8 Surprising Health Benefits of Wakame Seaweed

1. Low in Calories and Rich in Nutrients

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Wakame is low in calories but supplies a good amount of important nutrients.

Even in small amounts, it can help boost your intake of minerals like iodine, manganese, folate, magnesium and calcium to help you meet your nutrient needs.

Just two tablespoons (10 grams) of raw wakame seaweed offers (1, 2):

• Calories: 5
• Protein: 0.5 grams
• Carbs: 1 gram
• Iodine: 280% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
• Manganese: 7% of the RDI
• Folate: 5% of the RDI
• Sodium: 4% of the RDI
• Magnesium: 3% of the RDI
• Calcium: 2% of the RDI

Each serving of wakame also contains vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as iron, copper and phosphorus.

Summary Wakame is very low in calories but contains a
good amount of iodine, manganese, folate, magnesium and calcium.

2. High Iodine Content May Support Proper Thyroid Function

Rounding out its stellar nutrient profile, wakame is a good source of iodine.

In fact, wakame contains approximately 42 mcg of iodine per gram, which is about 28% of the RDI (2).

Iodine is an essential mineral that your body uses to produce thyroid hormones, which help support growth, metabolism, protein synthesis and cell repair (3).

Still, iodine deficiency is incredibly common, with some reports estimating that about two billion people worldwide are affected (4).

A deficiency in this key micronutrient can contribute to hypothyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid is unable to make enough thyroid hormone to support normal function.

Symptoms of iodine deficiency can include weight gain, fatigue, hair loss and dry, flaky skin (3, 5).

Summary Wakame is a good source of iodine, which is
essential to thyroid function and the production of thyroid hormones.

3. May Reduce Blood Pressure and Heart Disease Risk

High blood pressure is a condition that places extra strain on your heart and blood vessels, weakening your heart muscle and increasing your risk of heart disease (6).

Some research suggests that adding wakame to your diet can help keep blood pressure under control and optimize heart health.

For instance, one ten-week study showed that administering substances extracted from wakame to rats significantly decreased systolic blood pressure (the top number of a blood pressure reading) (7).

Another study in 417 children showed that a higher intake of seaweed lowered blood pressure (8).

However, more human studies are needed to evaluate how wakame may affect blood pressure among the general population.

Summary Animal and human studies show that wakame may
help reduce blood pressure levels, but more research is needed to better
understand cause and effect.

4. May Benefit Heart Health by Lowering Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol plays a role in many aspects of health, ranging from hormone production to fat digestion.

However, excess blood cholesterol can build up in your arteries and block blood flow, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke (9).

While current research is limited to animal studies, some studies have found that wakame may lower cholesterol levels and help improve heart health.

In fact, one study found that supplementing with wakame seaweed was effective at lowering levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol in rats (10).

Similarly, another animal study showed that dried wakame powder altered the expression of specific genes to help significantly decrease cholesterol levels after just 28 days (11).

Despite these promising results, understanding how wakame may affect cholesterol levels in humans requires further research.

Summary Animal studies have found that wakame may
lower cholesterol levels to help promote heart health. However, human research
is lacking.

5. May Have Cancer-Fighting Properties

One of the most impressive health benefits of wakame is its ability to block cancer cell growth in some animal and test-tube studies.

For example, one animal study showed that giving wakame seaweed to rats helped suppress the growth and spread of breast cancer cells (12).

Another test-tube study found that specific compounds extracted from wakame seaweed were effective at inhibiting the growth of colon and kidney cancer cells (13).

However, some studies have had mixed results. One study in 52,679 women reported that increased seaweed consumption was linked to a higher risk of thyroid cancer, which could be a result of excess iodine intake (14, 15, 16).

Therefore, more research is necessary to determine how wakame may impact cancer cell formation in humans.

Summary Test-tube and animal studies show that wakame
may help block the growth and spread of cancer cells, but the research remains
inconclusive.

6. May Decrease Blood Sugar and Improve Insulin Resistance

Some studies have found that wakame can help reduce blood sugar levels and improve insulin resistance to enhance overall health.

One four-week study showed that supplementing with 48 grams of seaweed daily significantly decreased blood sugar levels in 20 people with diabetes (17).

Another study in animals showed that wakame was able to prevent insulin resistance — a condition that impairs your body’s ability to use insulin efficiently for transporting sugar to your cells, causing high blood sugar (18).

Still, current research on the effects of wakame on blood sugar is limited. Additional studies are needed to discover how wakame may impact blood sugar levels in humans.

Summary Animal studies show that wakame can reduce
glucose production in the body and prevent insulin resistance to keep blood
sugar under control. Yet, human research is lacking.

7. May Aid Weight Loss

If you’re looking to drop a few extra pounds, you may want to consider incorporating wakame into your diet.

Not only is it high in several key nutrients, but it has also been shown to promote weight control in animal studies.

One study found that supplementing with wakame seaweed extract suppressed weight gain in mice on a high-fat diet (19).

What’s more, another study found that wakame exhibited anti-obesity effects in rats and was able to reduce fat tissue (20).

Some studies have also noticed that diet plans that regularly include seaweed may reduce body weight and waist circumference (21, 22).

Because most research has been conducted in animals, additional high-quality studies are needed to look at how wakame may affect weight in humans.

Summary Several animal studies have found that wakame
can prevent weight gain and reduce the amount of fat tissue in the body.

8. Versatile, Delicious and Easy to Add to Your Diet

Wakame is enjoyed around the world for its soft texture and mild flavor.

It’s also highly versatile and can serve as an ingredient in a variety of dishes and recipes.

Frequently found in dried form, wakame is typically soaked in water for about ten minutes before consumption to help it soften and remove excess salt.

After soaking, wakame can easily replace leafy greens like lettuce, spinach or arugula in your favorite salads.

You can also add the strips into soups for a burst of flavor and nutrients.

Alternatively, serve wakame as a side dish topped with a bit of soy sauce or rice vinegar to complete your meal.

Summary Wakame can be soaked and added to soups,
salads and side dishes to enhance the nutrient profile of your favorite foods.

Possible Side Effects

Though wakame is generally healthy, consuming excess amounts may cause adverse side effects in some people.

Certain brands may contain high amounts of sodium, which can increase blood pressure in those who are sensitive to its effects (23).

It’s also high in iodine, packing in roughly 28% of the RDI per gram (2).

Although iodine is necessary for the production of thyroid hormones, consuming excess amounts can harm the health of your thyroid and cause symptoms like fever, stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea (15, 24).

Seaweed may also contain some heavy metals and contaminants, yet multiple studies have found that the amounts are too low to be of concern (25, 26).

Summary Wakame is high in iodine, and certain brands
may also be high in sodium. Both can cause negative side effects if consumed in
excess. Seaweed may also contain small amounts of certain heavy metals.

The Bottom Line

Wakame is a highly nutritious, edible seaweed that can add a range of vitamins and minerals to your diet for a low number of calories.

It’s also been associated with various health benefits, including lower cholesterol levels, decreased blood pressure, enhanced weight loss and reduced blood sugar.

Best of all, there are many different ways to enjoy this tasty seaweed as part of a balanced diet, making it easy to take advantage of its unique health-promoting properties.