As most of you know, I get really excited about new ways to include healthy nutrient dense foods as a form of diet-medicine, and I have a new product review for you. My new favorite pasta substitute? Kelp noodles! Before I get into all the reasons I think these are such a great food to include in your diet, I have to say that the main one is that for those of you who either have no idea how to include seaweed in your diet outside of your sushi habit, or who don’t like the taste of dulse, nori, or kombu, these are a great, neutral-tasting option. Kelp Noodles are a sea vegetable in the form of a raw noodle. They are made of kelp that has been stripped of it’s outer layer, combined with sodium alginate (a sodium salt extracted from a brown seaweed), and water, and when prepared, are not at all “fishy” tasting, but rather take on the flavor of whatever you prepare them with.
Suitable for Gluten-Free, Paleo, or Reduced-Carbohydrate Diets
Many of my patients, (myself included) find that they feel healthier, leaner, and more energetic physically and mentally on a Gluten-free diet, or even a grain-free type Paleo style diet, with personal modifications made for different health conditions or goals. Kelp noodles are not only gluten-free, but they also are low carbohydrate, for people who are trying to reduce their total carb intake, or who just want a change from other types of grain-based noodles. Beyond this, kelp noodles are packed with nutrients that support digestion, thyroid, bones, teeth, immune and cardiovascular system.
Micronutrients
Kelp noodles are high in iodine, which can support your thyroid function (as long as you don’t have an autoimmune thyroid condition…..but that’s another article). They also provide a good amount of calcium and magnesium, and other trace minerals, in a naturally occurring form that makes them easier for the body to absorb and utilize. Among other things, Calcium and Magnesium support bones and teeth, and help prevent osteoporosis. Magnesium can also help play a role in treating PMS symptoms and menstrual cramps in some women. Kelp is also abundant in folic acid, which is cardio-protective, supports proper nerve function, prevents certain types of anemia, and is critically important to boost during and before pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects in newborns
Women’s Reproductive Health
Japanese women, whose diets are rich in kelp, have lower rates of ovarian, breast, and endometrial cancer. Studies have shown that Japanese women have longer menstrual cycle lengths (greater than the 28 day average) and lower circulating estrogen levels compared to Western populations , which used to be attributed to the increased intake of soy protein in these populations. In more recent years, it was noted that seaweed is also a huge staple in the Japanese diet, accounting for up to 25% of their daily food intake, which led researchers to wonder if perhaps the sea vegetables contributed to these statistics as well. A study at UC Berkeley found that a diet containing kelp lowered circulating estrogen levels in women, and also showed that women with endometriosis who ate 700mg of kelp per day had a significant reduction in their pain level during menstruation.
Cancer Prevention
Fucoidan is a sulphated polysaccharide found in the cell walls of various species of brown seaweeds and brown algaes, and has been shown in studies to have the ability to induce cell death in cancer cells in the lymph. Various studies have shown fucoidan to have general antitumor, antiviral (especially against herpes virus), and immune-modulating effects. Specifically, it stimulates Natural Killer cells, which scavenge the body for cancer cells. In animal studies, Fucoidan also exhibited neuroprotective and radioprotective activity, and also prevented ulcer formation from aspirin exposure.
Few foods provide all these benefits at once, in an easy to prepare and delicious form. I find Kelp noodles in the refrigerator section of my local natural foods market, and, while they can be rinsed and eaten right out of the bag, I prefer to lightly steam them (they softens a bit from the slightly crunchy raw form, to a softer, more noodle-like texture) or warm them in marinara or pesto sauce with other vegetables, or ground grass-fed beef, or turkey. They also work great in soups, stir-frys, or as a substitute in any recipe that calls for rice-noodles.
Brown Kelp Modulates Endocrine Hormones in Female Sprague-Dawley Rats and in Human Luteinized Granulosa Cells1 Christine F. Skibola,*2 John D. Curry,*3 Catherine VandeVoort,† Alan Conley,** and Martyn T. Smith* *School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA
· Maruyama H, Tamauchi H, Hashimoto M, Nakano T. Antitumor activity and immune response of Mekabu fucoidan extracted from Sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida. In Vivo 2003; 17(3):245-249.
· Haneji K, Matsuda T, Tomita M et al. Fucoidan extracted from cladosiphon okamuranus tokida induces apoptosis of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-infected T-cell lines and primary adult T-cell leukemia cells. Nutr Cancer 2005; 52(2):189-201.
Church FC, Meade JB, Treanor RE, Whinna HC. Antithrombin activity of fucoidan. The interaction of fucoidan with heparin cofactor II, antithrombin III, and thrombin. J Biol Chem. 1989 Feb 25;264(6):3618-23.
· Luo D, Zhang Q, Wang H, et al. Fucoidan protects against dopaminergic neuron death in vivo and in vitro. Eur J Pharmacol. 2009 Sep 1;617(1-3):33-40.
· Byon YY, Kim MH, Yoo ES, et al. Radioprotective effects of fucoidan on bone marrow cells: improvement of the cell survival and immunoreactivity. J Vet Sci. 2008 Dec;9(4):359-65.
· Lee JB, Hayashi K, Hashimoto M, Nakano T, Hayashi T. Novel antiviral fucoidan from sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida (Mekabu). Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 2004 Sep;52(9):1091-4.
· Hayashi K, Nakano T, Hashimoto M, Kanekiyo K, Hayashi T. Defensive effects of a fucoidan from brown alga Undaria pinnatifida against herpes simplex virus infection. Int Immunopharmacol. 2008 Jan;8(1):109-16.
The effect of Fucus vesiculosus, an edible brown seaweed, upon menstrual cycle length and hormonal status in three pre-menopausal women: a case report Christine F Skibola*