thallus, a kind of leaf, having a width of 4-50 cm and a length of 1 to 12 m (and sometimes up to 20 m). At the bottom, the leaf-plate passes into a petiole trunk with a length of 3 to 70 cm and ends with tapered formations-rhizoids, with which the alga is attached to the rocky bottom.

There are, of course, these types and differences. In kelp palate-dissected thallus dense, pieces of palmate thalli 70-160 cm long and more, their width is 3.5-14 cm, the edges of the plates are smooth.

Thallus saccharine kelp are dense, leathery, wrinkled pieces of leaf-shaped plates, less often - whole plates 10-110 cm long or more, 5-40 cm wide, the edges of the plates are wavy.

Thallus Japanese kelp - dense, thick, leathery. Ribbon-like pieces of plates or solid plates of the thallus, folded along the length, sometimes with breaks along the edges and in the middle, 40-130 cm long and more, 7-15 cm wide, the edges of the plates are solid and wavy.

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Kelp multiply by spores, after their formation, the algae dies. The life span of kelp is from two to four years, depending on climatic conditions. The color of the thallus of all kelp varies from light olive to reddish-brown and even black-green.

Since ancient times, residents of coastal villages have appreciated the positive properties of seaweed. It was used and used in food by the Japanese and Chinese. Moreover, they have now even begun to create man-made "vegetable gardens" for cultivation and obtaining more kelp. At the same time, it was noticed that in these countries some diseases are almost absent, for example, goiter (enlargement of the thyroid gland) and scrofula. In these countries, kelp has been used in folk medicine since ancient times. And it is no coincidence that there are so many centenarians in Japan and China.

Modern research by scientists has shown that kelp is a valuable source of minerals. It contains an abundance of salts of iodine, bromine, cobalt, potassium, sodium, magnesium. In addition, seaweed contains proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B12. It is these substances that determine the beneficial properties of seaweed.

After all, the alginic acid present in it, being an analogue of fruit pectin, effectively removes radionuclides, heavy metals (mercury, lead, etc.) from the body. Iodine - treats diseases of the thyroid gland, lowers blood pressure, improves blood viscosity; magnesium has vasodilating, antiseptic properties, enhances bile secretion; phosphorus is a basic element of teeth and bones; potassium - regulates water balance, normalizes the heart rhythm; manganese - improves muscle reflexes and memory, reduces nervousness and irritability; fiber normalizes cholesterol levels; polysaccharide mannitol easily and successfully removes toxins and toxins. The vitamins contained in it also play a positive role.

Residents of our regions, far from the sea coasts, can find seaweed in pharmacies. It is sold there dried in bags of 100 grams. In stores, you can find confectionery with kelp, as well as find it canned in metal cans and in the form of ready-made vitamin salads, for example, with mayonnaise or vinegar.

In the Far Eastern countries, in the coastal zones of which kelp grows, it has been used for many centuries in the treatment of various diseases. In European countries, it began to be used not very long ago. Seaweed is prescribed, for example, as an additional remedy for hyperthyroidism (hyperfunction of the thyroid gland), with mild forms of Graves' disease. It is also recommended, as noted above, for the prevention of goiter, atherosclerosis and as a mild laxative for chronic constipation, chronic and acute enterocolitis, proctitis.

The therapeutic effect of seaweed is primarily due to the presence of organic iodine compounds in it. For example, to maintain a normal iodine balance, it is enough for a person to consume 30 g of fresh kelp per day. It has been proven that this iodine improves protein assimilation, assimilation of phosphorus, calcium and iron, activates a number of enzymes.

Under its influence, the viscosity of blood decreases, blood pressure decreases. Products prepared with the addition of seaweed in doses corresponding to the daily requirement for iodine (200 mcg per day) are recommended for use in areas where iodine deficiency is felt - for the prevention of goiter. For example, bread is baked there with the addition of dried and chopped seaweed to the flour.

Kelp also helps to reduce blood cholesterol levels, so it is prescribed for atherosclerosis. It is recommended to take an infusion of seaweed for this. To prepare it, grind dry kelp into powder. One teaspoon of powder must be poured with half a glass of boiling water and insisted for a quarter of an hour. Take this infusion three times a day for a month.

There is another important property of kelp. It is very much in demand in our technogenic age. It is used as an antidote for diseases of the upper respiratory tract in persons working with barium salts and radionuclides. Here, the positive effect of the alginic acid present in these algae, which binds harmful compounds, affects.

In this case, inhalation is used (vapor inhalation). To do this, one teaspoon of dried kelp is infused for an hour in a glass of water (200 ml), This infusion is brought to a boil and steam is formed. Inhalation is carried out for 5 minutes. The course of treatment consists of 10 sessions.

Seaweed is recommended as a mild laxative for chronic constipation. Its action is similar to the physiological, laxative action of vegetables and fruits. In this case, use kelp powder. It is taken at night in half or a whole teaspoon. The powder is poured into a glass of water, poured with half a glass of water, the powder is stirred and drunk. Small particles of seaweed swell strongly and irritate the receptors of the intestinal mucosa, contributing to its emptying.

For the treatment of gout and joints affected by rheumatism, the inhabitants of the seaside regions make baths with the addition of seaweed. This procedure relieves pain.

Now residents of other regions can take medicinal baths - general or foot - for joint diseases. To do this, use dried seaweed, sold in pharmacies. The bath is prepared as follows: one pack of dry seaweed should be poured into a bucket of water heated to 45 ° C. It is advisable to take such a bath at night. It is recommended to wear warm socks on your feet after the procedure. The infusion that was used for the bath can be used 3-4 more times, you just need to warm it up. In total, 12-15 procedures are recommended for the treatment course.

In folk medicine, seaweed powder is used for anemia, stomach diseases. Also, kelp powder is used for warming compresses - for osteochondrosis, neuritis, myositis. To do this, a pack or several packs (depending on the size of the compress) of seaweed is poured with water at a temperature of 50 ° C, insisted, then the water is drained, and the cabbage is squeezed out of moisture and applied to the sore spot, covered with a film on top, and kept there for several hours (until five o'clock). Experts recommend putting a heating pad or a bag with heated clean sand or coarse salt on top of the compress to enhance the thermal effect.

Seaweed contains substances for longevity, so it is advisable to take it for the elderly, observing the recommended rate.

Contraindications

You can not use seaweed during pregnancy and lactating women. Experts explain this by the fact that iodine, penetrating the placenta, can cause abnormalities in the development of the child.

Kelp is contraindicated for those who have hypersensitivity to iodine, as well as for people who have diathesis, urticaria, and boils. And also with nephritis (inflammatory kidney disease). Given the high biological activity of seaweed, it should be consumed in moderation. It is also not recommended to use it for a long time, because an excess of iodine is more dangerous than a lack of it. As always, before starting treatment with traditional medicine, you need to consult with your doctor.

E. Valentinov