Sea-weeds

A few facts from history and geography

«…I am dreaming of sea-food and it seems if I had found a heap of sea-weeds I would eagerly eat it all up. One always wishes something one has a need for and something lacking in one’s organism. I feel short of tastes and nutrients which according to Keton had appeared first of all in the world…»
(P. Florensky «Memoirs», 1920)

Sea-weeds are the oldest representatives of the flora. The resources of sea-weeds in the Seven seas number hundreds million ton. The subject of the greatest interest for treatment and prophylaxis of various diseases is the brown sea-weeds one of which is laminaria (sea girdle). The staff received from laminaria serving as a material for production of medical preparations and biologically active admixtures (BAA) are successfully used in medical practice.

Sea girdle has been used by many peoples from ancient times for treatment of a variety of diseases. The aborigines of the Hebrides used some species of laminaria as a sudorific agent, the Irish for treatment of scrofula, the Hindu against tuberculosis. In ancient China sea girdle was used for treatment of abscesses and malignant tumors and there has also been a tradition to give a mother a leave of raw sea girdle after giving birth to a baby even if the breast milk was full-blown and the baby was growing healthy. Moreover, in the 18-th century in China a decree was issued obliging all the citizens to eat sea girdle for support of their health. Even nowadays some peoples of South-Eastern Asia are sure that the use sea girdle for food promotes longevity.

Sea girdle has been most often used at all the sea coasts for treatment thyroid gland diseases (goiter). In 1811 Courtois, a French manufacturer and researcher, discovered a new element – iodine in sea-weeds which turned out to be a wonderful disinfectant and found a broad application in medical practice. About 60 years since then sea-weeds had remained the only source of this valuable medication.

Oriental physicians state that products from laminaria are mandatory in food allowance of even healthy people over 40. The advantages of sea girdle is a theme for a special discussion.

Extraction

Sea-weeds have long ago become an object of trade and use for people, especially residents of seaside countries of Asia-Pacific region. The role of a pioneer in extracting and processing sea girdle belongs to Japan. Laminaria in this country is a favorite foundation for a great variety of dishes and delicacies, it is added to soups, meat courses, served as a salad. The Japanese annually eat several tens thousand tons of sea girdle. The scientists explain the absence of goiter and scrofula among children at the Japanese Isles by the use of this unique sea-weed as a food product.

Russia unfortunately is not listed among the countries whose residents actively use sea food in spite of a great length of its sea cost line both in the North and East of the country. It is probably connected with a relatively recent occupation of the seaside regions of our country by residents of its inner regions with their “land” lifestyle and respective likings in food. When there is a choice many of us prefer meat, not fish, and ordinary cabbage, not its sea “namesake”. In our country mainly two types of laminaria: laminaria saccharine growing at the Northern coasts of Russia and Japanese laminaria typical of the Far-Eastern cost have commercial significance.

The tissues of sea-weeds contain 75–85% of moisture and 15–25 % of dry substances represented by a great complex of micro- and macro-elements, lipids, pigments, polysaccharides: alginic acid, mannitol and cellulose. The laminaria extracted from the sea is drued on special hangers under sheds protecting it from rain, dew and fog for under the influence of fresh water laminaria loses mannitol, iodine, potassium salts and during further dryings it even changes its color. It is not advised to dry laminaria in dry-air devices as it loses its useful properties in them.

Content of useful substances

Concentration of macro- and micro-elements in sea-weeds exceeds that of sea water many times. Potassium, sodium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, iodine, selenium, fluorine and other chemicals have been discovered in sea girdle and many of them are biogenic included into the content of vitamins and ferments and are necessary for metabolism and interaction of cells with the environment. They participate in regeneration of tissues, formation of hormones and support of the organism’s homeostasis.

Sea girdle is practically the only source of food iodine needed for normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Real use of iodine by the population of different regions of Russia is two to four time less than normal.

Sea girdle is practically the only source of food iodine needed for normal functioning of the thyroid gland. Real use of iodine by the population if different regions of Russia is at present two to four times less than normal. An Executive order of the Russian Minister of Public Health No 444, 14.12.99 runs: “Insufficient use of iodine creates a serious threat for the health of 100 million Russian people and demands taking measures for mass and group prophylaxis». Iodine is the only micro-element participating in the formation of hormones, in particular the hormones of the thyroid gland: three-iodine-thyrionine and thyroxin. Being an active component of the hormones iodine interacts with other internal secretion glands and strongly effects metabolism of the proteins, fats and carbohydrates and water-salts balance. Lack of iodine results in damages of thyroxin biosynthesis, suppression of the thyroid gland functions which develops endemic goiter (“thyroid gland cachexia”, cretinism) at the end. In case of a long-term iodine deficit there appears a risk of cancer of the thyroid gland and mammary glands. Iodine deficit during the period of pregnancy increases the risk of inborn hypothyroidism for the baby and damages of central nervous system activities accompanied with the development of dementia of various extents, up to idiocy.

Iodine in sea girdle is present in form of a complex with amino acids which promotes its more effective assimilation by the organism. In dried laminaria the content of iodine makes 1,7–8,5 mg per 100 gram. In the present situation with iodine deficit should be more widely used not only in natural form as a wonderful food but also for manufacturing various preparations for prophylaxis and treatment of iodine-deficit states.

Sea girdle contains wonderful substances: salts of alginic acid or alginates. They are not digested in the human gastrointestinal tract but only swell a lot. Alginates have powerful sorbent ability. Passing through gastrointestinal tract like a team of yard cleaners through an untidy street alginates link and exteriorize toxins, radionuclides and pathogenic bacteria out of the organism. Their capacity is great and the linking is so powerful that they can even extract lead out of bones at a long distance from the digestive system.

In case of using sea girdle as food a soft physiological stimulation of the peristalsis of the bowels takes place, the right rhythm of digestion becomes reestablished and stagnant occurrences in the bowels are eliminated. This ability of laminaria is of a special value for residents of cities negatively influenced by hypodynamia and high-calorie food. Even sick people who had long been pinned down to bed used to restore normal digestion.

An omnipresent deep annual deficit of the majority of vitamins is typical of food allowance of both adults and children in Russia nowadays which results in development of various abnormalities. Including sea girdle and preparations based on it into the ration could indemnify the need for useful nutrients for both healthy and sick people. Thanks to laminaria’s ability to extract and accumulate valuable substances it may be called a real larder of micro-elements and bioactive compounds. Laminaria contains almost the whole periodic table, besides in an easily accessible for the organism organic form, i.e. pharmacological efficiency and assimilability of sea-weed preparations is much higher than that of the land plants.