192 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, JULY-AUGUST, 2014

USES OF SEAWEEDS IN THE INDIAN DIET FOR SUSTENANCEAND WELL-BEING

VINOD K. DHARGALKAR*

The rapid process of globalization and modern life style has influence our eating habits and givesopportunity to fast food restaurant to grow and flourish. Although, fast food, unlike traditionalfood is able to deliver quick meals, it has serous drawback especially with regards to humanhealth. Seaweeds, which have multifunctional properties in the form of food, energy, possess powerto prolong life, detoxifying agent, prevent diseases, impart beauty and health can be used in smallquantity in the Indian diet for sustenance and well-being.

ARTICLE

* Mangrove Society of India, Dona Paula, Goa 403 004, IndiaAuthor is Ex Scientist of NIO, Goa.Address for correspondence:-Oceanis Coop. Hsg. Society, Nr.GMC, Bambolim, Goa 403 202, India.e-mail:-vinod.nio@rediffmail.com

Introduction

It is presumed that the unique features of the marineenvironment, where the seaweeds are grown, are mainlyresponsible for most of its properties. Among the

functional effects of the seaweeds, apart from the nutritionthey have long been considered to possess powers ofprolong life, prevent diseases and impart beauty andhealth1, 2. Some seaweed possess more calcium than cheese,more iron than beef and more protein than eggs, plusseaweeds are very rich source of micronutrients3.

For several centuries, seaweeds have been used as avital part of the diets and culture attributing many healthfulbenefits to their use in China, Japan and the Republic ofKorea. In Asia, seaweeds comprise up to 20 % of the dietand are recognized not only for their nutritional benefitsbut also for their unique flavor. As people from thesecountries have migrated around the world, this custom hasmoved with them, so that today there are many morecountries where the consumption of seaweeds has increased,considerably.

Although, in India, seaweeds are used for industrialproduction of phycocolloids and as a fertilizer, they are

yet to be utilized on larger scale for various other purposes,which are not being done, due to lack of its awarenessamong the Indian populace. In India also, no seriousattempt has been made so far to utilize seaweeds as dietaryfood.

Seaweed Resources of India

The Indian coast line of about 7500 km long includingtwo groups of Islands harbor around 840 seaweed species,comprised of 68 families and 217 genera, that includes216 Chlorophyta, 191 Phaeophyta and 434 Rhodophytaspecies4. There are number of localities along the Indiancoastline with luxuriant seaweed growth with high speciesdiversity notably Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu,Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar groups of Islands.The seaweed standing biomass and number of speciesrecorded from various Indian coastlines are given in(Table–1).

Uses of Seaweeds

Traditionally, seaweeds have been included in the folkmedicine for many years in Japan (13,000 - 300 BC), China(2,700 BC), Egypt (1,550 BC) and in India (300BC)5,6.Their healing properties are said to includeeverything from lowering cholesterol, shrinking goiters,dissolving tumors and cysts, treating cancer, detoxifyingheavy metals, reducing water retention, aiding in weightloss etc3.

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Worldwide, around 221 seaweeds species belongingto 32 Chlorophyta, 64 Phaeophyta and 125 Rhodophytaare being used for variety of purposes. Out of these, about145 species (66 %) are used as food7. Seaweeds as a stapleitem of diet have been used in Japan, Korea and Chinasince prehistoric times. Japan and China are the majorproducers, cultivators and consumers of seaweeds in theworld. Other countries such as Scotland, Chile, ThePhilippines, Malaysia, Bali, Korea, Singapore, Sri Lankaetc. also consume seaweeds in a variety of forms.

The total seaweed harvest from Indian coastline ismore than 100,000 metric tons (wet wt.). Out of which,Indian small scale industries utilize 30 to 35 % of seaweedsfor extraction of phycocolloids, producing about 360 to540 metric tons of alginates and about 110 to 130 tons ofagar-agar9. The food industries exploit the gelling, waterretention, emulsifying and other physical properties of thesephycocolloids (Table – 2)10.

The direct seaweed consumption in India is almostnegligible except in the preparation of porridge fromGracilaria and Acanthophora spp. along the coastal states

TABLE 1 : Seaweed resources along the Indian coast

Sr. Area Annual Yield in Author(s)No. Tons (fresh wt.)

1. GUJARAT (202 no, of species)

(a) Gulf of Kuchchh 100,000 Chauhan & Krishnamurthy32

(b) Hanumandandi to 19,000 Bhandari & Trivedi33

Vumani (Okha) 650

(c) Adatra Reef 60 Sreenivasa Rao et.al34

(d) Saurashtra Coast 282-608 Chauhan & Mairh35

2. MAHARASHTRA (152)

(a) Konkan Coast 315 Chauhan36

(b) Entire Coast 20,000 Untawale et.al37

3. GOA 2,000 (75) Dhargalkar 38

4. KARNATAKA (39)

(a) Entire Coast Negligible Agadi.39

5. KERALA 1000 (20) Chennubhotala et al,40

6. TAMILNADU (302)(a) Cape Comorin to Colachel 5 Koshy & John41

(b) Calimere to Cape Comorin 66,000 Chacko & Malu Pilai42

(c) Pamban 1,000 Varma & Rao43

(d) Palk Bay 900 Umamaheshwara Rao44

(e) Entire Coast 22,044 Subbaramiah et.al.,45

(f) Entire coast (Intertidal) 22,044 Anon46

(g) Entire coast (subtidal) 75,375 Kaliaperumal et al.,47

7. Andhra Pradesh 7500 (78) Anon48

8. ORISSA ( 21)(a) Chilka Lake 5 Mitra49

(b) Chilka Lake 2,69,700 Rath & Adhikari50

9. LAKSHWADEEP 3,645 to 7,598 (89) Anon51

10. ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS

(a) Little Andaman 120 (34) Gopinathan and Panigrahy52

(b) South Andaman & 19,111 (72) Muthuvelan et al.,53

North Andaman Karthic et al.,54

(c) Middle & North Andaman 6,817 Muthuvelan et al.,55

(Source: Revised from published reports)Figure in the bracket indicates number of species.

Porphyra (Nori) is themost nutritious seaweeds. Thefood value of Porphyra liesin its high protein content (25to 35 % of dry wt.), vitaminsand mineral salts, especiallyiodine. Its vitamin C contentis about 1.5 times that oforanges and 75 % of theprotein and carbohydrates aredigestible by humans. Variousred seaweeds have been usedin the Mediterranean assource of dying agents and asanthelmintic and other healthremedies since pre-Christiantimes8.

In the west, seaweedshave yet to find widespreaduse. Although, traditionallyeaten for centuries in manyEuropean cultures, in recentyears there has been a strongmovement in France tointroduce seaweeds in to theEuropean cuisine, with somesuccess. However, it is stillregarded as an exoticcomponent of the menu.Ireland and Northern Irelandare showing a renewedinterest in seaweeds that wereonce a traditional part of thediet. Already, in manycountries around the worldthere are cooking books inthe market incorporatingrecipes using “SeaVegetables”.

194 SCIENCE AND CULTURE, JULY-AUGUST, 2014

of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. However, unknowingly peopleutilize seaweed products daily in the form of process fooditems like dairy products and domestic commodities.Seaweeds are also used as fertilizer in agriculture andhorticulture, food supplement for animals, feed foraquaculture etc11,12.

Why Seaweeds are Healthy?

Seaweeds grow in the oceans, where they absorb arange of minerals and other nutrients. They are also fairlysimple food making easy for human body to break downand release the healthful substances providing variety ofvitamins and minerals. From a nutritional point of view,seaweeds are low calorie food, rich in some healthpromoting molecules and materials such as dietary fiber,-3 fatty acids, essential amino acids, vitamins A,B,C,Dand E, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folic acid13,14

as well as minerals such as Ca, P, Na, K. All seaweedsappear to be nutritious, although, each type differs innutrient contents (Table – 3).

The chemical composition of seaweeds is so close tohuman plasma that they are excellent at regulating andpurifying our blood. They help to alkaline our bloodneutralizing the over acidic effects of our modern diet. Thechlorophyll rich seaweeds are powerful natural detoxifiersthat help to draw our waste products. Seaweeds can be animportant source of dietary iodine. Their naturally highconcentrations of iodine help to stimulate thyroid gland,which is responsible for maintaining a healthymetabolism15.

Seaweeds have salted flavor, somewhat mildly spicyand they can be eaten and used in the preparation of food.They typically contain high amounts of fiber (Table - 4),trace metals and contrary to land based plant foods; they

TABLE -2: Uses of seaweed phycocolloids

USES PRODUCT FUNCTION PHYCOCOLLOID

Food Additives Dairy Products Gelation, foaming, Suspension. Agar, CarrageenanBaked food Improving quality, controlling moisture Agar, CarrageenanSweets Gelation, increase viscosity, suspension Agar, CarrageenanJuices and Sauces Viscosity, emulsifier Agar, CarrageenanBreweries stabilizer Alginate,Processed meat Adhesion CarrageenanFrozen Fish Adhesion and moisture retention Alginate

Medicinal-pharmaceutical Tablets Encapsulation Alginate/CarrageenanLaxatives Indigestibility & lubrication Alginate/CarrageenanDental mould Form retention AlginateMetal poisoning Binds metal AlginateHerpes Simplex virus Inhibit virus Carrageenan

Cosmetics Shampoos Interface vitalization AlginateToothpaste Increases viscosity AlginateLotions Emulsification, elasticity & firmness to skin Carrageenan-AlginateLipstick Emulsification, viscosity Alginate

Other Industrial uses Paints Viscosity and suspension AlginateThread making Glazing Agar, Carrageenan,Textiles Viscosity AlginatePaper making Sizing and glazing Agar, Carrageenan,Adhesives and starch Viscosity and thickening AlginatePottery Suspension AlginateCasting and welding rods Coking Alginate

Chemicals Analytical separation and Chemical reactivity Carrageenan-Alginatepurification of base.Bacteriological media Gelling AgarElectrophoresis gel Gelling Agar- carrageenan

(Source: compiled from published reports)

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Seaweed phycocolloids like alginates has greattherapeutic value as a heavy metal detoxifying agent. Whenadded to the diet as a component of brown edible seaweed,alginate powder or sodium alginate, it can bind heavymetals present in food stream and carry them out with thestool, since alginate is generally not digestible23, 24.

The digestive flora of a particular person may takeup to 4 months to produce dedicated enzymes that arerequired to thoroughly digest dietary seaweeds. At a time,individual enter flora must recognize the molecularstructures on and in seaweeds and subsequently, use themas food. The key bacterial dietary adaptation is continualexposure to the new food material; consequently, positivetherapeutic changes caused by eating seaweeds regularlymay take several weeks to several months to becomeobvious. Therefore, it is far more productive and beneficialto eat a small amount of seaweed daily rather than largeramount, occasionally.

TABLE-3: Nutritive value of some importantseaweed species

Seaweed Species Protein Lipid Carbohydrate Ash% % % %

Ulva 26.1 2.1 42.0 7.8

Enteromorpha 19.5 0.3 64.9 15.2

Monostroma 20.0 1.2 63.9 14.9

Cladophora 14.60 1.01 47.16 11.3

Chaetomorpha 20.31 1.1 52.8 15.83

Caulerpa 25.16 1.4 58.2 7.5

Bryopsis 23.81 1.6 56.05 8.6

Dictyota 19.31 0.9 35.6 9.7

Sargassum 19.0 2.9 33.0 16.2

Padina 18.81 1.7 31.6 10.5

Porphyra 28.4 4.5 45.1 6.9

Rhodymenia 21.5 1.7 44.6 5.3

Gracilaria 24.37 — 61.75 6.0

Hypnea 15.94 2.5 56.6 13.7

Laurentia 26.37 2.0 71.01 —

Acanthophora 26.4 1.7 69.4 15,0

(Compiled from published reports)— no data

TABLE-4: Fiber composition of seaweeds comparedto whole foods

Food Type Total Soluble Insoluble CarbohydrateFiber Fiber Fiber

Seaweed(g/100g wet weight)*

Ascophyllum nodosum 8.8 7.5 1.3 13.1

Laminaria digitata 6.2 5.4 0.8 9.9

Himanthalia elongata 9.8 7.7 2.1 15.0

Undaria pinnatifida 3.4 2.9 0.5 4.6

Porphyra umbilicalis 3.8 3.0 1.0 5.4

Palmaria palmate 5.4 3.0 2.3 10.6

Ulva sp. 3.8 2.1 1.7 4.1

Enteromorpha sp. 4.9 2.9 2.1 7.8

Whole food(g/100 g weight)†

Brown rice 3.8 — — 8.3

Prunes 2.4 — — 19.7

Porridge 0.8 — — 9.0

Lentils green/brown 8.9 — — 48.8

Cabbage 2.9 — — 4.1

Carrots 2.6 — — 7.9

Apples 2.0 — — 11.8

Bananas 3.1 — — 23.2

*Values for seaweeds from the Institut de Phytonutrition56.

†Values for whole foods from McCance, et al57

contain complete proteins 16,17. Some of the importantedible seaweed genera found along the Indian coast arePorphyra, Rhodymenia, Hypnea, Gracilaria,Gigartina,Gelidium, Grateloupia,Laurentia, Iridaea,Phyllophora, Sargassum, Dictyota,Stoechospermum,Dictyopteris,Padina, Turbinaria, Ulva, Enteromorpha,Monostroma, Caulerpa Chaetomorphaetc.

Seaweeds and Human Body Function

Human body requires particular mineral elements aspart(s) of their respective structures. All essential mineralsrequired by human body in minute quantity are providedby dietary seaweeds. The quality of proteins and lipidspresent in seaweeds are most acceptable for consumptionmainly due to their high content in essential amino acidsand relatively high level of unsaturated fatty acids. No landplants even remotely approaches seaweeds as source ofmetabolically required minerals 18.

Seaweeds have more than 54 trace elements, requiredfor human body’s physiological functions in quantitiesgreatly exceeding vegetables and other land plants 19, 20.These elements are in chelated, colloidal and optimallybalanced form hence bio –available. Scientists have recentlyconcluded that seaweeds offer the broadest range ofminerals of any food found on earth21, 22.

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Why to Eat Seaweeds?

Seaweeds contain virtually all the nutrients foundin the ocean and very same minerals are found inhuman body.

Seaweed diet (up to 20 calorie per serving and nofats) is a good food to take when you want totake control of your weight.

Seaweeds are also a good source of amino acids.That’s why they are very special and importantfood stuff for vegetarians.

Seaweeds are also high in fibers than food grainsand cereals which make a person feel full wheneating a meal. This will prevent over eating.

Seaweeds have a high salty flavor which could beused in processed food and also snacks instead ofsalt. This will be very advantageous because ithelps to reduce the chances of developing highblood pressure which could result in heart attacksand even stoke.

TABLE -5: Mineral composition of seaweeds compared to whole foods

FOOD TYPE Ca K Mg Na Cu Fe I2 Zn

Seaweed(mg/100 g wet weight)*

Ascophyllum nodosum 575.0 765.0 225.0 1173.8 0.8 14.9 18.2 NA

Laminaria digitata 364.7 2013.2 403.5 624.6 0.3 45.6 70.0 1.6

Himanthalia elongate 30.0 1351.4 90.1 600.6 0.1 5.0 10.7 1.7

Undaria pinnatifida 112.3 62.4 78.7 448.7 0.2 3.9 3.9 0.3

Porphyra umbilicalis 34.2 302.2 108.3 119.7 0.1 5.2 1.3 0.7

Palmaria palmate 148.8 1169.6 97.6 255.2 0.4 12.8 10.2 0.3

Chondrus crispus 373.8 827.5 573.8 1572.5 0.0 6.6 6.1 NA

Ulva spp. 325.0 245.0 465.0 340.0 0.3 15.3 1.6 0.9

Enteromorpha spp 104.0 351.1 455.1 52.0 0.1 22.2 97.9 1.2

Whole food(mg/100 g weight)†

Brown rice 110.0 1160.0 520.0 28.0 1.3 12.9 NA 16.2

Whole milk 115.0 140.0 11.0 55.0 Tr 0.1 15.0 0.4

Cheddar cheese 720.0 77.0 25.0 670.0 0.0 0.3 39.0 2.3

Sirloin steak 9.0 260.0 16.0 49.0 0.1 1.6 6.0 3.1

Lentils green and brown 71.0 940.0 110.0 12.0 1.0 11.1 NA 3.9

Spinach 170.0 500.0 54.0 140.0 0.0 2.1 2.0 0.7

Bananas 6.0 400.0 34.0 1.0 0.1 0.3 8.0 0.2

Brazil nut 170.0 660.0 410.0 3.0 1.8 2.5 20.0 4.2

Peanuts 60.0 670.0 210.0 2.0 1.0 2.5 20.0 3.5

*Values for seaweeds from the Institut de Phytonutrition56.†Values for whole foods from McCance et al.,57.Abbreviations: NA, no data available; Tr, trace.

TABLE 6: Fat and calorie details of various junkfoods (fast food)

FOOD SERVING CALORIES FAT

Hot dog with bun (regular) 1 300 18Potato salad ½ cup 350 22Pickle (most kinds) 1 11 0.1Ham & Cheese sandwich 1 450 13Roast beef sandwich 1 570 38Salami sandwich 1 450 30Turkey breast sandwich 1 270 6ketchup 1 tbsp. 16 0Mayonnaise 1 tbsp. 90 10French fries 15 250 12Mashed potatoes(with butter & milk) 1 cup 225 9Baked potato (Plain) 1 medium 240 0Grilled chicken sandwich w/mayo 1 340 13Chicken nuggets (fried) 6 280 20Cheese burglar (plain) 1 310 141/4 pound Cheese burglar (plain) 1 520 30Taco (beef) 1 190 11Taco (chicken) 1 170 9Burrito (beef) 1 500 20Burrito (chicken) 1 350 12Burrito (bean) 1 45 14

(Source; Bhaskar & Monica26)

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The soluble fibers found in seaweeds are good fordigestion. Fiber prevents constipation andfacilitates in effective bowels movement.

Fucoidan present in brown seaweeds lowersinflammation and may prevent infection. They alsocontain antioxidants which can stop the formationof disease causing free radicals.

Seaweeds also help to prevent birth defects as theinfants would get all the nutrients needed forhealthy growth.

Seaweed eating countries have shown fewerinstances of obesity, diabetes, Alzheimer’s diseaseand other degenerative diseases.

Seaweeds have high level of folic acid which isvery essential in the breakdown of a chemical thatposes great risk called homocysteine.

Seaweeds are also a very good stress reliever asthey are high in magnesium, vitamins andpantothenic acid which are important parts ofAdrenal gland.

Research suggests that seaweeds could help reducethe risk of many chronic conditions such as highblood pressure, diabetes type 2 etc.

Seaweeds contain significant amount of lignanswhich are plant compounds with cancer protectiveproperties.

In the present day world, everybody is continuallyexposed to radiation, metal poisoning, gaseousemission, radioactive substances, pollution etc. Inorder to reduce their negative health impact, it isnecessary to eat seaweed diets that will continuallydetoxify our body.

Contamination and Agricultural Produce

Modern agronomy, plant breeding, agrochemicals suchas pesticides and fertilizers and technological improvementshave sharply increased yields from cultivation, but at thesame time have caused wide spread ecological damagesand negative human health effects. In the past century,agriculture has been characterized by enhanced productivityusing synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, selective breeding,mechanization and farm subsidies.

Environmental contaminations are chemicals that arepresent in the environment in which the food is grown,harvested, transported, stored, packaged, processed andconsumed. The physical contact of the food with itsenvironment results in its contamination. In 2010, the

International Resource Panel of the Unite NationsEnvironmental Programme published a report assessing theenvironmental impact of consumption and production25. Thestudy found that agriculture and food consumption are twoof the most important drivers of environmental pressure,particularly, habitat change, climate change, water use andtoxic emission. In the present scenario, impact ofcontamination is going to continue in future, therefore, itis necessary to minimize this impact. The use of seaweedsin the diet, probably, can reduce the impact ofcontamination, as seaweeds have the property to bind withthe metals and toxic substances.23,24.

How do you Prepare Seaweed forConsumption?

Seaweeds can be handpicked from the intertidal areasduring the low tide when they are exposed. Do not collectwhole seaweed, only cut upper portion of the fronds andleave lower portion to regenerate later. As seaweeds aregrowing in water, they will absorb the properties of thewater in which they are growing, so it is to be ensuredthat they have been grown and harvested from theunpolluted waters that are pure and free from harmfulchemicals. Collected seaweeds should be rinsed with seawater first to remove sand and any adhering material andthen wash with fresh water, sundried and stored for quitesome time. Dry seaweeds are highly vital food and provideinnumerable concentrated nutrients. All the varieties ofseaweeds may be lightly soaked by putting in the bowl ofwater and simmered to re-hydrate and tenderize.

Initially, the consumption of seaweeds directly (freshor dried) may not appeal to the Indian populace becausethey are adverse to the tastes, smells and/or textures.However, they can be eaten in small quantity mixed withstrongly flavored spices such as fried onions, raw garlic,chili powder, curry, vinegar and other ingredients to makethem more palatable.

There are several ways to add seaweeds to our diet.The variety of dishes can be prepared with differentseaweeds, from desserts such as jellies, jams, breads,pizzas, pasta, casseroles etc. Dry or fresh seaweed piecescan be tucked into sandwich or make seaweeds chips bydrizzling in oil. By simply eating unprocessed driedseaweeds one can yield many healing benefits. Freshseaweeds can be cut in to strips and toss in to soups andsalads. Many physical ailments in humans can be regularlyresolved with the simple addition of seaweeds to therespective dishes.

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Use of Seaweeds in Fast and TraditionalFoods

In present day life style, fast food is playing a verycrucial role in our modern society. Now a day’s fast foodis so appealing that it is not only hot and tasty but it isalso content and convenient and saves time unliketraditional food. The term “junk food” was coined by Dr.Michael Jacobson, Director, Center for Science in thePublic Interest, Washington, D.C., founded in 1972,whowanted to raise public attention about the issue of foodswith high caloric and a low nutritional value. Fast food ishigh calorie meals with more fats and also contains highlevel of refined sugar, white flour, trans fat, polyunsaturatedfat salt and numerous food additives, preservatives,emulsifiers, thickeners, stabilizer and flavor enhancers andlacks in proteins, vitamins and fibers (Tables 5 & 6)26.

Fast food consumption causes damage to the socialand economic life of the country and lead to many health

problems such as obesity and heart diseases according tomany studies27. The USDA Dietary Guidelines forAmericans reported that these eating habits createnutritional deficiencies along with weight gain28. The healthproblems that stem from over weight and obesity alonecan severely limit life styles and shorten life span. Alsomany nutritional experts from many different countries havealready declared the epidemic character of the fast food29. In spite of all these with modern life style fast food isgoing to remain as much sought for and more popular food.

In order to overcome these deficiencies in fast food,seaweeds in small quantities could be used to enhance thenutritional value of the fast food and to have more dietaryfibers and trace elements that are less in fast food. Thestudy carried out on sodium content of processed and fastfood revealed higher content of sodium30. About 75 % ofour daily salt intake comes from processed food, with theaverage adult consuming 50 % more salt than the

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recommended limit of six grams per day. Too much saltleads to high blood pressure that increases the chances ofheart attack many fold. Seaweeds contain high levels ofminerals including sodium along with other key minerals.The salty flavor of seaweeds could be used in processedand also fast food instead of salt; this will help to reducethe chances of developing high blood pressure. Apart fromthese, all other health benefits will be provided by seaweedsto the consumer of fast food. It is necessary to find outwhich seaweed species will be more beneficial to specificfast food dishes.

On the other hand, the traditional food is made fromherbal plants which have many nutrients, vitamins, originaltaste/flavor and is more delicious. No preservatives, flavorenhancer or colour are added to traditional food hence itis safe to consume. Although, it is time consuming to

the health of the consumer. Different approaches to useseaweeds in the Indian cuisine are required to be made tomake it more appealing not only on the basis of healthground but also on the basis of palatability to themasses.

A critical assessment is needed of different flavor andaroma for fresh, dried and processed seaweed with regardsto the taste. It is necessary to understand the science behindflavor development and enhancement in seaweeds toidentify the component for taste and flavor and also tounderstand how various cooking and processing techniquescould affect the development and modification of flavor31.Based on flavor and aroma, develop methodologies toproduce different range of healthy and tasty fast andtraditional food products.With current trend of life style,consumers in India should receive an increasing acceptance

prepare, from selecting various ingredients to manuallycook the food, it turns out to be delicious, tasty and aboveall healthy. The cooking includes a wide range of methods,tools, proper selection, measurements and combination ofingredients in controlled procedure to create the flavor anddigestibility of food29.

It is unfair that the traditional food which has cometo us generation after generation is being neglected andreplaced with fast food that will harm us more than benefitus. It is high time we must think over this attitude and tryto find out appropriate solution to save our culture, ourtraditional food and more importantly our health. Although,traditional food will have balanced nutritional value,addition of seaweeds in small quantity will replace themineral elements or vitamins that have been lost duringcooking. In general, seaweeds are low in calories andcontain a variety of minerals; hence addition of seaweedsin small quantity will be more effective with regards to

for natural resource such as seaweeds which is a multi-purpose health beneficial commodity.

Conclusions

Seaweeds are rich source of minerals, tracemetals,some health promoting molecules, materialssuch as dietary fiber,-3 fatty acids, essentialamino acids etc.

Initially, the unique flavor of the seaweeds will notbe readily accepted by the consumers when itcomes to taste.

There is a long list of seaweeds that have beentraditional source of human food and the recipebooks are available around the world. Thisinformation could be used as a reference to preparespecific Indian dishes.

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Innovation, cultivation and niche market,combination of all three may lead to a greateracceptability of the seaweed used products.

Persistent advertisements, attractive offers forproducts, proper marketing strategies etc. however,may yield results in establishing use of seaweeddiet in Indian cuisine.

Indian food industry should take a note of themultipurpose benefits that we get from seaweedsand use them in various products they manufactureso that consumers are assured of sustained health.

More research on these lines is required to beundertaken to use seaweeds in fast as well as inthe traditional foods for sustenance and well-beingof the Indian populace.

AcknowledgementThe author thanks Executive Secretary, Mangrove

Society of India for encouragement and Shri D. Kavlekar,Tech. Officer, NIO for help.

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