Ocean-Grown Food

Readers Digest, August 2003, printed an article called, "Hidden Dangers In 'Healthy' Foods." revealing startling news. The following is an excerpt from the article. "Many Americans are ingesting potentially dangerous levels of mercury by eating store-bought fish - gleaming, fresh, healthy-looking fish that they thought was good for them. Hightower's [Internist Jane Hightower] findings have triggered a furor at the highest levels of the federal government, convinced California to post warnings at fish counters, and stirred fears that something in our diet may be connected to mushrooming rates of learning disabilities. Today, nearly every state has issued warnings about mercury in fish. According to the article, many fish have, on occasion, been recorded as having unsafe levels of mercury. The worst are swordfish, mackerel, marlin, shark, king and tilefish. The second worst are tuna, trout, red snapper, flounder, freshwater bass, grouper and halibut." Fish and shellfish also carry a high risk for many food-borne bacterial illnesses like salmonella. (For further information refer to "Food-Borne Illnesses" in chapter 7.)
Because mercury is excreted through breast milk and the chance of lowering a child's IQ increases as the mother's blood-mercury level rises, I caution strongly against the consumption of fish by pregnant women and nursing mothers. A much safer way to get the nutrients that are in fish without the risks involved in eating fish meat is to eat lower on the food chain; in other words, eat sea vegetables.
Humans have a history of eating sea vegetables (seaweeds) dating back thousands of years. Sea vegetables were, and still are, known for their ability to prolong life, prevent disease, and impart beauty and health. Sea vegetables were not just eaten in the Asian countries; the Scots and the Britons used dulse and Irish moss as well.
The nutrient profile of sea vegetables is very impressive. Compared to land plants, they contain 10 to 20 times the mineral content (including calcium, iodine and iron ), are high in protein and have an abundance of vitamins and fiber. Sea vegetables are very low in calories and fat which makes them an excellent food for those who wish to lose weight.
The seaweeds hijiki, arame, and wakame have been analyzed in their dried state. Each contains more than ten times the calcium of cow's milk. Hijiki contains eight times the iron in beef, and wakame and kelp have about four times the iron in beef. Kelp, kombu and arame contain 100 - 500 times the iodine in marine fish. One hundred grams of nori contains 35.6 grams of protein. Arame and hijiki are rich in vitamins and niacin (Natural Awakenings, January, 2003 by Jan London). In addition, seaweeds contain alginic acid, a polysaccharide compound that has the ability to chelate (bind compounds to remove them from the body) heavy metals like lead and radioactive elements, as well as excessive sodium (The New Whole Food Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood, page 360).
The most common sea veggies eaten raw, right out of the package, are dulse, kelp and nori. Most people find dulse delicious as it melts in your mouth! All types of sea veggies may be eaten without cooking; you can soak them for easier digestion and to improve the texture and taste. When I visit pristine waters, such as the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California, I eat the sea vegetables directly out of the ocean with only a salt water rinse. I have learned that if the seaweed is growing in shallow waters, and you pick it from its growing place, it is edible. The only non-edible seaweeds are those that grow in deep waters. So don't eat seaweed that has washed up on the beach unless you can identify it. I can harvest enough seaweed in one day to last me an entire year. I sun-dry it and store it in airtight bags when fully dry.
Certain fish, such as tuna, are found to be high in the toxic metal mercury, and can cause a toxic buildup in humans when eaten. Shellfish filter large amounts of water, absorbing bacteria, viruses, and natural toxins, such as heavy metals and chemical contaminants. These creatures, especially oysters, clams and mussels, can cause mild to severe cases of food poisoning when consumed if they are contaminated. Shellfish can also become contaminated with salmonella and/or campylobacter bacteria, either from fecal pollution of water or from improper processing or preparation. Sea vegetables, however, do not absorb these toxins like the filter feeders, which makes them much safer than sea animals. (Natural Awakenings, January 2003, Jan London).